Steps to Inexpensive Homeschooling

Education is often an expensive proposition, and the cost of homeschooling can certainly accumulate over time. Books alone can cost quite a bit of money. Learning can occur with any amount of money, however. It does not take a fortune to give a superior education. Here are a few things a homeschooling parent might try to keep expenses low.

Set a budget. Find a good amount to spend per child each year, and then follow it strictly. Set aside a certain amount of money for books, software, support group dues, legal association dues, even field trips. Plan out the year beforehand, figure out how much it will cost, then allocate the money.

Use the local library. A library provides books and reference materials, of course. But a public library is also a fine place to take the children every week or so. Some libraries are very kid-friendly, with storytelling hours, reading programs, book clubs, and writer’s books. They might even be able to arrange a few field trips of their own or offer volunteer opportunities for the whole family.

Look for free homeschooling materials. The Internet is a wealth of information for anyone who wishes to learn or teach. Lots of information can be found online, as well as classic novels, lesson plans, worksheets - some homeschooling resource providers even provide entire accredited curriculum programs, which is probably the best to opt for.

Buy second-hand schoolbooks. Local used book store, garage sales, and homeschool support sales are excellent places to look. Auction and used book websites are also great places to shop for deals that may save a good deal of money.

When buying new, buy discount. Many stores that service the homeschool community offer some fairly steep discounts on brand new materials from reputable providers. Scholastic Book Club’s monthly, seen at many public schools, also offers both fiction and non-fiction books at slashed prices.

Look for an educator’s discount. Many prominent retailers of educational supplies offer discounts to educators or school programs. Some stores will require an official letter or some form of identification. If that is the case, simply print one from the home computer.

Make use of hand-me-downs. Higher quality materials that were used by older siblings will still be good when the younger siblings are old enough for those same lessons. Preserve materials such as workbooks by having the child write the answers on a separate sheet of paper. Another option may be to use plastic sheet protectors to cover the page, and use dry erase markers for filling in the answer and grading the paper.

Look for bargain extracurricular activities. There are many field trips to take that admit children for free or at a substantially lower cost. A homeschooling support group might even schedule field trips together to get a group rate discount. Another homeschool parent might be able to offer inexpensive music or art lessons for additional savings.

Earn a little extra income at home. Used materials can be sold or children from other families can be tutored. A light home business for those times when school isn’t completely occupying all the time is also something to consider.

Homeschooling parents or tutors who dedicate themselves to saving money can make substantial savings in their homeschooling costs.

To learn more about a quality, distance learning homeschool please visit Laurel Springs School. Laurel Springs School is an accredited, college prep private school offering distance learning programs and teacher services for students in grades K-12. Laurel Springs uses web-based communication tools, a standards-based curriculum, and personalized instruction to offer students the highest quality home education experience based on your child's learning style.