The Homeschool Budget

One of the most common questions I get from people who are thinking about homeshooling or from people who are just curious about homeschooling is, "How expensive is it to homeschool?" That is a hard question to answer since the cost of homeschooling greatly differs from family to family and depends on a lot of different things. You can spend next to nothing by using your library and free online resources. You can spend thousands of dollars a year on Internet schools that your child takes from home and a teacher grades and keeps track of all of their progress. You can also spend anywhere in between these two amounts. Boy, that really answers the question doesn't it?

I actually wrote a blog post last year showing how much I spent to homeschool my children compared to what it would cost to send them to public school. You can find that post here. How do you figure out how much to budget for homeschooling each year?

"Only the best for my little girl! Spare no expense for education!" Sounds good, doesn't it? You want your child to have the best education possible, but the reality is you still have to eat, clothe your children, and pay your bills. Also, just because it is more expensive doesn't mean it will better educate your child. Each individual family will have different educational goals and ideas about how much they should/can spend on their homeschooling supplies. I cannot justify spending $500 on my favorite curriculum for one child when I still have 4 other children this year to buy books for (sorry guys, nothing but mac and cheese to eat for the next 3 months.) Here is how I figure out what to spend on books and homeschooling supplies.

I start out going through catalogs and reading reviews in February to get an idea of what I would like to use for the next year. I look for things that will work for multiple ages and that I can teach the children all at the same time. I don't mind spending a little extra for non consumable items because it will save me money in the long run. Then, I go through what I already have to decide what I want to keep and what I won't use again. I sell what I will not use again to help finance books for the next year, or give away some items if someone has a need or it won't sell well. I add up how much I think I will need and add it extras like art supplies, school supplies, science experiment supplies, ink (don't forget about ink for your printer a must have for homeschoolers!) and divide it by 12 to get an idea of what I will need to set aside for the next year. I also try to set aside money every month for homeschooling needs that come up during the year like field trips. I will not charge any curriculum purchases. If I don't have the money, I don't buy it (or I find something to sell so I can buy it :).

When I start buying my curriculum, I don't do it all at once. I try to break it up and buy when the vendor has the items on sale or is offering some kind of deal. For example, I bought my Apologia science stuff when http://www.christianbook.com/ was having a 33% sale. If you sign up for newsletters on your favorite vendor's websites you will get emails when they are having sales. Or, if you attend a convention many vendor's will offer a discount plus free shipping if you order right then. I also only buy school supplies when they go on sale over the summer and I buy enough to last the whole year. For printer ink I participate in a program from http://www.lexmark.com/ where you send in your used ink cartridges and for every 5 you send in, you get one free. Also for every 5 you buy on their website (free shipping) you can get one free. They also put out 20% off coupons every once in a while. Only buying these things when they go on sale can be a huge cost savings.

Sharing books with other homeschooling friends, using your local library as much as possible, searching out free online resources, and getting a group together for field trips are more ways you can ease the homeschooling budget. Giving your child the best education possible doesn't have to be expensive, you just have to plan and be prepared.

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Our New Bunnies

The children and I drove to my parent's house on Thursday for a visit and to participate in the Race For the Cure (well, the family fun walk for the cure) that we do every year. The children have wanted to get some rabbits to raise for 4-H this year and while we were up here I happened to find some not too far away on Craig's List. So, last night my dad, me, Emelia, Christian, Anthony, and Alex drove over to pick up our new rabbits. Earlier in the day I ran over to the Tractor Supply Store and bought a rabbit starter kit for $39 that included the cage, treats, a toy, water bottle, food dish, food, and bedding. Picking up the rabbits was a bit of an adventure especially when the GPS took us down a country road that was flooded and tried to get us lost. We finally found the place and got her last two bunnies that were ready to leave their mama. She had a 2 week old litter and 2 other bunnies that were getting ready to deliver. Our bunnies are 5 week old New Zealands one is white (male) and the other is black (female.) I am told that the girl is Thumper and the boy is Speckles. So far they seem to like their temporary home in my parent's garage. We are hoping to be able to head home tomorrow if it ever stops raining.

