How to Save Money on Homeschool Curriculum in 2025
One thing most people unfamiliar with homeschooling don’t understand is the cost that is associated with homescholing. Not only do we have to pay for all of our school supplies, but our curriculum as well. Homeschool curriculum can be costly. We rarely get a lot of help with these costs. Let’s also not forget, we are paying taxes to the public schools as well. Here are 15 ways of how to save money on homeschool curriculum.
15 Ways to Save Money on Homeschool Curriculum:
Do your research
Check Youtube, blog posts, facebook groups, basically any social media that you can to thoroughly research the curriculum. This will help you to decide if it’s truly a good fit before you invest the money in it. Nothing worse than thinking a curriculum will work and finding out it’s not like you thought.
Make a plan
Once you have established what you think will work for your family, write a plan on what you will use for that year and stick to it. I am the queen of having a plan in place and 6 weeks in trying to change it. Don’t! Stick with it, unless it really isn’t working. Making a plan will also help to utilize several of our other tips on saving money on homeschool curriculum.
Set a budget
Once you have an idea in place on what you’re going to use, set your budget. I like to set it for brand new prices, that way, when I come in way under, I can see how much I truly saved. Sometimes, you have no choice but to buy it brand new. This will help see what your costs are going to be. If it is unattainable, you may be able to file for grants or simply choose something more affordable.
Get a free trial
Several homeschool companies offer free trials or lessons for their products. I have learned to use these first before buying the actual curriculum, even if I get it second hand. You can get a feel for it and see how your child do with it. It can end up saving money if it doesn’t work out.
Utilize free resources
There has never been an easier time to find free homeschooling resources. I even have a list of several free homeschooling resources for you to look through! The biggest one I can personally vouch for is the library!
>> The Best Free Homeschool Curriculum and Resources for 2024 <<
Shop second hand whenever possible
Why buy brand new if you don’t have to? Facebook groups and eBay are wonderful places to check out second hand curriculum. This is probably the easiest way I save money on homeschool curriculum.
Use up what you have
It can be super easy to find information on curriculum, so we tend to think the grass is greener. We may have a difficult time not trying all the things. However; use up what you have. If you have several science curriculums, use them. Your budget will thank you.
Find free or inexpensive groups
Free or affordable homeschool groups do exist. I tend to actually prefer these. We have an amazing free field trip group. Sure, the field trips cost money, and tend to offer deep discounts, but I don’t feel obligated because I had to pay a fee. I can pick and choose what I want or can afford. The same goes for local homeschooling meet up groups.
Avoid consumable curriculum whenever possible
The more use you can get out of a curriculum the better. This wasn’t as important when I was only homeschooling one child, but since I will eventually homeschool five (or more), it makes sense to choose curricula I can use over and over again. That’s why I came up with my own system for All About Reading versus how it is intended to be used.
>> 5 Reasons I Love the All About Reading Curriculum <<
Resell
Most curriculum holds quite a bit of value. If you’re not using it, try to resell it and get some of your money back. I have also seen many people get used curriculum, use it for several children, and then still make money back on it. If it’s worth the time and effort, it’s worth a shot!
Frugal field trips
Field trips don’t have to be super expensive. As I mentioned, we belong to a local homeschool group and get to take advantage of great discounts. Some of our favorite homeschool experiences happened during free or frugal friend trips. Visiting a pond, apple orchard, or local historic building are just a few ideas.
Only buy what you need
The longer we have been homeschooling, the more I realize, I don’t need to buy everything right this minute. We love Heart of Dakota, but I buy it all second hand. I don’t need to buy every single book at the start of the year. I can spread out the cost throughout the year. Who knows, we may not even get to a certain book. Maybe my library will attain it in the next year for free.
Look for discounts
Once you have your plan, you can keep an eye out for the curriculum to see if it goes on sale. I’d say Black Friday and Back to School sales probably offer the steepest discounts of the year.
Use group subjects when possible
Using group subjects will help to save money on homeschool curriculum. You won’t need an individual subject for every single child you’re teaching. In our home, we do Bible, science, social studies, and extra curriculars as a group. This will cut costs significantly.
Use online resources and apps
Using online resources and apps can not only save you money, but space! Utilizing free library apps like Hoopla, Libby, and even Youtube can help incorporate different audio and ebooks. Then, you don’t need to have more space on your bookshelf to house them.
