Since I am no where close to being able to purchase anything I want for school, I have had to learn to be a diligent bargain hunter (cheap skate) and find the items I would like at a deep discounted price.
And, I know durn tootin’ that I am far from being the only homeschooling mama that is in this situation. So, I thought I would gather my info and share a bit of my current (and past) experiences with you.
This way, you can keep the list handy and reference back to it time and time again…ya know, just in case…
My first go to for anything school related is this:
Free Printables that I can find online, here are some of my favorites:
The local library. Without a doubt if there is a subject that interests the children, I am sure to find it at the library. Not counting all of the amazing stories that can be found! We absolutely love the library and we are blessed to have out pick of 3 local (within 15 minutes of our house) and 1 gigantic gorgeous library within 35 minutes. I have created monsters that LOVE the library and we can max out our card limits in one trip…if you are curious, each card has a 50 book limit…yeah, keeping track of all of those books is a chore in and of itself.
The next best place that I have found to look for books, games, and resources is our local Goodwill store. This place is a dream! Have be blessed to find board games, educational books, educational toys, reading books, and more at this place. So, when I am looking to add to our reading collection this is one of the first places I like to go. I am constantly amazed at the items that people give away to Goodwill, yet on the other hand, I am so grateful that they do!
When I am in need of arts and craft supplies I head to the nearest Dollar Store. Without a doubt this is one of the cheapest places to find goodies for art class, or anything you need for being creative. Here are a few gems I have found:
- crayons
- paper
- construction paper
- scissors
- glue
- pom poms
- glass jars
- coffee mugs
- craft sticks (plain and colored)
- marbles
- stones
- poster board
- foam board
- puzzles
- and oh my so much more!
White Boards / Dry Erase Boards If you have a little one learning to write you might consider making a purchase of a personal white board. This will be a lifesaver when it comes to paper waste. This lined white board is perfect for learning to write numbers and letters; excellent for practicing cursive writing.
Up next on the list is a wonderful collection of companies that create Unit Studies. These are absolutely brilliant and rather an inexpensive way to do school!
The next two places are on my list because I am a diligent searcher of sales / clearance / cheap-o items. I will search the Clearance section of Wal-Mart as well as hit up the Dollar Section at Target. I am so not ashamed to paw through the shelves and bins to see what I can find. For instance, I recently found some handy dry erase boards at Target that the kids use for doodling. It is way cheaper on the pocket to let them use those for doodling that it is to watch them devour a ream of paper…which ends up in the trash usually anyway!
The local city playground or the local State Park is one of our most favorite places to get our outside time. The hiking we do is our physical activity or our nature study as we observe while we are there. The family time we get helps build the relationships we are looking to have as well as the memories we make while we are there. So many areas can be covered by just getting outside!
Last, but not least. I am a huge fan of the Kindle Store on Amazon! Free or Cheap eBooks are the way to go to supplement our schooling needs.
Check out the many subjects we have found:
Whew!
I am slightly overwhelmed at all of the resources I just listed. I am so grateful that God has been able to bless our family over the years with not only the wisdom but the ability to make homeschooling a reality. There are still so many more ways to homeschool on a tight budget, but it can absolutely be done with prayer, diligence, time, and patience!
Make this school year the best one yet – you and the kids deserve it!
In His Grace.
Callie
Leave a Reply