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What is your yearly education budget?
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I’m trying to give my dh an idea of how much it will cost annually for a CM HS. When I added up the costs for all of the books, mostly used, and materials for the first year including math (Rightstart at almost $300 alone because of the manipulatives), the total was almost a grand. I know my husband will choke when he hears this.
What do you normally spend per year?
With 3 kids, 2 school age and 1 preK, I try to keep it around $500-$600 for the year. Cost does play a role in my selections as well as how often I can reuse the matetial. Some things like MUS are more for the first child (teacher guide and DVD) but the nect child is only $30 for the student book.
Edit – that includes everything incluiding living books we read. I buy 2nd hand as much as I can
I’ve never really kept up with what I spend at the Goodwill and such (books), but for actual curriculum I’ve spent very little. I probably schooled early grades for the price of supplies. I spent more when we were just starting and I wasn’t sure what I needed. (I’ve gradually sold some of those, BTW). Next year I’ll probably spend around $150 for fifth grade (Language Arts, Science, keyboarding) and nothing (or very little) for second grade.
I’ve probably spent more on spelling programs than anything. We just can’t seem to find the right fit.
HTH,
Karen
This is our first year – Year 0 – we have an only child. This year I had $300 and RightStart took $236, so not much left for the rest, but since it’s Year 0 I can rely heavily on the library and free resources around town. I am so thankful we chose RightStart, and spending the bulk of our budget on it this year worked for us. Next year, I expect the budget to be the same. Hoping to get the next Rightstart level for $60, and find great deals on anything I can’t use for free.
A fair bit. I don’t know that I’ve ever sat down and calculated. We use RightStart the first 3 years but after buying the program each subsequent kid only costs $18 or so (for the workbook). We then transition to Teaching Textbooks – $120 to $160 per kid. But again, with other ones coming up I won’t have the cost that year. I buy a lot of books used or free online or cheaper Kindle versions. Then we cycle through them. My older boys are doing the junior high level science and history, but the younger ones are doing the elementary (which was bought years ago and used by the olders). I guess my answer is that some years are more expensive than others depending on whether we need a new math program (and if I can find it used) or if everyone already has what they need. If we need older boy books or if I already have them. I buy throughout the year, and buy years in advance. If I see a book I know they’ll need in high school at the library book sale for $.25, I buy it then. I also use Paperback Swap and have gotten a lot of our schoolbooks that way. I knew I wanted to start Lightning Lit with them this year so I started shopping last year and got it for really cheap. At about halfway through a program I’ll start shopping again.
I’ll typically spend between $50 and $150 for history, sometimes much lower if I already have a lot of the books or if my library has them. Around $100 for science…IF we need new levels we don’t have or lab supplies. Literature is mostly free from online or library or books I’ve already purchased. Language Arts – $30, all non-consumable. Artist study, composer, etc…free resources online PLUS printing out pictures.
Here are some older threads that might give you additional information:
http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/approximate-cost-for-a-year
http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/how-much-does-it-cost
http://simplycharlottemason.com/scmforum/topic/cost-of-implementing-scm#post-6001
Well, I thought I could be helpful….but maybe this won’t be.
We spent $2565 on homeschooling last year – or so says QuickBooks!!! Looking over our numbers, I see that I included in those figures the admission to museums, books (some new, some second-hand), our support group fee, babysitting so I could go to the convention, admission to other field trips, the standardized tests, all that stuff.
So my number looks big, but it’s not just curriculum. And really, it’s for a 4th grader, 2nd grader, and K. (With a 4yo tagalong.) So, all things considered, it’s not a bad number, when you look at the cost of private Christian school —- or buying boxes of Kleenexes and school supplies to send into public school with your children.
So maybe I was helpful! Show your husband my number and the cost of private schooling or hte cost of buying tissues, markers, etc. for your child to go to public school.
ETA: I should be clear that my number includes markers and paper and glue and anything that we use for homeschooling! (And the occasional roll of tape – I figure if they’re creating and “wasting” my tape, I’m counting it as homeschool-use!).
Last year our budget was $600. That was for 2nd grade and preK. It included $115 for hslda membership and I did have money left over after the *must buys* to purchase a couple extra books that we had checked out from the library but decided to buy for our home library. I do have a nice used curriculum sale in my area that I have found some great deals at and that helped quite a bit. I purchase ahead of time if I know I will likely use it so many of our history books were purchased the year before, and some things I bought this year will not be used for a couple years.
This coming year dh bumped the budget up to $840. I didn’t ask him to, but we both have homeschooling high on our priority list and that is reflected in our budget.
I will say that 2 years ago we also opted for MUS over RS because of the cost of manipulatives. I don’t know that I would make that same decision now. While I feel it is NOT necessary to spend alot of money to school my child well, I’m now to the point that if there is a particular program that I feel will be a good fit for my child, I’m going to just buy it. I want a rich feast to spread and know that I can always resell later to recoup some of the cost if I need to.
eta – I agree with Karen that you should find out how much it would cost to hire someone to give your child a similar education. That would be eye opening for everyone!
Approximately $1000, but that is for four children, and a lot of that will be re-used (the SCM 77 item sale!)
I do think it is a lot, but then I consider if we were to send our children to the local Catholic school at $3500 each. I can justify $1000!!
We spent $500 this year for school (eight kids with only 4 officially school age, but art supplies and such for the little boys too). Next year’s purchases look to be about that. We’ve been homeschooling since the beginning and oldest is in 7th this year. Our budget has been as low as $50 in the early years when we did the library for everything and just needed paper and art supplies.
One thing I do is try to find materials in most areas that are reuseable for younger children legally. So we have science books like Apologia, Brave Writer curricula that can be used for all the kids over and over, etc.
Our biggest expense that comes each year is math workbooks for our Math U See, but the teacher’s manuals and dvds are reuseable. I’ve asked them for ebook versions but they won’t sell them. I’ve asked for permission to make copies for younger kids in the same family and they said no. So we choose to abide the copyright laws and purchase new workbooks for each child as needed. But that means a big chunk of our budget goes for math each year.
I always say one thing when talking homeschool budgets – you can spend money to purchase ready to go curricula or you can spend time to create your own free with the internet and library. Both are valid options and you may change from year to year which option you do. 🙂
FYI – I bought my RightStart stuff from eBay and they had a big 1/2 off Cyber Monday sale last December (I was able to buy the next level’s workbooks super cheap) so if you can wait or buy used you could save hundreds of $$.
Last year I probably spent $500 for the whole year but we bought a microscope too. Otherwise its around $250-$300 at the start of the year and I dont keep track after that but I would say not more than $100 more. Cost is a consideration when I pick curriculum though.
I, too, almost choked at the thought of spending $500+ for school stuff, but then I thought, I know I spend that much and more because the music school co-op classes (which are cheaper than private guitar, violin, and worship dance lessons) cost over $300 alone, but that is split up over several months.
So, it occurred to me that I’m typically spending a little here, a little there, and I watch and wait for the best price online or in resale shops or used book fairs whenever possible.
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