I’m always on the lookout for money-saving tips. As a single-income homeschooling family, I need to be frugal. Yet when an educational catalog comes in the mail, I can’t help but obsess over all the fantastic curriculum choices and learning materials. I love homeschool shopping.

While homeschooling can save a family money, it can get expensive if you’re not watchful!

Here are some of the best money-saving tips for homeschoolers.

Use your library card

I’m confident our library knows exactly what unit we’re exploring based on the holds we place on library books. We use our library card all the time!

Libraries often carry lovely curriculum. For instance, our library has a wonderful curriculum like the Story of the World series, JUMP at Home (worksheets for the JUMP Math Program), and even the BOB Books!

Borrow curriculum

Check within your homeschool circles if anyone has curriculum that they can lend to you.

Curriculum swaps

Organize or participate in curriculum swaps! Set a date when your homeschool community can gather and exchange curriculum with one another.

Buy second-hand

Thrift shops often carry second-hand curriculum. You can also look for when homeschool co-ops host their curriculum sales.

My mother-in-law regularly attends garage sales. She has a list of books we’re looking for and will often buy resources for fifty cents to a dollar!

Another place to find great second-hand deals is Thrift Stores like Value Village and Goodwill. We have found numerous classic read-aloud books at thrift stores and stumbled across some great curriculum!

Use the internet

The internet is a fabulous resource for curriculum needs! I’ve put together various homeschool units comprising YouTube videos and free digital downloads from websites I found on Pinterest.

photo credit: © depositphotos.com / IgorVetushko

Kindle Unlimited

I know that sometimes spending money to save money seems redundant. However, Kindle Unlimited is one of my top money-savers. For less than $10 per month, we can access a library of over one million book titles! I found that by going to this page on Amazon, I could explore dozens of Kindle Unlimited books specific to homeschooling/education.

Plus, you don’t even need a Kindle to access this service. Get the Kindle Reading App, and you can access titles on ANY device! Try it FREE for 30 days, and you’ll see what I mean!

Use what you have

Instead of buying learning materials, look around your house and use what you already have! For instance, on Deliberate Homeschooling, I have a list of 65 math materials you can find around your home and a list of science materials you can find at home!

Select capsule curriculum

A capsule curriculum is a curriculum that can be used by multiple ages of children or passed down from child to child. Some examples of our capsule curriculum choices are the Morning Time Curriculum, Campfire Curriculums, and NatureExplorers Curriculum. I can use the curriculum with my children with each of these selections.

If you want more information, this post has great tips for selecting a capsule curriculum.

Sign up for emails

This is one of my favourite tips! If I see a product I like, I don’t purchase it immediately. Instead, I sign up for the product newsletter. 9 out of 10 times, the retailer will have a sale within a month or send out a discount code.

Watch for bundle sales

Often, bloggers, authors, and curriculum creators collaborate to create a bundle of downloadable products. Look for these sales; they can be a huge savings for homeschoolers.

Sign up for a printer ink subscription

With an eligible HP printer, you sign up for a monthly plan for the number of pages you think you’ll print monthly. Whether you print B&W and/or colour, the monthly cost is the same. The cartridges are shipped to you and replenished (by mail) before you even run out of ink! What I love about this plan is that I can upgrade or downgrade my plan, AND the plan allows some carryover of pages!! 

I encourage you to try out HP Instant Ink—it will save you loads of money. If you use my affiliate link, you’ll get one month free of charge! 

Homeschooling doesn’t have to be costly. Now that you’ve armed yourself with this list of tips, I’m confident you’ll save money on your homeschooling.

Jennifer Bly

Author of My Kitchen, My Classroom: An Introduction to Homeschool and creator of The Deliberate Mom. Jennifer writes about parenting, homeschooling, her faith, and life with her husband and two girls. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Applied Human Service Administration Degree with a specialization in Early Learning in Child Care.