Homeschooling does not have to be expensive! Here, I’m sharing my favorite ways to plan a new homeschool year on a budget! Yes, it IS possible to use great homeschool curriculum AND go on fun field trips – all without breaking the bank!
>>You may also enjoy: Our Fun And Relaxing Summer Homeschool Schedule
One of the most important things to remember when planning your next homeschool year, is to actually give yourself some time to plan! I know this sounds silly, but trying to throw things together last minute usually ends in some quick, non-budget friendly decisions. Rather than putting yourself in that position, give yourself adequate time for the planning process.
One of the best things about homeschooling is the freedom to choose what we will do each homeschool year. So don’t rush your decisions! There are so many amazing budget friendly homeschool options out there. Spend a bit of time reflecting on the previous school year, think about goals for the upcoming year, and research your options.
I’m making things really simple for you by sharing a few of my favorite things we like to use in our homeschool, as well as the best methods for finding affordable options!
Next Year’s Curriculum
As homeschool moms, we are well aware of how expensive homeschool curriculum can be! But it doesn’t have to be! Many awesome curriculum companies offer entire course sets for FREE if you simply download and print them yourself. For example, The Good And The Beautiful offers free math and language arts curriculum for all grade levels!
I have done this for both math and language arts with my kids, and it has saved me so much money! Even with the price of paper and ink, I still spent less than if I bought the printed version straight from them.
The best way to ensure you are saving money this way is to only print out the first few lessons of each course you download. Have your child work through those lessons and see how it’s going. If they like it and you feel it’s working for them, print out the next 10 lessons. If at any point you decide it’s no longer the right fit, just don’t print anymore. This saves you so much time and money since you haven’t gone ahead and printed out the entire thing!
If are looking for a new curriculum for the upcoming school year, avoid the overwhelm and check out my tips on how to choose the best homeschool curriculum!
Small Curriculum Companies
Keep an eye on the smaller/newer curriculum companies. I have discovered that they will often promote their curriculum by offering deeply discounted prices and sometimes even free material! Many of these curriculum companies are created by homeschool moms just like you and I, and it feels good supporting a small business.
I recently purchased an entire homeschool curriculum all about homesteading from a small company I came across on Instagram. They were offering the complete course for 90% off! I jumped on it and now have access to hundreds of lesson plans all centered around homesteading, gardening, preserving, and more…..for only $25! Finding a new curriculum for that cheap is like striking gold in the homeschooling world!
Create Your Own Curriculum
Another great option that will save you lots of money is to create your own curriculum! This doesn’t mean writing a textbook and having it published. This means just meeting your kids where they’re at in their learning, and using whatever resources you have access to.
Many homeschool parents do this and it can be a great way to save money and effectively educate your kids. Some ways you can do this are by utilizing things such as:
- Your local library
- Free online pintables
- Homeschool Co-ops
- Field trips
- Second hand homeschool shops
- Friends & family with experience in a specific topic
The sky’s the limit really! Get creative and don’t be afraid to ask people for favors. This option works really good for many families, so it’s always worth exploring!
It’s also possible to homeschool without using any curriculum at all! In this blog post, I talk all about how to homeschool with OR without curriculum.
Assess Your Previous Year
Another great way to plan a homeschool year on a budget is to take some time to assess your previous homeschool year. Ask yourself questions like:
- What really worked for us? What didn’t work at all?
- Is there any curriculum we didn’t get to use?
- Are my kids ready for the next grade level in their subjects, or should we circle back and spend more time on review?
- Were there things on my to-do list we didn’t have time for that I want to add to next year?
- Did our homeschool days run pretty smoothly without too much stress? Or was there a lot of push back and fighting over getting school work done?
- Are my kids ready for more independent work? Or do they still require lots of one-on-one attention?
Asking yourself these questions about last year will give you some insight into whether you need to make a lot of changes for upcoming school year, or just a few. They will also help guide your purchases by giving you a clear picture of what you may need to add into homeschool repertoire.
The “SHINY” Syndrome
A lot people, especially if it’s their first year homeschooling, get caught up in the fun of buying school materials. I know I sure did! We can easily act like a crow that sees something shiny and think we have to have it! However, we do not.
Making a point of pressing pause on the spending to really analyze where your kids are at and what they really need, is such a good goal to have for yourself. Most of the time, this will help you narrow down the items you REALLY need vs the things you THINK you need.
Not only is this a budget-friendly practice, it will also keep you focused on the goals of your homeschool. It’s easy to get distracted by all the fun (and shiny) things out there, but too much of something can overwhelm your kids AND you. Keep it simple and remember that less is more!
