Homeschooling can get very expensive.  There are so many great little gadgets & neat things to use in our school not to mention the huge choice of curriculum.  Did you know that the average homeschooling family spends approximately $400 per year per child on school related materials?  Finding ways to save money without forfeiting your child’s education can be very important if you are on a tight budget.  Here are some ideas that have come from some of my favorite sources, homeschool moms.

Don’t buy new. One of the easiest ways for me to save some money is to shop for used books rather than new ones.  The internet is loaded with sites where you can find used books.  Half –Price Book Store is a great to place to not only buy used books, but you can also sell your books, curriculum, videos & CD’s.   If you still can’t find what you are looking for then ask your friends.  If they have it they will probably let you borrow it.

Use what you already have. There are many cute little extra’s you can spend a lot of money on when purchasing manipulative for math and such.  Instead, we just use what we have around the house.

MATH – We use dry beans for counting in Math instead of counting bears.  When they are learning place value just use different types of beans to represent each place value.  A real tape measure & ruler are a lot more fun to learn measurement with than just a workbook.  Also, your measuring cups, spoons & bowls help you visual learners remember easier.  Dominoes, dice & playing cards are great to reinforce the basics.  My kids love to play “21” or whatever number they chose.  Don’t forget about your board games that have money or points.  These are fun & educational.

LANGUAGE ARTS – If you still have a tape recorder or even a digital recorder, these are great for doing interviews for research papers or just mock interviews.  Have your child record them self reading aloud & let them listen and see what they sound like.  Your fireplace makes a great stage for public speaking and your doorways make a great puppet stage when a blanket or sheet is stretched across on chairs. Use speeches and the Bible as opportunities to teach proper recitation.  Copywork can be used to teach proper handwriting and grammar skills. Make your own trivia game or better yet have your child make it.  What a fun project!!

SCIENCE - Broken appliances are great to let kids take apart and either try to fix or just explore the working parts.  Flashlights, batteries and wire are good for making simple machines. Magnets, a cork and needle will create a compass.  Magnetize the needle by rubbing it against a magnet.  Stick the needle into the cork & float in a pan of water.  The needle will point north. Your kitchen sink, stove, refrigerator, & table are the makings of a beginner’s laboratory for experiments.

SOCIAL STUDIES - Place maps on your kitchen table & cover the table with a clear shower curtain.  Eat breakfast on London and dinner on Egypt!  Laminate parts of maps and use them as placemats.  Make a family tree using photo albums.  And don’t forget about a globe.

Think multi-level and non-consumable! Hard bound text books are sometimes a major investment, but well worth it years later.  We are using the same math text book for the 5^th child this year.  I don’t let my kids color in science & history coloring books so that I can reuse them.  I make copies of the pages I need.  I also make copies of various workbook pages (when the author has given permission) to help add years to the money I spent.

Use the Internet.  If you are not careful you could spend days on the internet researching website & resources to use with your children.  An interesting website that I recently found that gave me hundreds of educational websites is www.educational-freeware.com.  I was pleasantly surprised at the wealth of websites for all ages; from my preschoolers up to my high school kids. There are many more sites out there that are so helpful in creating a fun learning atmosphere.  You just have to look for them.

I have learned that I really need to get creative with what I have & continue to reuse it.  Because I have built quite a home library, I rarely have to go to the city library, but we do use the public one when we need to.  The more years I homeschool the more simple I make it, not ordering fancy curriculum’s.  I have learned that it doesn’t always give them a better education.  I want my kids to learn to educate themselves and sometimes that means they have to do all the leg work, researching on the internet or creating polls to collect data.  Teach your kids to be creative also.  It will bless them in the end.

One of the daunting tasks that faces any home schooling family is the search for home school curriculum to use. There are so many options out there, but one thing I have noticed is that the majority is Christian based and can be very costly.  What if I am not wanting to use a Christian based home school curriculum or I am on a strict budget, what do I do?  Initially home schooling was started by Christian families who wanted to have their faith be the center of what was being taught in their child’s classes.  Today you find many other religions also home schooling their children.

