Homeschooling on a budget is totally doable. I wish more people would realise that homeschooling doesn’t have to be expensive, especially if you already have a parent staying at home.
There are of course many ways to make homeschooling cost an arm and a leg but when it comes down to it a little creativity goes a long way. There are also a huge range of free or next to free curriculum choices and resources.
Free Curriculum
There are a number of companies that offer their curriculum for FREE yes you read that right. It is not that the curriculum is not very good…in fact it is the complete opposite, it is just that the publishers feel that every child should be able to access wonderful educational resources without the restraint of money.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is an app that you can download that has lessons for preschool up to twelfth grade. Included in the app are courses for multiple subjects ranging from math all the way through to computer programming. They are constantly updating and adding new courses and work.
I find in the younger year Khan Academy is a great stand alone but as they get older it makes for an even better resource to help teach and clarify topics that are being learned more in depth with a dedicated curriculum. The older years a it is best used as a supplement.
It is very easy to navigate the app and keep on track with your child’s progress. Kids love to use it too, the animations and explanations are simple and clear.
Easy Peasy All in One Homeschool
Easy Peasy is one of the first curriculums many parents use. It was my first introduction to homeschooling.
The author of this curriculum started by putting her own children’s assignments and work online in order to save it for her younger children in the future. This led to many other families using the curriculum she had created with their own children. She continued to make it free to access so that homeschooling on a budget was even easier for families.
The curriculum itself is based online. All you need to begin is a pencil and paper. All the resources that are used in the curriculum are available online. Children then complete their assignments for you to correct and check for them.
If you decide to do her art program you will need to purchase some basic art supplies.
Homeschooling on a budget could not be easier with Easy Peasy.
The Good and the Beautiful
The Good and the Beautiful is the curriculum that we currently use and I can not see us ever switching. The language arts portion of the curriculum is free for the elementary years to download. This is so flipping amazing for me because shipping from the US to Australia is insane. Seriously it was going to cost me $200 to ship $150 worth of curriculum, and let’s not even talk about the exchange rate!
They also offer science, history, typing, handwriting and math. We have use all of these and they are amazing. I can officially say I am not curriculum hunting. They are also offered for an incredibly low price compared to other curriculums. I should mention that the language arts curriculum also includes, spelling, geography and art.
The fact that you can download this curriculum for free is immensely helpful for homeschooling on a budget. Even the subjects that are at a cost are substantially cheaper if you were to purchase the PDF version.
Art For Kids Hub
This is a YouTube channel that my children use for their art lessons. You can purchase a subscription to be able to access the videos off of YouTube to reduce the risk of kids being exposed to all the ads and inappropriate videos.
The channel is run by a dad and his kids. Each video shows them working side by side to draw and color the subject for the days lesson.
What I really love about this channel is how he speaks to his children. It really puts my children at ease when they see that his kids drawings aren’t perfect but they are not judged harshly or criticised, instead they receive such positive encouragement. It really give my kids the confidence to not give up despite their pictures not looking as good as his.
The channel teaches good technique, and really does improve your children’s drawing ability and confidence. They instructions are very, very easy to follow and the end results are pretty awesome. I actually have my own picture on the fridge at the moment because I am just that proud of it. I have ZERO artistic ability, stick figures are as far as I can go.
Free Resources
These are resources that you can use to create your own curriculums and/or enhance what you are already doing.
Library
Every homeschooler should have a library membership. Libraries are one of the best resources to homeschoolers whether you are on a budget or not.
Did you know that libraries are more than just books? Libraries have so many wonderful programs operating for children during the week. Some even have homeschool specific programs.
Our library has weekly robotics, coding, Minecraft, science and craft classes just to name a few. These classes are free and run every week while school is is session. This give children the opportunity to enrol in a class that they are interested in, make friends and experience being in that classroom environment and taking instruction from other adults. The benefits are just wonderful, I am so glad the libraries offer these experiences to our children.
Now for the books. You can find books on almost anything in the library. If you are doing a topic on marine animals you can check out all the books you need. Use those books to help create a lesson plan and assignments. Just remember to take them back on time. I currently feel too ashamed to show myself at the library since I owe almost $200 in late fees…
Many libraries also have audiobooks you can download. Audiobooks are some of my favourite homeschooling resources. My kids love them and I love them too. They are a great way to increase children’s vocabulary and mind as well as improving writing skills. The biggest bonus here is that you can’t get charged late fees!
YouTube
I always say I go to the University of YouTube. Despite the fact that I have a degree and post graduate study from a well respected college I think I have learnt from YouTube than I ever did in all my years at college.
YouTube can be a homeschoolers best friend. If your child is interested in a subject it is right there for them to learn about in depth. You can find simple preschool type explanations all the way through to expert level.
If your child needs to learn how to do a particular math formula then I can promise you there will be a multitude of videos there to demonstrate exactly how to do it. Some children are just visual learners. No matter how many times they read it in a text book it just doesn’t click as fast as it does when they are visually able to see it worked out.
The are so many wonderful free resources available on Pinterest. Pinterest is a homeschooling parents dream. I have a board on my Pinterest that is full of free resources if you wanted to check it out.
Free resources can range from printables to full lesson and unit studies. There are so many wonderful people out there offering their work for free and I am so grateful for their efforts which make my life so much easier!
Subscriptions
Sometimes I have found that homeschooling on a budget means pulling things from many different places. A subscription can make this a lot easier.
Twinkl
This is a site I use frequently to print off worksheet for my children. I find these particularly helpful for supplementing their current work when they need extra practice. I also print out worksheets for them to do if they finish all their work early and are waiting for me to finish with another sibling.
I need to actually create a folder of fun worksheets they can complete during the week as extra practice. They really, really love worksheets!
Homeschool Buyers Co-op
Joining the Homeschool Buyers Co-op is a great way to get curriculum and subscriptions to educations websites and apps at a significantly lower cost.
When you band together with other homeschooling parents you can able to purchase in a bulk order which entitles you to a substantial discount, much like schools do. This can really help your homeschooling budget, especially if the curriculum you are in love with is on the pricy side.
Where to Buy Cheap Homeschool Resources
Homeschooling on a budget requires you to be on the hunt for some good second hand deals these can be found in a few places. The best ones that I have used are Facebook Marketplace and Buy Swap Sell pages. This is a good way to sell off your own curriculum and books in order to fund your new books.
Homeschool conventions also often have an opportunity to purchase your curriculum at a discounted price. Some conventions also have the option for families to sell and buy second hand curriculum.
If you are in an area where homeschooling in popular you can also look out for curriculum sales. These are like group garage sales, usually held in a church or community hall where everyone brings their used books to sell. You can always find good deals here.
As you can see there are lots of ways to make homeschooling work on a budget. Don’t let the lack of funds be the reason that you put off homeschooling. If you still feel like you need to bring in a little extra cash to help the homeschooling budget then you might want to consider the awesome jobs in this post. They are perfect for homeschooling mom’s and aren’t the usual MLM type jobs either.
