Affordable Homeschooling
Can Be Done

I am always looking for affordable homeschooling ideas. It seems with each coming year there is something new that can help save money. When I first started I could save money by borrowing books from the library. Now I can download e-books, and worksheets from the internet.

Homeschool E-books

Affordable homeschooling idea number one is to download some homeschool e-books. Some e-books can be downloaded for free. Others you have to pay for but they are cheaper than a printed copy. You do not have to pay shipping charges.

Today there are a lot of different kinds of e-curriculum available. You can find math, writing, and reading curriculum. There are also unit studies that you can download. There are forms and planners to help keep your homeschool organized.

Most e-books can be read on a computer or electronic reader such as Amazon's Kindle. To read your book on the computer you will need to install the Adobe Reader. Adobe is also free to download.

Besides being inexpensive there are other benefits to homeschool e-books. You can print only the pages that you need. The books do not take up bookshelf space. When you are reading your e-book you can change the font size to make it easier to read. With Adobe search it is easy to find information. Some books even have hyperlinks so you can see more information than what is in the book. Sometimes the updates for the book can be downloaded for free.

There is a downside to homeschool e-books. You need a good internet to download them. Also you need to be able to find your book on your computer so that you will use it. If you have trouble with your hard drive you could loose information. It would be a good idea to burn a copy of the book onto a CD. Also some e-books are not very well written.

One place to find inexpensive homeschool e-books is at The OldSchoolhouse Store

For Affordable Homeschooling Buy Smart

My next tip for affordable homeschooling is to buy smart. Before you even buy materials read reviews. You can find reviews in homeschool magazines such as The Old Schoolhouse. Also there are internet sites that review products. Another idea for finding curriculum is to ask friends what they have used.

You can also try before you buy. A lot of curriculum venders provide free samples that you can download. Some of the online schools have a free trial period.

When I first started homeschooling I bought the Weaver. It is a complete curriculum that I could use with all of my children. All I had to do was to buy a phonics program and a math curriculum. In the beginning I did not have the reference material that was suggested. I used the library and the information provided in the Weaver. Today there are other complete curriculums that you can use with more than one child. Most are as good as the Weaver.

Another idea is to buy non-consumable curriculum especially if you have more than one child. Look for workbooks and textbooks where you can reproduce the problems.

Buy only curriculum that you can not make yourself or you are weak in. I like to have a math textbook and a grammar book. A lot of subjects can be taught without textbooks especially in the elementary grades.

When you have determined what curriculum you need, look for sales. A lot of curriculum venders have sales and discounts in the spring.

Save on School Supplies

Just like children going to school you will have to buy pens, pencils, and paper. For affordable homeschooling, take advantages of sales on school supplies. The best time to buy school supplies is to buy in the late summer. Summer is when the stores have back to school sales. I usually try to figure how many notebooks and other supplies that I will need in the coming year. Then I try to find the best sales.

Sometimes you can find good deals at discount stores such as the Dollar Tree.

To save money, find alternatives to pen and paper. Stories can be written on the computer. Drill work can be done on white boards.

Use Free Resources Wisely

My next tip is to use free resources wisely. Even free materials have hidden costs.

The library is a great place to find free materials. Besides books there are magazines, videos, and CD's. To save money, be sure to return your materials on time so that you do not have to pay a fee.

You can find a lot of free worksheets on the internet. Printing is what will cost money. Print only what your child will use. If you are printing a large book consider going to a print shop. A print shop can print on both sides of the paper. They can also bind the book for you.

Affordable homeschooling is possible. Teaching your children should not cost a lot. My pages free worksheets and free printables lists websites where your can find free resources.

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