If you are on a tight budget while home schooling you really have to think out of the box sometimes in order to reach your goals.  Expensive home school curriculum is not always an option.  If you have a computer in your home with internet access that may be all you need to develop your own home school curriculum.  Granted it may take you a little longer to put the lessons together but this way there is more meaning for the child in learning this lesson.  As well as being able to tailor it to your child’s learning ability, since no two children learn the same.

It is a good idea to start with laying out what subjects you will be teaching, then develop them down to sub-categories to make it easier.  For example the main subject is Science, my sub-categories could be:  Earth, Chemistry and Biology, from which you could even develop down into further sub-categories in order to easily split them up for the year.  As a parent you will also learn along with your children some of the subjects you may have forgotten about when you were in school.

After laying out your subjects do some research online on each of the sub-categories, you may find worksheets or games or even full lessons to help you teach the subjects.  A little work up front can go a long way in helping your homeschooler learn!

Homeschool curriculum does not have to be a task to dread, with creating your own you can make learning fun for your children to keep their interest peaked.  Developing your own home school curriculum can be fun as well as challenging, but in the end it is rewarding too!

We've all had to click "buy" without being certain of what we were buying- Would the program do what it claims? Would the company offer a refund? Would the layout be too busy? It's difficult to purchase materials for your child's education when you can't handle the actual book in person. Avoid these four pitfalls: "Company Error," "Parent Error," "Recommendation Error," and the last is called "Paying for Free Error."

One way to avoid the first pitfall, "Company Error," is by establishing a relationship with the company that you are considering buying from. There is a lot of trust involved when you buy a textbook or other school supply based on reviews, without handling the actual product. You can create a relationship with a company by shopping there, calling their support number, or reading a lot of customer responses. Who is writing the reviews? What is their return policy? Do they welcome questions? How in-depth are the product descriptions?

In addition to the risk of buying new curriculum is the pressure of knowing if or when you should even try a new one! Is your student struggling? Or is it simply that YOU bored? Is your student actually learning the material? Is it too remedial, or too advanced? Is it too hands-on and project oriented when you have small children underfoot or a home business?

Frequently the poor experience comes from what I call "Parent Error." For example, I became tired of the repetition found in Saxon's spiraling information method, and I wanted to do something that made math instruction more exciting and involved. I spent $75 on a Miquon Math kit because it seemed more interesting than worksheets. I discarded it the next semester and went running back to Saxon. Many times "flaws" like repetitiveness are felt more on the part of the parent, and not the student who is doing the material for the first time. Another version of Parent Error is when the parent buys projects or supplements that they themselves would have enjoyed when they were a child. The parent fails to take the interests of the child into account.

Another time I changed books I began to understand what I call the "Recommendation Error." I blindly followed the suggestion of my curriculum guide, The Well-Trained Mind, to buy Spelling Workout. This is a consumable, semester-long workbook that sells for $17 each. However, I will soon have four students in spelling, and at an annual cost of over $30 per student for one subject, it became too expensive for us. Now we use Natural Speller, an 8-year nonconsumable text. Although I highly value the opinion and suggestions of our curriculum guide, I need to keep in mind if each recommendation matches my own lifestyle. This is also true when buying based on the recommendations of friends. Do you share similar worldviews? Do you have children in similar age groups?

I learned about the "Paying for Free" error when I bought a Color Unit Study. I paid $15 for it and decided very soon after opening it that it wasn't worth it. After handling it in person, I felt like I could have given the same instruction on color wheels to my children by simply googling it. Be sure to weigh these factors in your mind the next time you find your cursor hovering over the "buy" button!

Parents that are new to homeschooling are often overwhelmed with all the products that are now available to homeschoolers.  Homeschooling has become a big industry.  Open a homeschooling catalog full of curriculum and supplies and someone can easily get the impression that homeschooling is going to cost thousands of dollars a year. Some parents have no problem going this route, but others have to budget what they spend on curriculum and homeschooling supplies.

For homeschooling parents that have a more limited budget, there are many things that you can do to cut your expenses for homeschooling and not cut the quality of your child's education.  Here are a few tips:

Set a Budget

Before you start purchasing supplies for your homeschool, set a budget.  Consider how many children you are homeschooling and what their grade levels will be.  Look for ways to consolidate some of your teaching, like teaching the same level of history or science to more than one child at the same time.  This will cut down on what you need to budget for your curriculum and supplies.  Consider this your own "one room schoolhouse".  Then you may only need to purchase one curriculum or one set of supplies and use them for more than one child.   This will help keep you from purchasing things that are unnecessary and keeping them in the closet.