New School Supplies
This is another area where homeschoolers can easily overspend. But with a little bit of organization, it really doesn’t have to break the bank!
Unlike traditional school where you are given a list of school supplies you have to buy, homeschooling only requires some basic things. And many of those things can be re-used from year to year.
Because homeschool kids aren’t carting everything back and forth in their backpacks, on the bus, and throwing it all in a locker at lunch, homeschool supplies tend to last longer. Yes, there will be a few things here and there you need to replace or replenish – but much of what you need will last for years!
In order to keep your homeschool expenses low, don’t just go out and buy a whole bunch of new supplies without taking inventory of what you already have. The best time of year to do this is right at the end of your homeschool year. Why? Because you won’t be hit with the “back to school” bug, which is usually responsible for the huge cartload of art supplies and sticky notes that you don’t really need!
If you’re anything like me, by the time the end of the homeschooling year comes around I’m not feeling tempted to buy all the things! Rather, I’m wanting to purge and tidy up what we have so that my home feels a little less chaotic throughout the summer months. Therefore, this is the PERFECT time to go through the supplies you have on hand and set them aside for the new homeschooling year. Make a small list of the items you need to replace, and you’re done! This will save you so much money because you will know exactly what you need and will be less tempted to overspend.
Field Trips
Going on field trips is something the whole family can enjoy, and they provide such memorable learning experiences for your children. But, depending on where you go, they can also be expensive. You may find yourself dealing with high admission fees, or on site expenses such as food and drinks. And of course, let’s not forget about the gas it takes to get there.
The good news is these are easily avoided with a bit of planning!
During the summer, think about the places you would like you take your kids in the upcoming year. Then, start calling around and asking if they offer any discounts for homeschool families. I have discovered that MANY places do! Not only do they offer discounts, but oftentimes they are willing to accommodate you with special daytime hours that they many not offer to the general public.
Group rates are another great way to save some money. See if some of your homeschool friends want to go with you and you can all benefit from a reduced group fee.
Also, make sure to pack and bring all of the food and drinks needed for you and your children on the field trip. This can save you big bucks, especially if you have a large family!
Stay Local
Lastly, look for field trip ideas that are close to you so that you don’t have to spend a lot on gas to get there. Sometimes, the simple things are the most fun! Here are a few ideas for fun and affordable local field trips:
- Request a tour of your local fire or police station! These are free and they are always happy to accommodate homeschool families!
- Become tourists in your own town for day! Walk around your town and discover places you’ve never seen before. Stop and talk to the people who work in your local shops and ask them for recommendations of where you should go next. It’s like a treasure hunt for cool places in your own city! End the day with a picnic at a playground you’ve never been to!
- Ask if your kids can job shadow someone in your community. Perhaps a neighbor or the local librarian will allow them to tag along for the day to get some real world experience.
- If you have any farms in your area, reach out to the owners and ask if they would be willing to give a tour and explain their operation. Most small scale farmers would be delighted to educate your kids on the hard, yet rewarding work they do on their farm.
Keep It Simple
The last tip I’ll give you on how to plan a new homeschool year on a budget is to KEEP IT SIMPLE! Don’t over complicate your daily schedule, because this always leads to overspending on curriculum or materials you don’t need, or likely won’t even use.
You do not have to include every cool science unit you find, or read every single book on the read aloud list! Prioritize the basics – math, language arts, and science – and sprinkle the rest in as it works for your schedule. If you have younger children that are in the early elementary years, then you can keep it SUPER simple and focus on lots of play, reading together, and some basic math.
As your kids get older and the high school years approach, keep it simple by focusing on the credits they need in order to build their high school transcript.
Not every interest of your child has to be turned into a course! Cover the basics, have fun with the rest, and provide your children with enough free time for them to explore their interests and passions how they want to.
Keeping it simple really helps to keep the spending under control. So as you’re planning the new homeschool year, it’s always a good idea to stay realistic and focus on the basics. Your bank account will thank you!
Summary
To sum this all up, you really can homeschool well, WITHOUT spending a lot of money! The key to all of this is allowing yourself time to think about the new homeschool year and decide what’s most important.
Stay focused and don’t allow yourself to get sucked in to the curriculum trap and end up buying tons of stuff you don’t need! Asses the past year, decide on your goals, and get only what you need.
Also, remember to utilize local people and places as much as possible! Not only will this save you money, but you will build so many great connections within your community.
Don’t feel like you can’t homeschool properly if you’re on a tight budget. You absolutely can! You’ve got this Mamma….get ready for your best year yet!
Blessings!
~Maryann
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