The Costs Of Homeschooling And How To Reduce Them
Homeschooling is something that many parents consider at some point in their child’s life. After all, the benefits and perks are endless! (And I am not biased at all 😉 ) That being said, like most things in life, it does have its downside, the additional costs! The high price of curriculum and homeschooling supplies may keep some families away from homeschooling. Instead of giving up before you begin, you should consider the costs involved carefully and budget for them. Or find free curriculum on Pinterest! Here are six homeschooling expenses you should keep in mind as you count the cost of homeschooling, as well as ways for you to reduce them.
- Homeschool Curriculum
There are lots of homeschool curriculums for you to choose from, starting out at no cost (other than printing) and going up to and over a thousand dollars. Sometimes, the cheaper curriculums require more work from you, while the more expensive need less preparation. But this is not always the case. To save some money on your curriculums, you should shop around, look for discounts, and consider used homeschool sites.
Related: Best Bargain Hunting Strategies for Homeschool Curriculum
- Supplies And Equipment
When your child attends public school, they tend to come home with a long list of supplies and equipment they need for the new school year. Unfortunately, you’re going to need a lot more for your homeschool. To keep these costs low you should consider buying paper, pens, markers, crayons, glue sticks, and other office supplies in bulk. You can also buy used lab equipment or share in a homeschooling group or co-op to keep costs low.
- Higher Utility Bills
Bet you didn’t consider that one! Being at home all day usually results in higher gas and electricity bills. Our utilities went up when we went from working outside of the home to being home to do school most days. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to save energy and reduce these costs. For example, you could use these air conditioning maintenance tips to get your A/C working efficiently and replace your old boiler. You could also invest in insulation for your home and switch to energy efficient bulbs and appliances. But you are also using less gas in carpooling or traveling to and from a brick and mortar school each day. So it may even out for your family.
- Extra Food Shops
Most people tend to eat more when they’re at home, which means that your grocery shopping won’t last as long as it used to. The easiest way to combat this is by keeping an eye on what your family is eating and take steps to limit all day grazing. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy second breakfast, snack, 11’sies, and afternoon tea with the best of them 😉 But we have planned for our snacks and fit them into our budget! Meal planning is great so that you only buy what you need to and your family is able to eat what you have on hand.
Related: Free Printable Menu Planner
- Trips And Extracurriculars
Homeschooled children tend to have a bit more time on their hands than those attending public school. For this reason, you’ll probably want to take your child to extracurricular activities, to co-op, or on regular field trips. You can generally save money on these activities by booking online. You can also look out for discounts and special offers specifically for homeschoolers! If you don’t see anything online about it, reach out to discuss the possibility of getting a group of homeschoolers together to attend an activity as a reduced rate! Many companies love when homeschoolers come utilize their facilities during less than peak hours. We have gotten discounts from everything from theme park admission to movie tickets!
- Loss Of Income
The biggest cost most homeschool families have to deal with is the loss of income that comes from having one parent stay at home instead of working. Depending on your circumstances this could be minimal or substantial. More often than not, it does pose a struggle, but budgeting well, living below your means, and finding ways to cut costs can make life a lot easier. We have learned to be so content with what we have. We could buy more stuff if both me and my husband worked, but the time we get to spend as a family teaching our children is so much more valuable! This cost of homeschooling is completely worth it.
Related: What Homeschooling Cost Me- The 4.5 Million Dollar Truth
Homeschooling costs can be an issue, but they shouldn’t stop you from the wonderful journey .of homeschooling Hopefully, with some keen thinking and the advice above, you’ll be able to limit these expenses and create a budget that works for your family!
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Tiffany
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