Decide on Curriculum

Before you decide on curriculum, consider your child/children first.  Write down questions and answers about their personality, strengths, and weaknesses.  What is their learning style?  Does you child like to do lots of exciting hands on activities?  Do they love to read or not quite so much?  Is character development as important or less important to you?  Considering these questions will help you select the curriculum that works best for your child/children.

Once you have written down some of these things, then take a look at the different methods of homeschooling and determine which is the best one for you.  These homeschooling methods include (but are not limited to):

• Charlotte Mason Method - SimplyCharlotteMason.com; CharlotteMason.com
• Classical Education Method - Classical-Homeschooling.org; TheWellTrainedMind.com; TriviumPursuit.com
• Eclectic Homeschooling Method - EclecticHomeschool.org
• Montessori Method - American Montessori Consulting
• Traditional or School-at-Home Method
• Unit Studies Approach - Amanda Bennett's UnitStudy.com; Five In a Row; Homeschooling ADD Kids
• Unschooling or Natural Learning Method - Unschooling.com
• Waldorf Education Method - Live-Education.com; Waldorf Without Walls

Remember, there is not one way of homeschooling.  Every child is different and what might work for one child and/or parent, might not work for you.  Deciding in advance what your style will be means you can adapt the tools to the method, not the other way around.

Once you've decided which route you want to take, then you can "test drive" your chosen curriculum and other tools before you start buying.

1. Look for online demos
2. Check out curriculum reviews online
3. Attend a homeschool convention or expo where homeschool vendors have an opportunity to show you their curriculum, products, and supplies
4. Talk to other homeschool parents and find out what they liked or disliked about curriculum they've purchased or used
5. Check out homeschooling support forums or blogs online and do the same your support group. Ask them what they like and dislike about curriculum they've purchased and used.  Read messages on homeschooling support forums online and do the same.

Kelly Ling is a work-at-home, homeschooling mother of five. She has mentored many homeschooling and work-at-home moms over the past eighteen years. Kelly also owes a home-based web design business. When not doing web design, she is constantly updating some of her homeschooling/work-at-home websites - Homeschool Top Sites, ChristianWAHM.com, WAHM Contests, and others.

Homeschool Buyer's Co-op

The Homeschool Buyer's Co-op is the nation's largest purchasing cooperative for homeschooling families.  This site is worth a mention all by itself.  It is a great resource for homeschoolers to obtain bulk pricing discounts on curriculum, homeschool supplies, and much more.

Membership in the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op is FREE!  With your membership, you get:

• Exclusive member discounts for homeschooling families from educational suppliers
• Frequent Group Buys that give homeschoolers even deeper discounts
• A fully searchable database of Free Curriculum and other educational Resources
• The Internet's largest database of educational Contests & Scholarships available to homeschooled students
• The Internet's largest database of local, retail merchants that offer discounts to homeschoolers
• Money-saving and making tips, specifically for homeschooling families contributed by homeschooling moms
• Ongoing sweepstakes of prizes from their network of educational suppliers
• Discounts for educators and students from Academic Superstore
• Free classifieds section for members

Buy Used

Many homeschool support groups have a once a year book sale where homeschoolers can come and sell their used curriculum and supplies. Homeschool conventions and expos often have vendors who sell used books and curriculum, or they host their own used book sale.

Yard sales, thrift stores, Freecycle, "for sale or trade" message forums for homeschoolers online are some more places to find inexpensive supplies and curriculum. Public library sales and used bookstores are places to find lots of inexpensive books to fill out your family's bookshelves.

There are a number of homeschool auction and classified sites that allow you to sell your used books and curriculum.  Some are free and others charge a small fee.  These are great alternatives to eBay who no longer allows Teacher's Editions to be sold on their website.  Some of my favorites are:

• HomeschoolBid.com
• HomeschoolBuy.com
• EdifyatHome.com
• HomeschoolClassifieds.com

Get Creative!

Homeschooling can bring out creativity - not only in your children, but also IN YOU!  Why not design your own curriculum?  Create your own unit studies.  Make a "living books" curriculum by making lists of reading material and getting the books from the library. There is an unbelievable number of free online worksheets (just search for what you need, for example "free third grade math worksheets", etc.).

