Homeschooling should not cost a lot of money.
Let me show you 6 ways you can save hundreds of dollars while homeschooling and earn money too.
Books
Buying books will be your biggest expense while homeschooling, but there are ways to get around this. You can buy many books from Dover Publications, a publishing house that offers cheap unabridged publications at ridiculously low prices. At Dover, you can buy a classic novel for as low as $2.00.
Dover has an extensive list of books too, and they have probably the biggest supply of classic books in variety of subjects, including philosophy, mathematics, economics, astronomy, music, grammar.
“The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket.”
Another way to find inexpensive books is to search on Amazon. A lot of people buy books they will never read, and later sell them on Amazon.
You will also have fun ransacking used books stores for hidden gems.
The library is another useful resource when your homeschooling. If you can’t afford a book, you can ask the library to order it for you. Most of the supplemental books you’ll want or need you can find for free at your local library.
Core Curriculum
Core curriculum books (not to be confused with the notorious Common Core curriculum of public schools) are an even easier category to save money on. By core curriculum, I mean subjects such as grammar, spelling, math, history, science, and so forth.
Per grade, you will spend between $100 - $200 on your core curriculum books.
The good news is that you will only need to buy each grade once, because you can reuse the books with your younger children.
Each child would have to keep the books in good condition, of course, and be careful not to write in them.
There are also sites online where homeschoolers sell their used books, and you can even find used core curriculum books on Amazon.
Supplies like paper, pencils, colored pencils, and materials for art and science projects can all be purchased at dollar stores for almost nothing.
Avoid Programs with Frills
The corporate world has infiltrated the homeschooling community, so you will see lots of fancy programs that cost a lot of money which you do not need.
Nothing you buy, with the exception of science kits, should cost more than what you would pay for a book because a homeschooling curriculum is made up of books.
As long as you know how to teach your kids, and what to teach them, you do not need to buy textbooks or fancy curriculum programs. The fancier and more expensive they are, the faster I would run in the other direction.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Your most significant cost will be extra-curricular activities. However, when you’re homeschooling, you can barter with other parents to avoid paying for classes.
For example if you can teach English and you’d like your child to learn French, swap lessons with a French teacher. You will teach her child English, and she will teach your child French.
You can organize group science or art classes with other parents; and you can usually find a parent who is good at a sport and willing to teach homeschoolers.
Homeschooling does not have to be expensive if you’re resourceful, and, as homeschoolers, we tend to be a resourceful group.
That’s all wonderful, you’re thinking, but one income can’t even cover the rent in your area.
Earning Income From Home
The biggest expense with homeschooling isn’t really an expense but the loss of income that comes when one parent decides to stay home and teach the children.
Homeschooling is a luxury many Americans can no longer afford, because both parents are working. But if you think of staying home with your children as less of a luxury and more of a right your children are entitled to, then it might make more sense to downsize your lifestyle, so one of you can stay home with the children.
Children don’t just need a roof over their heads and food on the table, they need the presence of a loving parent to feel safe, loved, and protected.
“An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.”
I don’t know a single parent that wouldn’t go without food if that’s what it took to feed their child. We’ll starve ourselves to keep their bodies nourished, but what about their hearts?
Fortunately, with the post-Covid world, earning money from home has never been easier. Do you have a skill you can contract out online?
One job everyone with an online business needs is a virtual assistant. If you have a knack for technology, you’d be surprised how easy it is to find work. Just put an ad on a site like Fiverr.com. Bookkeeping is another skill that is always in demand and can be done from the comfort of your home.
Teaching Other Homeschoolers
The most noble work is to homeschool someone else’s children. Many mothers have no choice but to work, yet, they also don’t want to put their children into public school. You can establish your own little homeschooling schoolhouse and teach the children of working parents.
I love this last option, and it is what I would do if I had young children again. You are providing a valuable service, and you are getting paid enough to allow yourself to stay home and teach your own. Plus you have a built-in community for your children to grow up in. You will never be in want of “friends” for your children.
These are just a few ways to keep the bills from piling up and save hundreds of dollars while homeschooling.
Even on the smallest of budgets, homeschooling should never be financially prohibitive. Sometimes it just takes a little more creativity and planning to make it all work.
Don’t miss our free download, Ten Books Every Well-Educated Child Should Read.
Teach your child to read before sending him to school! Learn more about Elizabeth's unique course, How to Teach Your Child to Read and Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.
For parents of children under age seven who would like to prepare their child for social and academic success, please begin with Elizabeth’s singular online course, Raise Your Child to Thrive in Life and Excel in Learning.
When you join the Smart Homeschooler Academy online course for parents, Elizabeth will make homeschooling manageable for you. She’ll guide you in helping your kids reach their intellectual potential and developing good character.
As a homeschooler, you will feel confident, calm, and motivated knowing you have the tools and support you need to homeschool successfully.
Elizabeth Y. Hanson is a homeschooling thought-leader and the founder of Smart Homeschooler.
As an Educator, Homeschool Emerita, Writer, and Love and Leadership Certified Parenting Coach, Elizabeth has 21+ years of experience working in education.
Developing a comprehensive understanding of how to raise and educate a child, she devotes her time to helping parents get it right.
Elizabeth is available for one-on-one consultations as needed.
"I know Elizabeth Y. Hanson as a remarkably intelligent, highly sensitive woman with a moral nature and deep insight into differences between schooling and education. Elizabeth's mastery of current educational difficulties is a testimony to her comprehensive understanding of the competing worlds of schooling and education. She has a good heart and a good head. What more can I say?”
—John Taylor Gatto Distinguished educator, public speaker, and best-selling author of Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
