budget

If you are considering home education, you are very likely a single-income family, and if you’re like most of us, your budget is pretty tight. Although I have read that the average homeschool family spends about $500 per student per year, I have never personally spent nearly that much. My most expensive year was my first year, when I used a pre-packaged curriculum and spent over $600 for three children (okay, with inflation, maybe it would be $800 now!). As we have accumulated non-consumable materials (“living books” or textbooks vs. workbooks), our home library has grown to the point of just adding a few supplemental materials each year.

Homeschooling costs more than public school, but less than private school. That may sound pretty non-committal, but $500 can sound like a burden or a relief, depending on your previous education experience! What are some of the expenses that you should consider in drawing up an education budget?

Curriculum

This is the broadest category and...

In homeschooling vernacular, expensive is a relative term. While the average cost is about $500 a year per child, this goes down a bit in families with more children, since resources can be shared, membership costs are not multiplied, etc. If your children have been in private school for $4,000–10,000 a year per child, you’re probably planning a vacation with your homeschooling savings and are only reading this article to kill some time! But if they’ve been in a conventional school setting or are just beginning school, it’s prudent of you to count the cost, to be prepared. You’ll want to invest in your core curriculum materials first, then add other items as your budget allows

It is possible to homeschool with just a Bible and a library card, but most of us will add a bit. I was able to homeschool seven children at a time for less than $100 in a year, once I had accumulated a few non-consumable resources. Here are a few ideas to homeschool on a shoestring budget:

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