Homeschooling is awesome, but it can get very expensive! How do you give your kids the best possible education without breaking the bank?
We have five quick tips to help your family save money on homeschool curriculum purchases.
1. Buy only what you need – It’s tempting to buy, buy, buy when you’re looking at different websites and catalogs. There’s so much out there to learn, and so many wonderful curriculums to choose from. One small bit of advice: You’ll never be able to get it all in! You’re going to have to reduce and eliminate everything that doesn’t line up to your family’s mission. To make this process easier, first write your family’s mission statement, then use these planning pages to give yourself a laser focus on what you’re ordering.
2. Take inventory of what you already have on hand before ordering anything – Once you’ve figured out what you need, look through the supplies you already have on hand. Make sure you’re not ordering doubles of workbooks or teacher guides. This is especially important if you have multiple children and are re-doing a curriculum.
3. Start purchasing by looking for second-hand materials – Look in Facebook groups or at curriculum sales for second-hand copies of the books you know you need for the new school year. Most of the time, earlier editions are fine and have had simple additions or corrections. Simply Google the name of your book or curriculum for advice on using older editions.
4. Shop at homeschool conventions to get discounts – If there’s a homeschool convention coming to your area soon, check the vendor list for the vendors you need. If you’re looking to purchase a curriculum from a vendor that will be there, wait and purchase at the convention. Most vendors will offer 10% – 20% off the price of their products, or will offer bonuses and free shipping. If you’re not able to make it to a convention, call and ask the company if you can have their convention discount. Some companies may be willing to work with you.
5. Combine with other homeschool families to get a group discount – There are several places where you can work with other homeschool families to get group discounts. The most notable one is the Homeschool Buyer’s Co-op. Buying co-ops are especially useful if you’re using a big name curriculum. The process is a little different than making a simple purchase. You’ll see the prices that depend on the number of orders. You will also have the chance to decide what price you’re willing to pay for the materials.
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