Are you looking to save money homeschooling? Here are some resources that can keep your classroom frugal and enhance your children’s learning journey.

Before I started homeschooling, I’d heard lots of horror stories about homeschooling expenses that spun out of control. About how this curriculum or that would cost an arm and a leg. About the cost of materials, field trips, and books.

Early on, we decided to forgo traditional curriculum systems and instead lean more toward whole book learning. We wanted the flexibility to learn at the kids’ pace, crossover with topics that all three grades needed to learn, and spend more time with books than worksheets.

We found that there were a lot of resources available to us for learning that were either low-cost or free. And if we were willing to be flexible about when, where, and how we learned, we could keep within our small homeschool budget.

If you’re looking for ways to enhance your homeschool for less, check out these frugal resources that we’ve found invaluable in our learning journey.

10 Resources that will Save Your Homeschool Money

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Library book sales

I love library bookstores. There is always a bounty of great books, magazines, and DVDs to be had here. I check my local library, and if I can, other libraries around town. With prices of 25 cents a book, and cheaper for kids’ books, it’s hard to pass up.

These sales are stocked by library discards and donations from patrons. If I’m really lucky, I stumble across the books another homeschool family has donated that they no longer need. If you lean heavily on whole books for your homeschool, this is a great—and cheap—resource.

YouTube

There are many things I’m good at, but explaining how magnets work is not one of them. Books help, but sometimes seeing it in action is better.

Visuals and hands-on practice are important for learning, so before breaking out the magnets and science experiments, we check YouTube. This is a wonderful resource, full of videos made specifically for homeschoolers that explain common concepts with appealing pictures. My kids love the 5-10 minute tutorials that are either a review or a preview of what we will cover next.

The best part—it’s free.

Library

Besides the book sales, the library itself is incredibly helpful for saving money on homeschooling. There are nonfiction and fiction books that can help with every subject imaginable, DVDs and CDs for teaching science and art concepts, and online resources. Our library is linked to Rosetta Stone, so my children who are interested in learning Spanish and French can use this otherwise expensive learning tool.

I signed each of my children up for a library card so that we can take out enough books to cover the various subjects we are learning, renewing them as needed. We also borrow DVDs to watch in the car when we are waiting somewhere. The library is an amazing free resource, and I can’t imagine where we’d be without it.

Pinterest

While I don’t use a lot of worksheets, there are a lot of great free printables available online. Pinterest is the easiest way for me to find them, as well as websites that cater to homeschoolers. I love the quality, printable worksheets that I can find here to supplement what we are learning.

Pinterest is a great resource for worksheets, lesson plan ideas, curriculum reviews, and other homeschool information that can really enhance your classroom without breaking your budget.

Dollar Tree

This goes for any dollar store, but I had the best luck with Dollar Tree. This store really helped us save money on homeschool materials, from pencils and notebooks to reading comprehension books. I picked up dictionaries, classroom décor, and incentives for learning games we played.

We’re planting a spring garden as part of our science requirement this year, and we bought our seeds, shovels, and pots at Dollar Tree. This store is great for the extras we need for experiments and hands-on activities at low prices.

Local tourism board

If your city has a tourism board, or website with local attractions and historical sites listed, check it out. This free resource can point you in the direction of historical buildings or sites that can make wonderful field trips for your kids, enhancing what they’ve learned in the classroom. It can also provide information about local cultural events.

In Las Vegas, there are a lot of festivals for different cultures and nationalities. Eating authentic Lebanese food and seeing hula dancing at the Aloha Festival are great learning experiences for the kids. Tourism boards are helpful and free resources that your homeschool should be taking advantage of.

Back to school sales

Even though my kids aren’t going back to school like they used to, it doesn’t mean I should miss out on the deals that other parents are enjoying. Back to school sales are perfect for stocking up on the supplies you need for your classroom.

Basic stationary supplies, white boards, cork boards, tissues, etc. You can grab them all at great prices during the summer leading up to the traditional school year. Best yet, you don’t have to wait for a supply list to be sent out by the teacher. Get what you need at the lowest prices of the year. These sales are a great resource for saving money in your homeschool.

Netflix

For a low monthly payment, you can use Netflix for more than just binge-watching reruns. We use this service for watching shows like The Magic School Bus, and movies like The Incredible Journey. It’s nice for a change of pace, especially when the teacher is sick (as I am now) or we’ve had a long week tackling tough subjects.

This might be the most expensive resource on the list (depending on how much you spend at the library book sales…ahem), but if it’s something you might have used anyway, or something you can share with another family member to split the cost (you can set up multiple profiles), then this isn’t that pricey at all. It all depends on your family.

Church

I consider church to be a great homeschool resource that saves us money because there are so many free activities to take part in. My kids learned musical notes and rests while playing bells. Churches often put on concerts, which is a great way to introduce children to different types of music, as well as classical composers.

Vacation Bible School each summer gives my kids a week of crafts, scripture memorization, social interactions, and singing—great additions to their learning and also free. Take a look at your local churches’ offerings on their websites or in their programs.

Other homeschoolers

The last resource that I want to suggest to help save your homeschool money is other homeschoolers. These are the people who are walking alongside you and the ones who have gone before you.

My mother was an invaluable resource when I was setting up my homeschool. She donated things that she no longer needed, offered advice and help, opened up her classroom to my curious inspection, and answered tons of questions. She was worth ten homeschool books.

Take advantage of a homeschool co-op or meet-up group in your area. Check Facebook for a group page. Even if you feel you’ve got this homeschool thing totally dialed in, it’s good to know someone who’s been there and done (or doing) that, too. Never underestimate the value of community.

 

I hope this list of homeschool resources that save money will help you have a more frugal homeschool experience. There’s no need to spend a lot of money on your classroom. Be flexible and look for opportunities that fit your family, your children’s learning style, and your budget, and you’ll enjoy the journey even more.

 

What free or frugal resources do you use in your homeschool? How do you save money in your classroom? I’d love to hear your suggestions!

 

Interested in more on saving money? Check out these posts:

5 Ways to Save Money Right Now

How to Save Money as a Dedicated Book Lover

How Changing Your Spending Habits Can Save You Money

 

[Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This post contains affiliate links. So, if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission, at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own and I never recommend anything I haven’t used myself and loved.]