Homeschooling on a TIGHT Budget

Notice, I didn’t say “homeschooling on a budget.” Most of us have a budget; but sometimes you need to know all about homeschooling on a tight budget.

So, it depends on what a tight budget means to you. For some, that means you have one child and must spend only $400 this year on their curriculum. For others, it means finding ways to school your 6 children on $100 total. OUCH!

Let me just say that I’ve been so broke that I didn’t have more than $20-$30 to spend in a whole year for 2 kids. And guess what? One of those kids is graduated and taking online college courses, and the other is very close to graduating. They can read, write, and do sums. Well, actually, they can do more than that, but you get the point.

[2021 update: they are both adults now and functioning well in society!]

The first thing you need to realize is that it’s not a curriculum that makes your kids smart. It’s the ability God gave them to learn. And if they have that built-in, they can learn from any materials put in front of them. Second, remember that as parents, you love and care for your children more than the best teacher on earth. YOU have what it takes!

Let me insert right here that I do not think you need to sign up for a “free, online curriculum.” That’s kinda all the rage with brand new homeschoolers, but those sites are just not where it’s at. They are not bad, but they are basically public school at home. What I’m outlining in this post is a way to actually homeschool your children, complete with hands-on learning and parental interaction, cozy read-aloud sessions on the couch, and math books at the kitchen table. You can read more about my homeschooling philosophy HERE.

So, armed with that useful bit of information, let’s think about what you have at your fingertips:

If you have preschoolers, well . . . you need little more than some good picture books, blocks, fingers and toes, crayons, pencils, paper, a Bible, and a parent.

The Picture books can come from any local library, or even your church’s library. Read a book with your child, talk about the subject matter, draw some pictures WITH your child about the subject matter, and look up anything that interests him. If it’s about sharks, talk about their teeth, or the ocean, or ships, or anything related that catches their interest. If it’s about Squanto, talk about Indians, pilgrims, America, corn, hunting, etc.

Read the Bible and pick out easy verses to memorize. Make a chart with some paper and markers to show the child’s memorization progress. Little kids are like sponges; they can memorize and are proud to do it. Talk about the heroes of the Bible. Talk about God’s power and love and teach your child to pray.

Build block towers and talk about colors, shapes, measuring, and numbers.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I have lots of ideas on my blog for preschoolers! You can also search online for “preschool activities” and find more information than you could use in a lifetime.

how to homeschool for free or cheap

If you have elementary school students, you need a little more to work with, but it still doesn’t have to be a fancy curriculum. Again, the public library is one of your best sources. Create a unit study on any topic from history, cooking, science, math, art, crafts, etc. and check out all the books you can on the topic. Get some to read to your kids and some for them to read aloud or to themselves. Pull out topics they can write short paragraphs about. Check their spelling and grammar after they write, correct it, and have them do a final copy. If you’re not too great with the spelling and grammar, get a library book with all the rules.

homeschooling with no money

Take a field trip or visit a museum. Dress up in costume. Make a new recipe. Watch a historical movie. Have the children give an oral report. Follow the rabbit trails. It will be fun, and as your kids are learning, you’ll be making memories as well.

During one of our particularly challenging financial times, I checked out a library book with simple science experiments. It was easy to understand (and I am NOT a science-y person!) and it explained the results of each experiment. We did a new experiment each day and discussed what the books said. It was so much fun, and my kids were learing new things!

If you’re concerned about math at this age, go to the internet, my friend. There is a wealth of free help online, including free printable worksheets, online games, and parental helps. Even if you don’t have a computer, you can do this at the local library. You can use the computers, print, and sometimes, let the kids play educational games. Just do a search for whatever you want, and you will find it.

I also taught my oldest child her U.S. geography and state capitals for free using online resources. We found online games and quizzes that she played each day, and I made my own flashcards for the state capitals. She practiced those daily and in no time she had learned it all! Approximately 9 years later, we still have those flash cards!

You can read about how I taught my 2^nd child to read with practically nothing here. This girl is now a high schooler and reads the classics for fun!

As your kids get older, it may seem harder, but if you are committed to homeschooling, trust God and let Him provide. I speak from experience. You can do a co-op with another family. Borrow books from other homeschooling families. Trade books. Check used book sales. Teach them what you know. Ask a close friend or family member to tutor your child in what you don’t know. Check out educational videos at the library or stream online. Join a local co-op and try to schedule your kids in subjects that are hard for them to get at home.

To do this, sit down with pencil and paper for a planning session. Write down what you want your child to study, and then brainstorm the different ways to get that instruction. It will look different for each family, but consider who you know, what classes or co-ops are in your local area, museums or other tourist-y attractions near you, and of course, your local library (or libraries). Then go to the internet for more information on the subject you need. Get specific in your searches. Example: look up “free algebra instructional videos” or “how to diagram sentences.” YouTube is a treasure trove for homeschoolers if you’re willing to take the time to weed through it all.

Although you may have your dream curriculum in mind, it might not be available to you during this season. Be open to what’s available and use it. Have fun with it. I bought a used copy of Learning Language Arts Through Literature because it was only $3 one time. It wasn’t my first choice, but we used it and my daughter really enjoyed it.

Make a list of the subjects you need, and then be on the lookout for how to fill that need in a very thrifty way.

We live in a very stuff-oriented society. So we think we need lotsa-stuff to teach our kids. But in reality, you can provide a few really good books and teach them how to learn, and they will take off.

Finally, don’t fall into the fear of grade levels. Let me share a little secret with you: grade levels are set up for public schools to teach many kids in an efficient manner. They are meant to make sure that everyone is learning the same thing, and so that parents feel secure that the kids are being taught. In your homeschool (depending on where you live, of course) it’s not about grade levels. It’s about learning. Period. So if your child doesn’t learn cursive until he’s 10, or doesn’t learn to read until he’s 12, it’s really okay. They WILL learn.

Here are a few last suggestions for pinching pennies and for getting school material creatively:

Save your pennies. Literally. I have a jar that I throw all my change in after purchases. When it’s full, I cash it in. This is my curriculum jar. Whatever the amount is, I put it toward new books.
If you get a tax refund each year, budget some of that for your books. Plan ahead, find good deals, set a budget, and stick to it.
Check the discount stores, like WalMart and Target for inexpensive learning materials. I actually found some really fun Barbie and Pooh workbooks for my younger kids at Dollar Tree for $1 each, and they loved them. Flash cards, writing practice, mazes, etc. are all easy to find at these stores.
Keep your eye out for homeschool book sales! When other parents are selling off the books and supplies they no longer need, you can get some great deals.

In my humble opinion, YOU, the parent are the best teacher your kids could ever have. All you need is a willing heart and a courageous attitude and you will find a way to teach your children through the rough times. Usually, the tight budget season doesn’t last forever, and when it’s over, you can begin to add to your school budget again.

There’s more! Read Part 2 here.

I have some related posts that you might find helpful: