Tips for Homeschooling on a Budget

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Homeschooling doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.  Below are some ideas for homeschooling on a budget:

1.  Use the library to borrow books, CDs, movies.  The Ventura County library system allows users to log in to their accounts online to search for and request titles.

2.  Find sites online that are free.  Some favorites for younger children include Study Dog (a free download) and Starfall - both are reading readines sites.

3.  Buy memberships to the zoo, museums and other places of interest.  Memberships allow families to make weekly trips to places like the zoo for less than a dollar a week.

4.  Arrange book, puzzle and curricula swaps with other homeschoolers.  Trading books and other materials means you get more resources for your money.  This can be as simple as making arangements with one other family while you're sitting at the park, or creating a grand-scale swap and inviting as many homeschoolers as you can to attend.

5.  Skip the manufactured manipulatives for math and make your own instead.  Counters can be pinto beans or beads; fake money can be skipped in favor of the real thing; graph paper can be used to create ones, tens and hundreds when talking about place value.

6.  Find a used bookstore, or go online to places like half.com for used books for yourself and your child.  You can often find books in great shape for a fraction of what you'd pay for them new.  There are some other sources for used books and curricula in the links section of this site.