Is Home Schooling Expensive?

Is Home Schooling Expensive? Do I Qualify to Home school? FREE E Book

Home schooling can indeed be very expensive. It can also cost very little. It depends on what home schooling costs you in terms of materials, time, and effort.
Here are some things to keep in mind as you explore the question of home schooling expense.

* Don't try to keep up with the Jones's. When choosing a curriculum for your child, competition with other home schoolers can be counter-productive.
Just because your neighbor spent $575 on her curriculum this term (and yes, some curricula do cost that much or more) doesn't mean you have to spend $700.

* Think quality, not quantity. More books and materials cost more, but more is not necessarily better.
Depending on your child's learning style, you may get more out of a nature walk that costs nothing than a lesson that involves multiple books and worksheets. In other words, you don't necessarily need all that "stuff."

Math manipulatives, for instance, can cost quite a bit of money. But you may be perfectly able to make your own, out of stones, sticks, playdoh or use board games the you already have or borrow someone else's.

* Sometimes quality does cost. If you are teaching your child art, for example, getting cheap supplies can really hamper his or her learning. The same is true for materials required in some other subjects also.

* Time is money. Home schooling becomes expensive when the parent doing the educating is spending those hours planning and teaching rather than earning money.

Some families manage to split home schooling and income earning so that both parents share in each, thereby making home schooling a less expensive endeavor.

Some families include their children in the home business and use it as learning and growth, others outsource some time with Family Day care, other home school families and other family members.

It is not unknown for some families to downsize their home, their cars and other materialistic things once homeschooling - it truly is an individual Choice - always a choice.

* Remember free resources. The internet and your local library are invaluable for saving you money for your home school.
Check out as many books as you can, and ask your librarians to help you put together a collection of books for a unit study or other theme-based lesson.

Ask you children what their interests are at present and do more child led learning - you may be surprised how resourceful your children are at gaining resources to learn what is relevant to them.

Also, your local place of worship or home schooling community, social media market places may put on free book giveaways periodically, where you can donate and/or collect all sorts of books and materials for free. Book and resource swaps and Op shops are great alternatives too.

Get involved in your local home school community to find out more about these types of sales and giveaways.

* Join other home schoolers in a co-op or other group.
This can be a great way to save money - you can get group rates for field trips, and many home schoolers lend or give away their materials or curricula.

They can also give you a heads-up on various books sales and events.

Join Home Education Network as they have great deals for subscription and more. Also look out for you States support groups as well as some families often organise reduced subscriptions and access to educational activities.

Home school can be expensive but I always ask, what about your child's mental health and well being? What is more important?

Only you can answer this.
More information.

Enjoy the journey.

Annmarie