How to Save Money on Homeschooling

With the cost of everything rising, many families are looking for ways to cut expenses. This is especially true for homeschool families who are often trying to make ends meet on a single income. Fortunately, there are many ways to save money on homeschooling, freeing up funds for groceries, utilities, and other necessities. 

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Use Free Homeschool Curriculum

One way to save money on homeschooling is to use free curriculum. Our website provides a directory of free homeschool curriculum. This directory includes curriculum options for every grade and all subjects. To get started, from the homepage menu, choose a subject. Then, on that subject’s page, you will find a list of links to free curriculum resources. These free resources can eliminate or significantly reduce your family’s need to purchase curriculum.

Buy Used Homeschool Curriculum and Books

Buying used materials is another way to save a lot of money on homeschooling expenses. Used curriculum costs much less than new and is often still in good condition. You can find used curriculum in Facebook resale groups, on eBay, at local sales, and many other locations. See Where to Buy Used Curriculum for more about where to find used curriculum and books.

Look for Sales and Coupon Codes

Keeping an eye out for sales can help your family save quite a bit on homeschool supplies and curriculum. Most retailers offer deep discounts on school supplies during the back-to-school season. Try to stock up on enough paper, pencils, notebooks, etc. to last the entire year during these sales.

Most homeschool curriculum companies also have sales or free shipping specials during the back-to-school season and other times throughout the year, such as when they release a new course. Buy your curriculum when it’s on sale instead of waiting till you need it immediately. It’s a good idea to subscribe to your favorite curriculum companies’ newsletters so you won’t miss any sales or coupons.

Consider Using PDF Curriculum

Using a PDF curriculum instead of purchasing physical textbooks can also be a great way to save money on homeschooling. PDF curriculum is almost always less expensive than physical textbooks. It also eliminates the need to pay shipping and handling fees, and you don’t have to wait for the materials to arrive. For even more savings, most companies allow families to reprint the materials for other members of the same household. This prevents you from having to purchase the same consumable workbook over and over if you have multiple children.  

One example of a homeschool curriculum company offering affordable PDFs is 7Sisters Homeschool. And, to make their curriculum even more affordable, they are giving our readers a special 50% off coupon code. Use coupon code 7SistersCousinSarahMay at checkout to get the discount. The coupon code has no expiration date, but each customer may only use it once. Also, the coupon code can only be used on carts with a total of $75 or less (before the discount). 

Visit Your Public Library

We all know that borrowing books from the library instead of purchasing them is an easy way to save money while homeschooling. But many public libraries offer much more than books. Ours offers storytimes, computer classes, summer reading programs, and many other special events, all at no charge. They even provide free subscriptions to online learning platforms. Libraries aren’t always the best at publicizing their programs and services. So, if you think your library doesn’t provide these things, ask. You might be surprised!

Saving on Science Labs and Experiments

The cost of science labs and experiments can add up quickly. The easiest way to save money on this expense in your homeschool is to reduce the number of experiments your family does. Some experiments, while fun, aren’t necessary to understand the concept and are more arts-and-crafts in nature than actual science experiments. Your child’s education will not suffer if you skip some of these activities. In fact, many curriculum authors never intend for students to do every experiment or activity in the textbook. 

Of course, science labs and experiments are important, so I wouldn’t recommend eliminating these entirely to save money. When you don’t have the funds for science supplies, consider having your child watch a YouTube video of the experiment. Sometimes, you may also be able to find a virtual lab or simulation to substitute for a dissection or experiment. 

Combining resources with other homeschoolers is another way to complete science labs for less. Instead of buying an expensive microscope, a friend in your homeschool community may have one you could borrow for a few lessons. Although the affordability of these can vary, check whether any co-ops or homeschool groups in your area offer science labs. Sometimes these cost less than doing the labs at home since they can get bulk discounts on items like dissection kits, and the cost of expensive lab equipment is spread out over numerous students throughout years of use. 

Frugal Field Trips

Field trips don’t have to break the bank. There are many ways to save money on homeschooling while still enjoying regular field trips. Ask local attractions if they offer discounts to homeschoolers. Only some places will do this, but you will occasionally find some willing to give a discount. Be aware that they may ask for proof that you are a homeschooler. You can create a homeschool ID if you don’t have any documentation to show. 

While only some locations offer homeschool discounts, most offer group discounts for any group over a specific size. Consider organizing a field trip with a group of friends or a local homeschool group, and everyone will get to save on the trip.

Field trips don’t always have to cost money. Ask around in your community, and you will likely find that many business owners and organizations are willing to offer tours and share about what they do. We have toured a fire department, a veterinary hospital, a honey bee farm, and more with local homeschool groups for free. Check out 20 Ways to Save on Homeschool Field Trips for more frugal ideas.

Spend Less on Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars can be expensive, but it’s possible to save money on this part of homeschooling too. One way to reduce this expense is to limit the number of activities each child participates in. Not only will you save the money you would have spent on extracurriculars, but you will also save money on transportation and meals on the go. 

Another way to save is to shop around for lower-priced activities. For example, we found that the YMCA karate class was a fraction of the cost of local martial arts studios. We have also found that 4-H is free to join and only occasionally has activities that require a fee to participate. Additionally, church-sponsored sports leagues, like Upward, usually cost less than other leagues. 

Your family may also be able to replace some extracurricular courses with online classes. Our website lists free options for art curriculum and music curriculum. 

Never Miss a Free Homeschool Resource

I hope these suggestions help your family save money on homeschooling expenses. For more ways to save, please subscribe to our newsletter. This is the best way to make sure that you never miss new free resources.