How Much Does Homeschooling Cost?

January 6, 2014 by Steph

How much does it cost to Homeschool is a question I get asked often. I have home schooled now for three years, it has not been expensive for us. I guess it would depend on who you ask and what you choose for your school year. For my children to have a great education it doesn’t have to break the bank. I must make a budget for each school year so I can keep it within reason. Me and my husband do not look at it like an expense, but rather an investment to our kids education!

You can spend a lot of money but you don’t have to. There are many free resources available. I chose our curriculum based on the following:

1. It worked best for us based on how my girls learn.
2. Accessibility – we needed something on the go.
3. What fit best in our budget that allowed us to keep it Bible based.

We have used a variation of curriculum from Abeka to Alpha Omega Publications and always free resources like the local Library and the Internet. We love Alpha Omega Publications because it is a Bible based curriculum and you can choose what style works best for your child. We paid $79.96 per subject for Monarch (I always purchase when on sale) and we do three online subjects (History & Geography, Science & Language Arts) total cost $239.98 no shipping for online classes. Regular price will cost you $99.95 per subject. Follow link: https://www.aophomeschooling.com/monarch/5th-grade.html

My 10 year old loves doing AOP Monarch because she can do it using her iPad (using the Puffin browser app, free but we went ahead and paid the $1.99 to not have the ads). This makes it fun and helps her to become an independent learner. I love it because I can keep up with all her grades online and check each of her subjects from my iPad (even on the go) it does require an Internet connection. There is no backing up or downloads to keep in case your computer crashes (this happened to me using Switched on Schoolhouse). She wanted a workbook for Math so we use Abeka. I found the Student and Teacher manual on eBay new for $20. Our Bible class is free and is our favorite time together as a family.

It seems I spend more money on my 5 year old. Her birthday is late so she is still in Kindergarten 4. I use the Internet for most of her K4 material. I print and laminate most of her curriculum so all my cost is in copy paper (we buy bulk), ink cartridges (purchased on eBay) and laminate sheets. I have found some great websites that publishes their own material that I love, but I use Confessions of a Homeschooler most of the time. Follow link: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/homeschooling-posts

I can always find fun activities on Erica’s page. I also use a workbook (Daily Learning Drills by Brighter Child) that we purchased at BAM for $10.95. It is a Kindergarten book but mine is able to work all the pages just fine because we have been working with her for so long. We do a lot of crafts and hands on learning to make everyday fun.

I believe the area most expensive for homeschooling is in the field trips and fun things we incorporate into our school year. We love to think outside the box and give our girls hands on experience. We include our girls when planning our field trips, which makes it even more fun for them. This is where some of the most memorable learning moments happen. However, we save from not buying back to school clothes, class supplies, book fees, lunch and snack money, snake shows, magic shows, teacher gifts etc. (all this adds up for each child). We love teaching our children, I believe the best part of homeschooling is getting to experience each Aha moment!

I hope this helps encourage any of you that are thinking about homeschooling that may think it will cost too much. I feel that we not only save money throughout the year but also get to experience all these great things with our girls…..I feel so blessed.

Stephany