Homeschool supplies and curriculum can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are 10 ways to save money on homeschool supplies!
10 Ways to Save Money on Homeschool Supplies and Curriculum
1. Garage sales, Goodwill, and other local secondhand stores
Garage sales and Goodwill (especially on 50% off days) have been a great way for us to save on common homeschool items like pencils, erasers, notebooks, and binders – most of which are in brand new condition.
2. Watch back to school sales at Walmart and Target
Walmart and Target are known for having great deals on common school supplies right before school, and after most public schools start.
3. Amazon and eBay
Amazon and eBay are a great way for people to get rid of their old things, and other people to buy their thing’s for a fraction of the cost. I’ve found some killer deals on textbooks with both Amazon and eBay. With Amazon, you simply search for your item, and can see the different items for sale; and compare prices and conditions easily. eBay is an online bidding service, so you have to consistently check their site for the latest steals.
4. Slugbooks
It can be time consuming to search up multiple textbooks on multiple sites. Slugbooks helps you price compare instantly. It is meant for college textbooks, but often has homeschool textbooks.
5. Homeschool Classifieds
Homeschool Classifieds is a great way to buy homeschool textbooks directly from other homeschoolers. To make secure transactions, I use Paypal, which is a free and simple online checking account. Paypal lets you make money and spend money; all without giving out your personal information. Biggest perk? If something you buy from another seller online never shows up, or if the item is not as described, you can file a claim and get your money back. Another similar site is Homeschool Trader.
6. Buy, Sell, and Trade Homeschool Groups
Like Homeschool Classifieds, Homeschool Buy, Sell, and Trade groups are a great way to buy reasonably priced curriculum directly from other homeschoolers. Again, Paypal and their protection is great for this.
- Homeschool Curriculum Marketplace
- Used Homeschool Books Buy, Sell, Trade
- A Beka Used Homeschool Curriculum
- Saxon Curriculum Buy, Sell, Trade
7. Take advantage of teacher’s discounts
Many stores ranging from Apple to Jo Ann Fabrics to Barnes and Noble offer teacher’s discounts; and those teacher discounts often extend to homeschool families. Check out this site for a great list of homeschool discounts. And remember, it never hurts to ask!
8. Go digital
The Internet (and Pinterest) is full of free and frugal downloadable homeschool resources; oftentimes made by homeschool moms. Take advantage of the savings of digital curriculum!
9. The library
The library is a homeschooler’s best friend, and is a great way to find books, magazines, and movies for free. In order to keep as organized as possible and avoid late fees, we keep all of our library books in a certain basket, and after using them, put them back in that spot.
10. Utilize what you have
This may seem obvious, but can often seem stressful and is overlooked. Utilize the homeschool curriculum you have, and sell any curriculum you no longer need to help offset next year’s costs.
Yikes. My wife should have read this before she bought those homeschool supplies. Oh well, next time.
Thanks Samantha, I am bookmarking your article. This is very much needed. These tips are excellent that will help homeschoolers to keep a little bit more of your money in your pocket.