Those of us who have homeschooled multiple children for several years have the advantage of off-setting costs for subsequent kids by saving/copying curriculum and texts/readers.
That said, it still is a significant financial investment to take on the complete costs of educating children outside of the public school setting.
Naturally, the costs vary widely from one family to another, but in an effort to be transparent about our own costs, I decided to discuss and post our family’s current and potential expenditures for our 2014-2015 academic homeschool year.
If all goes as planned, and Emelie completes Algebra 2, she should graduate in August; so, next year’s expenses only included those items/activities needed for Meredith and Kenny.
Much of our curriculum (like our Sonlight Cores and Math) was purchased and has already been used by Emelie, and in the case of Kenny, has also been used by Meredith. Because of our former investments, our expenses dramatically reduce with each kid, each year.
This year, I ordered a few worksheets for the kids’ writing program, a science journaling notebook, lab specimens and supplies, and new instructor’s guides as needed.
I ordered:
» Paragraph Writing & Essay Writing Curriculum & Worksheets – $101.50
» Rosetta Stone – Spanish (Levels 1-5) – $479
» Exploring Creation with General Science Student Notebook – $26.73
» Apologia Biology Dissection Specimens (set of 4) – $27.28
» Biology IG – $18.16
The total cost was $652.67 w/shipping.
Add to that field trips (including gas), additional readers we may not be able to borrow from the library, and other necessary school supplies, and our costs will easily exceed $1000 for the school year.
Also included, but not always considered “school” since it falls under extracurricular are possible karate lessons for Kenny, some studio/recording time for Meredith, and potential gym/class sign-ups for exercise (P.E.).
Many families take advantage of curriculum/programs offered through their local school systems (supported by property/school taxes), free online courses, and several other means to significantly reduce their costs. Please do not assume my costs are the average costs, or even the most likely; for complete transparency, I know many families who spend more than we do and others who spend less. That is why, before making a decision on whether or not homeschooling is financially feasible it is a good idea to research what your chosen method will cost you.
I would also like for other homeschooling families who regularly contribute to the comments on this homeschooling blog to outline their 2014-2015 school year, as well as the associated costs below in the comments.
Providing these details is a source of valuable information for those who want to homeschool, but need a financial game plan before moving forward.
What are your estimated costs for a single year of homeschooling and what does that cost include?
Heather Sanders is a leading homeschooling journalist who inspires homeschooling families to live, love and learn. Married to Jeff, Heather lives in the East Texas Piney Woods and homeschools her three children, Emelie, Meredith and Kenny.