The Cost of Homeschooling

 How much does it cost to homeschool on Alabama? How much are Books? HSLDA?
Luckily, homeschooling can fit into any budget or lifestyle. A few things you will need regardless, and others you can decide if it's a need or a want. You can decide to spend as much as you want or as little as you can afford.



First of all, you will Need a cover (church) school (located in Alabama). Prices vary as much as requirements from $30 per year to $500+. You can either join one meeting your beliefs and standards or start one if you cant find a suitable match.
 


HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Assoc) may or may not be required by the cover you choose. They charge from $95-$115 per year, $190-$230 per two years or $1000 for lifetime membership. They also charge in monthly or quarterly payments. HSLDA is something you will have to personally decide whether it is a need, a want or unnecessary for you. There are many opinions about them.


Curriculum can be your biggest expense or can be found cheap or free. Some of the mass major curriculums cost thousands per year with fancy computer programs, DVDs, CDs, Distance and online teachers or you can get vast amounts online (See my Free Education section) or at your local library for FREE.
 


Most new bought single subjects (History, Science, Math) from any supplier will cost between $50 and $100 per year per student. Language Arts will cost a bit more from each supplier since it generally covers multiple topics (Spelling, Grammar, Phonics, Literature, Vocabulary, Reference skills, etc...)

 

A FULL 5 subject boxed 'set' that will last a whole year costs around $250 for lower end and upwards to $1000+.

 

Foreign languages cost $100 - $300 and may last one to several years.

 

Local bookstores, Dollar stores, and 'Mart' stores sell single and multi-subject work texts for $5 - $30.

 

Single topic unit studies cost around $20 and last from a week to a month.

 

Many have found great texts and readers at Thrift stores for less than $1.

 

It just depends on what you are wanting to 'do'. You may get a better deal mixing and matching what your child likes and what you prefer to teach. It is also a lot more practical and fun to do as many subjects together as a family than it is to do a different History or Science every day with each child.



If well-cared for books can be handed down to each of your children or sold later if you refrain from writing in them.

 

You can buy the same texts used for 1/3 of the new price (or less) directly from other Homeschoolers, book sales, eBay, Vegsource, etc...



The internet is a great source of Free and low-cost educational materials and Curriculums. Many e-books, lesson plans, ideas, and projects are available just by searching around on any search engine.

 

You could never buy a boxed curriculum and do great. Many people do just that and save money for field trips, art projects, and science labs.

 

Some of the best things available are the free ones. TV can be a great resource, PBS, Animal Planet, History Channel, Food Network, A&E, Discovery etc... and ALL of them have Great Websites offering Free lesson plans, virtual tours, activities, and links to other great sites.
 


Your Local library is a wonderful resource of free books, tapes, movies, software and more. Most libraries can borrow from other libraries in the same county, so if your library doesn't have a certain resource you need, ask if they can find it for you somewhere else and have it transferred to your library. Libraries also have activities for all ages including book groups, Story time, and an array of things from concerts and magicians to book signings and computer classes all for free.



Some churches offer classes in their family life centers to members and non members alike for minimal cost. We have taken ceramics, oil painting, and scrap booking to name a few things. Just ask around, and educational things will be everywhere.



I have spent at little as $400 for two children for a year and as much as $2000 for a year. You can homeschool on the cheap or free. You can spend your life's savings as well. You have so many options and choices available that anyone can homeschool on any income.

 

Think about what it costs to send your child(ren) to Public or Private school. If you add up all the driving, lunches, supplies, donations, extras, clothing and etc..., homeschooling can be a much more practical choice financially; however, it can be the best choice spiritually, for the individual, for sanity, for morality, to avoid bad socialization and for true meaningful learning.

 

  

 

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