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Buying Used Curriculum

One way to save money on buying curriculum is to buy it used. Many homeschool conventions and larger homeschool groups have used curriculum sales. Sometimes you can find listings for homeschool items on Craigslist. Every now and then you can even find curriculum at yard sales. Of course the Internet has several places to find used curriculum such as Ebay, Amazon, and Half.com. There are some things you should be cautious about when buying used curriculum.

• Know how much the item costs brand new and what you think is a fair price to buy it used. One of my biggest problems buying on Ebay is that people are bidding more for a used item than what you can buy it for new. Either they don't know their prices, or they catch "auction fever" and bid until they win. I am not going to pay the same price for something used that I can buy brand new from the company. I put in my maximum bid and do not o back and check the auction until it is over.


• Be aware of the condition of the item. If it is something you want to use for more than one child you probably don't want to buy something that is already starting to wear out. It might be better in the long run to spend the extra money and buy new.


• If you are at a used curriculum sale check it out thoroughly before you buy. At a homeschool convention book sale I bought a handwriting book that was labeled new. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it since it said it was new but when I got home and looked over my purchase the first 15 pages were torn out. I was NOT happy, but if I would've checked it over better I would have never bought it in the first place.


• It's never a good deal if it is something you are not going to ever use. Many times I have been at a book sale and found things that were such good deals I couldn't pass them up. More often than not those items sat on a shelf taking up space until I found someone who wanted them or donated them to a book sale.


• Be aware of what kind of home the books are coming from especially if you have allergies. If it doesn't say from a smoke free pet free home, ask.


• If you are buying one piece at a time like a Teacher's Guide separate from a Student Guide, make sure they are the same edition or they might not be compatible.

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Our Final Month (or so) of 2010/2011 School Year

We have about 5 weeks left in our school year. I cannot believe how fast it has gone by! We will be taking a few days off here and there to go visit my parents and go to the lake. Also, if we have a gorgeous Spring day after a couple of rainy days, we are apt to take a day off or at least half a day. We are also in the last month of the 2010/2011 TOS Crew voyage so I have about 8 reviews to write and post before the end of May. I had mentioned in an earlier post that the boys had almost finished their History and Science for the year and I would be looking for something to fill in with. Well, two of the review products we received were Science and Social Studies so that really worked out for us. Chelsea is still plugging along with her curriculum and she should be done at the end of May also. She has discovered that it is harder in High School to work on a 4 day schedule but has done extra work during the week so she can have her Fridays off. Here is what the boys are working on to finish out the year:

Math-Abeka- drills Mad Dog Math (review to come)
Science- Considering God's Creation (review to come)
Social Studies- Social studies All Together (review to come)
Spelling- Wordy Qwerty (review to come)
Bible- we finished Who is God so we are going back to Positive Action for Christ

I need to pick a new read aloud since we finished up Andi's School Days (review to come.) I also am going to get some books on rabbits and do a little unit study since they want to raise some rabbits for 4-H this year.

Chelsea is still working on:
Abeka- Literature, Bible, Spanish, Science
Art- Artistic Pursuits
Math -TenMarks
History-finished for the year
Phys Ed-Go Trybe (review to come)

Lily even has a review product she s working on called Monkisee.

I still am in the process of going through book shelves to see what I want/need to sell to make some money for curriculum and have a space to put it in. I am also looking for and purchasing more chapter books that will appeal to boys. Chelsea loves to read and devours books so we have quite a few chapter books that appeal to girls and some that would appeal to both. But, now that the boys are getting older I am trying to make sure I have books that will appeal to them too.

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Book Review: Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman

I just had the opportunity to read and review Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman. This is a paperback book containing 338 pages plus a reader's guide and retails for $14.99. Allison Pittman is the author of Stealing Home, The Bridegrooms, the Crossroads of Grace Series, and Saturdays with Stella.

Lilly Margolis, a fun loving flapper, has the opportunity to meet the rich widow Betty Ruth Burnside while selling cosmetics door to door. A few days later a dazed and disoriented Lilly twists her ankle and falls into the backyard of the same rich widow. Betty Ruth and her son Cullen decide to take Lilly in until she recovers. The Burnside household is pretty lonely with Betty Ruth slipping a little further into dementia every day and Cullen disillusioned with life and disfigured from the War. Lilly brings some fun, life, and light back into their lives.

