Minimize the Cost of Homeschooling Your Child

People often wonder about the cost of homeschooling and just how much money gets spent teaching at home. You can choose to spend a lot of money or find less expensive ways to accomplish the same thing.

When you start homeschooling you will need to make sure that your children receive a solid education so that they can compete with traditional or private school children.

However, it is not free, although it can be nearly free if done a certain way. Nor, is it necessarily cheap. A lot will depend on the sources of your home school books and equipment.

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Associated Expenses

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Some of the items that can quickly add up for families include:

• Homeschool curriculum purchases made each year
• Supplemental course materials and teaching aids
• Compiling a home library of reference and reading books
• Computer, printer, and copier purchases and maintenance
• Hiring tutors or taking enrichment classes

Additionally, some other indirect costs to consider when you start homeschooling are:

• Registration and enrollment fees for your umbrella school
• Membership in homeschool organizations
• Loss of the parent-teacher’s potential earnings outside the home
• Additional heating/cooling/electricity expenses during the day

I know these expenses seem large but there are many families who have been able to successfully homeschool their children at very little cost. Some methods of doing this include:

1. Choose gently used home school curriculum rather than new resources
2. Re-use homeschool materials from older children or friends
3. Obtain free homeschool curriculum online
4. Use free, public resources like libraries, concerts, and cultural events
5. Swap/barter with others for curriculum or tutoring services

Most parents feel that the homeschooling advantages far outweigh any financial responsibilities. The ability to select the homeschool lessons and home school activities for your child makes the monetary expenses insignificant in comparison.

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