How do you afford all the books?

A couple of the books in Module 6 (the ones from SCM) are new, so finding used ones won’t be easy…

For the other ones – some people in the States use PaperBackSwap – but it can take a while to get the books you need sometimes.  I carry around a list of books I want/need when I’m at garage sales, thrift shops, etc.

Another good resource if you can’t afford things is http://www.BookSamaritan.com – they provide things homeschoolers need for free, with the requirement that you either pass them on, or send them back (ie, you aren’t to sell them) when you are done with them.  They don’t necessarily have everything you need, but I have gotten MANY great resources from them.

I generally try to use books in the Public Domain for our schooling – but that is pretty much impossible for Module 6 time as it is modern time….

We used to use the library ALL THE TIME (and loved it), but I have found it worth the convenience to buy all of our books now. Hands down, my favorite site for good prices on the books we need is http://www.abebooks.com/. They have the titles we need 98% of the time, shipping is usually free or almost, and the book descriptions are accurate.

If you’re not familiar with Paperback Swap, you should get to know each other.  Though I have never used it, I’ve heard pretty good things about Homeschool Classifieds. Many of the ladies (including yours truly) frequently post used books for sale to their blogs. You just have to watch the board to see when someone posts.

Though the books are sometimes a bit more expensive, I like taking advantage of Amazon’s free SuperSaver Shipping. Many times I can find a book elsewhere and the price ends up being the same once you add shipping. Amazon is a trusted source for me, and most of their stuff ships quickly.

Finally, don’t be afraid to tell Grandma and Grandpa what your school needs. For ds’s birthday this year, I e-mailed both sets of grandparents, saying that he didn’t need nor was he asking for any toys or clothes. I gave them a list of books that either we needed or I knew he would enjoy. He got almost every book on the list! And last school year, I was having some difficulty finding a couple of books we needed, so I e-mailed my MIL who buys books regularly. I told her the titles I was looking for and asked her to keep an eye out for me. Though I wasn’t expecting it, two books that I hadn’t been able to find at a reasonable price showed up on my doorstep just a few days later. She had bought them for me! I called her to thank (and scold her) later. 

Hope you find everything you need, because God knows before you even ask!

Lindsey

You would be surprised how cheap you can find used books. I find 1 cent books on half.com all the time.

I set a goal for finding all of our Module 5 books for $100 or less, and this includes books on the reading lists for three age groups (1-3, 4-6 and 7-9). I have 5 children using the Module, so that is a LOT of books. If you needed just one or two age groups, you should be able to find them for much less.

I bought more than 30 books for right at $100. Almost all of them are used. I still have a few we don’t have and maybe we won’t have, but I have already looked on the SCM bookfinder and a few other sites and found some worthy substitutes. That is the thing: you can always substitute.

I like the library, but I agree with others that I want to have the book when we need it, and that may be for more than 3 weeks (how long we can have it checked out from library).

I also found quite a few books at a local used curriculum sale, so if there are any in your area, they might be worth a look. I found A Child’s History of the World, which was on my long-term book list “if I find it cheap enough”, for $8!!! It is like brand new, so I bought it to have on the shelf.

Oh, that is another thing. Keep a running list of books you are looking for. You might happen upon a used book store. I have done that before too, and the owners can usually tell you right off if they have a book on your list. And if they have several, don’t be afraid to negotiate. Used items are usually always negotiable, especially if you are buying in bulk.

I would say set a goal of how much you can budget and just start looking. You might be surprised. Oh and if you buy new, try to buy those from Amazon on the 4 for 3 promotion. This helps too and group them so that you are buying 4 books of same price or close to it. This way you buy 3 and get 1 free.

HTH

Great ideas ladies~~ never heard about Samaritan Book before. I think before taking books to Goodwill, this might be where we send them….

JFG

One more thing:  You can check DealOz.  They sort through many vendors who are selling the same book and will show a listing of who is selling it and for what price.  It will usually give a comparison price for all the major names; abebooks, amazon, half.com and many others.  Saves lots of time.

I’ve ordered a few times from http://www.hslibrarybuilder.com .  They have lots of used and some publisher’s remainder books.  I’ll also purchase from Amazon or Ebay…many times I can find them for $1 or less plus shipping.  In the past, I’ve used tax refunds to buy most of our books, but usually I have to place several small orders.  My DH prefers me making smaller orders, even if that means more shipping costs.  I’ve also purchased books for Christmas gifts…I’m not sure my DC were super thrilled, but it beat adding tons of toys to our house!  

Another option would be to use a library in a larger town.  I looked into doing this awhile back and figured I could check them for 2 weeks, renew them once online for another 2 weeks.  As long as nothing was on hold, I’d only have to go once a month!