Finance Friday: How to Homeschool on a Budget

How to homeschool on a budget

During Finance Friday Live we discussed how to homeschool on a budget. If you want to homeschool, don’t let your finances hold you back from teaching your children. Below are a few ideas on how you can teach your child or children well, on a small budget.

Positive Homeschool experiences #homeschooling #budget #education

Here’s a list of places where you can find inexpensive curriculum?

Online: mobymax.com, time4learning.com (no longer free, only $20 a month per student), and tenmarks.com (for math) are several online curriculum options. Moby Max, also offers free placement test so you can see if your child is on grade level or not. If you’re trying to find books, workbooks, etc. you can purchase books at a homeschool curriculum fair, carsondellosa.com, or HomeschoolClassifieds.com.

Moby Max an educational Online Resource from CleverlyChanging's Homeschool on a budget series
Moby Max an educational Online Resource from CleverlyChanging’s Homeschool on a budget series

If you need a computer or electronic supplies Apple and Dell offers education discounts that home school families can use.

Library: the library is probably one of my favorite resources because it allows card members to check out free books.  In addition, there are also amazing activities, STEM programs, and other resources available. Some libraries also have regular classes, 3-D printers, videos, and even tablets.

Visit a library from CleverlyChanging's Homeschool on a budget series
Visit a library from CleverlyChanging’s Homeschool on a budget series

Discount stores: Stores like thrift stores, Goodwill, Ollies, etc give families a cheap option to build their home libraries. Other stores like Kohls, Target, and Walmart may have a fabulous clearance section that will also help you purchase books, games, and other materials that you need cheaply.

How to take field trips for a fraction of the cost:

Field Trips can be costly, but they don’t have to be. It just takes a little creativity to get the most out of a local field trip. Many local places will already have homeschool discounts in their pricing, you just have to ask in advance.

Some places on the East Coast that offer discounted admission to homeschoolers are as follows:

Visit a Marbles Museum from CleverlyChanging's Homeschool on a budget series
Visit a Marbles Museum from CleverlyChanging’s Homeschool on a budget series
Visit a Childrens Museum
Visit a Children’s Museum

You can always visit a local landmarks, state parks, or farms inexpensively. Many Children’s Museums, Zoos, Aquariums, etc will also have discount days just check their website beforehand. Whenever we are in a new city, I also check The Homeschool Mom’s website for cool field trips.

Visit a State Park Homeschool on a budget series
Visit a State Park and learn about the foliage that surrounds the park.

Discounts on Homeschool Days

Some museums and businesses have special homeschool day programs that provide discounted activities.

  • College Park Aviation center
  • National Building Museum
  • Some skating rinks
  • Kids Museum

Although some places may not have a homeschool discount, you can usually find something on Groupon or Livingsocial.

Lastly, please check out my Finance Friday live video and let me know if you have any questions about homeschooling. Also, feel free to share with me other finance topics that may be on your mind.

Make the most of your homeschool experience, consider joining a homeschool group or co-op.

Ask These Top 10 questions Before Committing to a Home school Group

Reader Question:

What is your number one question about the home school process?

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