Make your own math manipulatives. Instead of buying fancy things, use things from around your home to teach your children math - dried beans, dried macaroni, Lego toys, wooden blocks, etc.  These items are wonderful in teaching addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and basic geometry.

Find Homeschool Freebies

Many office supply stores host teacher appreciation days once a year around August. These are a source of free and discounted items and giveaways. Many larger bookstores such as Barnes and Noble also offer discounts to teachers throughout the year, including homeschooling parents. They often have free book giveaways in the summer.

• Wholesomechild.com offers a Homeschool Freebie of the Day
• HomeschoolRadioShows.com offers "Living Books for the Ears" audio programs every week
• The Homeschool Mom.com has a long list of freebies for homeschoolers
• The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has a great list of samples and freebies
• Currclick.com offers a free eBook for homeschoolers every week

Public libraries are also a neverending source of free homeschooling materials. From the obvious unlimited free books to educational DVDs, great music on CD, arts and crafts activities open to the public, symphony days, storytime, even continuing education for older teens and adults.  Some library systems have audio books to loan online.

Public domain books can also be downloaded and printed freely from the internet at Gutenberg.org.

With a little creativity and time, you can homeschool frugally.  Not only will you be saving money, but you will also create more flexibility in homeschooling your children.

Kelly Ling is a work-at-home, homeschooling mother of five. She has mentored many homeschooling and work-at-home moms over the past eighteen years. Kelly also owes a home-based web design business. When not doing web design, she is constantly updating some of her homeschooling/work-at-home websites - Homeschool Top Sites, ChristianWAHM.com, WAHM Contests, and others.

Searching for homeschool books online can lead to fantastic savings for today's busy homeschool parents.

There is no shortage of curriculum companies marketing their wares to home educating families. Even the smallest entrepreneur finds a way to market their books on the internet. Let's look at some great sites for finding homeschool curriculum online.

Most everyone is familiar with large publishers like A beka, Bob Jones, Alpha Omega, etc., but did you know that there are great deals waiting to be snagged at sites like Second Harvest Curriculum, Shekinah Curriculum Cellar or Rainbow Resource? These smaller sites offer many great homeschool books online not seen on the institutional sites, and they offer unique materials at surprisingly low prices.

Second Harvest Curriculum has a name that explains itself. You will find gently used, current editions of major publisher's textbooks. If you are finished with your books, and they are a current edition offered by the publisher, Second Harvest may buy them from you. They are not a consignment; if your books are accepted, you get cash right away! Turn those unwanted books into  extra spending money for new books.

Shekinah Curriculum Cellar is a family-owned company that sells a little of everything from Christian homeschool curriculum online, to unique children's educational toys. I had the happy occasion to visit their Texas warehouse in the woods last summer, and I was delighted to find surprises around every corner. Their store is very simple, which keeps their overhead low. This allows them to keep prices low. Don't live in Texas? Don't worry. You can buy any of their homeschool books online from their secure web site, shekinahcc.com.

Rainbow Resources carries everything under the sun! Visit RainbowResource.com and find a wide array of materials for students pre-k through high school. Be sure and click the box labeled "Bargain Books". Books in the Bargain bin are slightly damaged, so cannot be sold as new. Their loss is your gain, and you can snag some great discounts. Choose carefully, as there are no returns. Free shipping on orders over $150.

Families who are homeschooling for high school students at a college-prep level will want to visit a tremendous web site called Liberty Fund. There you will find research library quality books on American government, free market economics and American and world history at extremely reasonable prices. Most books are available in paperback, and can be purchased for $15-$20. I think you'll agree that this is a great option for purchasing top quality homeschool books online.

While you're looking at the Liberty Fund site, please don't miss the opportunity to get your copy of the Portable Library of Liberty DVD. It is FREE for the asking, but you must provide them with a "snail mail" address for shipping purposes. The Portable Library of Learning contains over 1,000 readings in ebook format, and might even be used as a personal, homeschool economics or government course text collection.

So, when busy parents are searching for excellent quality homeschool books online, check out lesser known sites for some great deals! You'll be saving money, and you'll be saving precious time.