But Lilly and Cullen are both hiding from a painful past. Together with Betty Ruth, her maid, and their driver embark on a journey that could heal them both. What will Lilly and Cullen find at the journey's end?

I have to admit that I found the story line a little odd and unbelievable. I did enjoy the characters and the author's descriptions of them. As I got into the book I found it very entertaining and enjoyable to read and the characters became believable. I also enjoyed the fact that there was not a predictable outcome. There were some plot twists that were completely unexpected and although it has a happy ending, it may not be the way you expected it to turn out.

I received a complimentary copy of Lilies in Moonlight by Allison Pittman from Waterbrook Mulnomah for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation.

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TOS Review: Nutrition 101 Choose Life!

In 2007 Growing Healthy Homes LLC was established by wives, mothers, researchers, and teachers for the purpose of educating and training families regarding God's plan for health as it is outlined in the Bible. Their product line includes family centered and health infused books/e-books and educational materials for users of pure theraputic grade essential oils. It is their mission to, " honor God by creating and distributing products that educate and empower His children to establish healthy Christ-centered homes." We have had the priviledge to use and review their book Nutrition 101 Choose Life!


Nutrition 101 Choose Life is not just a book telling you which foods you should eat more of and what you should avoid. From the website,"Nutrition 101: Choose Life! is a three-in-one family nutrition and health program for all ages that presents the major body systems, how they function, their common health issues, the benefits of good food and the consequences of bad food. Its 448 pages include into six units: 1.The Brain and Nervous System 2.Digestion and Elimination 3.Respiration and Olfactory 4.Muscular and Skeletal Systems 5.Cardiovascular and Immune Systems 6.Endocrine System and Emotions



To see a sample click here.



The book is biblically based and full of information, recipes, science projects, art projects, hands on activities and more making it a program that can be used by the entire family. It is available as a book for $99.95, on CD Rom for $79.95 or both for $129.95. A multiple user license can be purchased for $35 for use in a co-op setting.





The vendor has generously offered a 15% discount using coupon code TOScrew11.



Each chapter is designed to be completed in a week with all 6 units to be completed in a year. However, it is set up so you are able to spend longer doing activities and research on topics that your family finds more interesting. There are suggestions under "getting started" on how to implement a chapter in a week.


Can I just say wow! Everyone wants to be healthy and make sure their families are healthy too. How and where to begin can be a bit overwhelming and not always easy to implement. This book is full of helpful information about how our bodies are affected by the foods we eat. It definitely has something for everyone. Although there is quite a bit of information it is presented and organized in a way that it can be digested and does not seem over whelming. Some of the text was a little lengthy for my 7 year old so I did have to do a little bit of paraphrasing during our read aloud time. Vocabulary words and definitions are included in the reading. The diagrams and charts that it contains are very well done and colorful. The children really enjoyed the diagrams of the brain. The recipes, projects, and activities that go along with the reading reinforces what you have just read and makes it applicable to real life. There are suggested activities for both elementary and secondary age groups . Have you ever compared the difference between brushing your teeth with your non dominant and dominant hands? There are also discussion questions, links to additional resources and books for further study. The appendices is the back of the book are fantastic and gives you extra reading and information on subjects such as:How To Pick Produce, Cancer, Sugar Alternatives, Milk, Household Toxins, and many more. Nutrition 101 Choose Life! is a resource that can be utilized over and over again for years to come.



To see what other crew members are saying click here.



I received a complimentary copy of Nutrition 101 Choose Life! for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review. I received no other compensation.

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One Week Old Chicks

Our chicks are now one week old. We did have one die on day 2 (no, nobody was trying to help it fly!) leaving us with 14 baby chicks. You can see in the picture that they are starting to grow their wing feathers. It has been much warmer this year than it has been in the last couple of years since we got the chicks a few weeks later. This is a good thing since you don't have to worry about chicks freezing, but the boys do have to raise the heat lamp during the day so they don't get too hot. Lily loves to go out in the morning and help with the chicks. She won't hold them in her hands so they put them in her lap so she can pet them.

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