How to Find Inexpensive and Free Resources for Homeschooling

Whether you are new to homeschooling or have been at it for years, sometimes it is easy to think that homeschooling has to be expensive. It doesn't. There are many low cost and even free options available to homeschooling families. Here are few tips.

Books

Have you ever looked through a home school catalog for the books you need? Some books can be down right expensive when bought new, but you can find many of the same books for a low cost or even free.

Paperbackswap.com is a book club where membership and swapping books is free. The only cost to you is minimal shipping fees for sending books to members who have requested books from you. You can also buy credits for a low price that would make a great deal on many textbooks and answer keys.

Ebay.com is great in two ways. One, you can purchase the books you need used at a lower price. Two, you can turn around and sell the books you purchased when you no longer need them and use that money to purchase additional books for next year. We have purchased several textbooks on eBay. However, there are new rules against selling answer keys and teacher's editions.

Thrift Stores can be a gold mine for homeschoolers! Last week I went to a local thrift store that had several copies of A Beka reader books for .50 each! Many thrift stores have whole shelves devoted to textbooks, reference books, how-to books, and educational books. Often you will find used textbooks from local public schools. Also don't forget to search out books that can be used in Language Arts. My copies of The Scarlett Letter, The Island of the Blue Dolphins, and The Red Badge of Courage all came from thrift stores. There are also usually plenty of illustrated books for the younger children too.

Dollar Tree and department store's back to school sales are great for finding beginner workbooks, elementary school aged chapter books, and illustrated books. They also offer beginner learning books on subjects such as counting, phonics, alphabet, colors and shapes.

Don't forget about your local library as well. Most libraries have websites where you can search their catalog from the comfort of your home. Depending on the size of your local library the collection of books available for free is outstanding.

Pintables and Worksheets

Before you purchase any pintables or worksheets check online to see if you can find a free alternative to what you are looking for. Some places offer free specials on their site and other websites are completely free. Check out sites like Enchanted Learning,A to Z Home's Cool, and No Cost Homeschooling for free home school materials.

Unit Studies

Today we have a wonderful tool that once was not available to homeschoolers...the eBook. EBooks are online versions of books. What's great about this form of books is that there is no cost for paper, ink, binding, publishing, etc. So the price is more affordable. You can often buy eBooks that are immediately available to you through downloads or eBooks that come in the mail on a CD. You have the option of printing the eBook or not.

Many unit studies that were once only available in print are now available in eBook form. Also check out eBay for eBooks. There are usually many titles available covering a wide range of subjects.

Search the internet for free unit studies and you will find many short studies available for free.

Homeschooling doesn't have to be expensive and there are ways to get homeschooling materials that won't put a big dent in your family's budget. The internet is full of information on finding just about anything for a lower cost. Check out blogs, forums, groups and how to sites before paying retail for home school materials.