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What is your yearly education budget?
- This topic has 22 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 8 months ago by
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Thanks for all the input. I also checked out the links crazy4boys listed, they were great and have given me some good ideas and additional places to look for used curriculum and living books. If I keep it in perspective, and can convey that to my husband, the $1000 this year shouldn’t be a problem since most of these materials will be re-used for the younger ones. I hadn’t thought about comparing it to the $6,000 a piece we’d pay to send our kids to parochial school – it gives a completely different perspective. I also have to consider that I’d spend a considerable amount of money on books regardless of hs, ps, or parochial. I just have the added benefit of being able to present really good books to the kids and still call it “school” for the official report.
I studied about 15 different math curriculums, all different methods and prices, before I decided on Rightstart Second Edition. While it is $275-295 (depending on options) I truly believe it is the best fit for my oldest ds and will be good for the younger children as well. The good thing about RS2 is that no additional manipulatives have to be purchased down the road, so out-of-pocket expense is considerably less in subsequent years.
I looked back again at my QB records, and my $2565 includes the $900 lifetime HSLDA membership. So, if you take that off – it’d be $1656. Or $1756, if you figure $100 for the HSLDA membership.
Just to note – I thought I’d be saving money each year, re-using things. Next year will be the first year that I can reall re-use a History curriculum (SoTW, v.1) We use CLE math, and so I’ve been able to reuse the teacher book (savings of $30). But– I am always finding new books to buy! And as the children get older, they need new books to read – for history, etc. So, saving money where you can is great, but realize that you’ll always be finding more things to buy with those savings…..I wouldn’t actually come right out and say that to Hubby yet! *L*
We have spent a bit each year – it has varied… This year we did buy the zoo membership again so that was over $100….
I have used Book Samaritan, so that has saved us a LOT… mostly (over time) the RightStart materials. I also was able to buy the future RS teachers manuals used – so now I (finally) have ALL the manipulatives, and all the teachers manuals. RightStart now sells ebooks for the edition 1 workbooks.
I also bought the Yesterday’s Classics bundle at some point while on sale…
For a deal on RightStart, you may want to check Homeschool Buyer’s Co-Op.
I have a budget of nearly $1200/yr, but that includes our homeschool co-op, field trips, printer ink and other school supplies like paper, etc, plus our library card since we’re out of the area for the free card. I’ve also had to purchase some more expensive things over the course of the last few years in addition to our regular school supplies since I have high school and middle school students. Things like a microscope, Apologia upper level books, and Teaching Textbooks math. Books and supplies just add up fast, but I’m to the point I’ll be able to start selling off the TT math because my youngest isn’t using it right now and he’ll be past some of the levels we have. I’m hoping things will start to cost less since we’ll be reusing books, but then again, I really love books so maybe that won’t really happen! 😉
We have 2, 1st and 3rd. It is usually around $250-300 before we start in the Fall, then each term (I try and spread out costs) after that is another $150 or so. So $600 a year with books and things, curricula, art supplies, not including field trips or co-op/gas to co-op or CHEC fees. Our first year was much more.
But now we have our Math on the Level (pre-k thru pre-Algebra), and All About Spelling for several years, which are reusable and non-consumable:), Vos Children’s Bible, resource books for me… I make my own copywork packets using a free worksheet maker online and bind or staple, we have used the library extensively, although now I am buying more books for history and read-alouds so we can keep them and not have to rush thru. So true what a previous poster said about more money to get things ready made or more of your time to do it yourself, hunt down bargains, etc. So it depends what kind of a season you are in.
Sorry to report that my curriculum costs did not go down as the kids got older as I thought they would. High school is expensive and even though I have a lot of curriculum, the other kids did not use nearly as much of it as I thought they would due to learning differences, tastes, any my boredom with teaching the same curriculum. Add to that my joyful obsession with researching curriculum and you can see the problem. One mistake I made was keeping curriculum too long and missing the good resale value window. I am trying to buy more non consumables, teach more myself, and build my teacher’s tool box with books like Heart of Wisdom, Beechick, SCM, etc.
I like a saying I saw on an old Rainbow Resources catalog “A book in the hand is worth two on the shelf.”
Blessings,
C
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