How to Afford Homeschooling

 

 The best way to make sure that you can afford to homeschool your kids is to agree about the lifestyle with your husband prior to purchasing your home and cars. This way you make sure that your expenses can be covered with one income. You probably won't be able to live in your dream home. If you're getting a mortgage, don't use the maximum loan amount that you can be approved for. Your realtor may push you to look at higher priced properties, but stick to your guns and look at the lower end of the range. Be sure to account in the payment estimates if you will have escrow added to the amount to cover property taxes. Look for smaller, older homes with big backyards, established trees, and safe streets.

Pay off outstanding debt. If you don't have debt, your monthly expenses are reduced. Buying a furniture suite on credit is not worth sacrificing your ability to stay home with your kids. Avoid car payments and buy used cars with cash. 

Shop at frugal grocery stores like Aldi. They have plenty of organic food, but you may need to shop at another store for better quality organic produce. Make simple meals from scratch and avoid food waste.

Buy higher quality but buy it used. Thrift stores, garage sales, and online marketplaces like Facebook, Poshmark and Mercari will provide you with anything you need for your home and raising your children.

Choose a curriculum that is free - like Easy Peasy All in One, Ambleside Online, Old Fashioned Education or buy a used multi age level unit study like KONOS, or Weaver and source your books from the library. Those can be used for many years. Look for free unit studies on Homeschool Share. OR just start with what you already have around the house, read books together, have the kids copy sentences from them, do math with real objects and baking.

Learn new skills that help cut expenses like cutting your children's hair. Online videos can teach you exactly how to do it. 

Stay at home more. If you go out driving around town, it's guaranteed that you will spend money unnecessarily. Make your home a fun place to be, and have your children's friends over instead of going out for playdates and pricey field trips.

A wife that learns how to save her husband money increases their wealth. There will be sacrifices, but it can be done! 

See also my post on Homeschooling with Public Domain Books