Guest Author - Meg Grooms

Part of my duties as a local support group contact is to field calls from parents who have questions about home-education. Not one week goes by without a call regarding the cost providing an education at home. When comparing the cost of home-education it is vital that one consider the non-monetary costs of a more "traditional" education, the emotional and the ethical. The purpose of today’s article is not to compare, but to share ideas on how to stretch our homeschooling dollars.

The first and foremost cost homeschooling parents face is the cost of curricula. There are literally hundreds of publishers who are more than happy to send homeschooling families catalogs. Homeschooling has become, after all, quite a lucrative business. How does one even begin to choose? Unfortunately, this is exactly where most parents admit they’ve spent, lost, and wasted the most money.
There are some questions we should all ask ourselves before we commit to purchasing curricula.

-Does this suit the philosophical views of my family? Does it fit our educational style? Will I be comfortable with the program’s method of teaching?

-Could I preview this material before I buy it? Look to friends and support groups for opinions. Does your local education or homeschool store (very often Christian book stores will have a homeschool department) carry this product? Does the company offer samplers? Does the library carry books for this program? You may be surprised at what you can request through Inter-Library Loan.

-Is this product or program returnable? Many companies don’t allow returns, or charge a re-stocking fee. Always read the return policy before you buy.

-Do I need the entire program? Are the items available separately? Buying items separately may cost you more over time, but you will have peace of mind knowing your money wasn‘t wasted.

-Could I replicate this resource with a little ingenuity?

-Does this suit my child’s learning style? For more information on learning styles read In Their Own Way by Thomas Armstrong.

-Will I be able to use this with multiple children? Subsequent children? Are the consumable portions easily and inexpensively replaceable? Will the consumable portions be outdated or unavailable in the next year or two?

-Will I be able to resell this item? A guide to selling used curricula is to charge 10-30% of purchase price for items in used condition (with answers completed), 30-50% for good condition, 50-70% for like new or very expensive items, and 70-90% for new items still in original wrap. Remember that those buying used curriculum are looking for a deal and will have to pay shipping costs.

-Could I buy this item used? Look to online auctions, curriculum swap e-lists, internet search engines, local support groups, and used curriculum suppliers, comparison shop!

-Could I find a similar resource for less? My family found two entire years worth of like new A Beka books at a garage sale, each marked 5 cents! Don’t be afraid to call the local private schools and ask if they sell their used curricula.

-Do we really need this item? At one time I had $600 in phonics programs sitting on a shelf for my daughter’s K5 year. We purchased program after program and none seemed to click. In the end my daughter learned phonics through everyday life and being read to. Sometimes extra attention and maturity are the best teachers.

-What would happen if I waited one month?

Finally, don’t overlook your local library. Your library provides the key to the gateway of education. If you are unable to locate an appropriate resource at your library, look to Inter-Library Loan. Libraries are wonderful places to find free and low-cost books, encyclopedias, classical literature, videos, and so much more.

New to Homeschooling?
Take a look at my ebook
Homeschooling With Confidence: A Plain English Guide to Homeschooling in the United States