How to Save Money on Homeschool Curriculum

Last updated on September 30th, 2023 at 05:59 pm

You don’t have to spend a fortune on a homeschool curriculum if you don’t want to! While homeschooling definitely comes with some financial savings in some regards, the cost of the curriculum used for homeschooling can add up quickly and negate those savings, if you’re not careful.

I am a bargainer in every area of life, and homeschooling is not excluded. While I think there is a time and place to pay full price, most of the time, there is a way to find what you need without having to do so. 

With a little creativity and a watchful eye, getting a homeschool curriculum for a bargain is absolutely possible.

My Favorite Ways to Save on Homeschool Curriculum

Shop Used

Shopping gently used can save you a ton of money! This is my favorite way and easiest way to save money on curriculum. There are some great in-store and online options for purchasing a gently used curriculum.

For in-store options, search your area to see if you have a homeschool store. In our local area, there is a homeschool consignment store that is full of new and gently used curricula. You can also save by bringing in new or gently used materials for store credit. Don’t forget about used bookstores and even larger consignment stores like Goodwill. These options might not have a particular curriculum, but they may have great supplemental reading for many subjects. 

I normally head to eBay for online options to see what I can find at a discount. I have bought a huge portion of our homeschool curriculum for normally 50% off or more on eBay. Aside from eBay, many Facebook groups are dedicated specifically to purchasing curriculum. Don’t forget Amazon! Although it’s thought of for purchasing new items, there is a used option for items that are generally sold by third-party sellers. I like to compare these prices to eBay. Don’t forget the shipping costs because that can change drastically your overall total.

You might be thinking, who wants to used curriculum, but used workbooks generally means maybe at most a few pages have been written in, and for books, it can vary as far as condition. Most online shops and forums will list the condition and the extent to which it is used.

Borrow & Trade

I love this option, especially for textbooks and manuals that don’t require writing in. Borrow or trading works great with friends and within local homeschooling groups. 

If you’re not connected to a homeschool group, check out Facebook homeschool groups in your area where you can connect and swap that way. 

If you homeschool multiple children, don’t forget you can trade what you’re not using that year and get back what you need when needed. 

Access the Library

What would we do without the library? We learned what we would do without the library when the pandemic hit, and it was closed. It was a sad day for us and so many other families! 

The library is the best place to access homeschool resources at no cost! There are unlimited books, audiobooks, videos, and more options. What you don’t have at your local branch can normally be ordered in from another branch.

Get to know your librarians well; they can be a huge resource for finding what you need and recommending things you didn’t know you needed!

Free Curriculum 

Let’s talk about free curriculum because we are on the topic of free. So many options are available to homeschool all for free or to just supplement with a free curriculum. Aside from free printables from many sites, there are online programs like Khan Academy, language apps like Duolingo, and many other resources on YouTube as well. 

There are many free faith-based and secular options depending on what you are looking for. 

There’s a Facebook group for everything, and free homeschooling curriculum is one of them. Search for free homeschooling curriculum, and there are big groups who combine their thrifty powers to offer their best free curriculum finds. 

Group Discounts

Depending on the curriculum, there are some opportunities, especially as home educators, to go into a subscription together. One year, a fellow homeschooling mom asked if we wanted access to a preschool app. We received a discounted rate if there was a certain number of subscribers.

You can also reach out to companies directly and ask if a group discount is available if a certain number of people purchased the curriculum.

Review Curriculum 

This is a great way to get your hands on a curriculum you’ve been eyeing for free. Publishers are often looking for reviews in exchange for a free curriculum. If you already have a curriculum you are interested in, reach out to a publisher and ask if they offer this type of opportunity. 

Becoming an affiliate either directly or through an affiliate network is also a great way to receive curriculum for free in exchange for reviewing the product or talking about it on a blog or social media. Honest reviews are valuable for companies and consumers, so it is a win-win for everyone. 

Bundles 

Just like shopping at Costco, sometimes it pays to buy in bulk. Like food shopping, you must assess if you will use everything you buy to make it worth it. If you find a curriculum bundle that you think you’ll use, it can save a good amount of money. Lots of online sites offer bundles at a discounted rate. If you want the discounted benefits of a bundle but don’t think you will use it all, find a friend or fellow homeschooler who may be interested in splitting the curriculum and cost with you.

Minimize Curriculum

This one may seem too obvious, but we often center our understanding of curriculum around printed books, workbooks, apps, and other preformatted material. The word curriculum comes from New Latin, which means, a course of study. A course of study isn’t limited to printed or online material. Implement more hands-on learning, learning outside, and utilizing the world as your classroom to minimize curriculum costs. Call of The Wild and Free by Ainsley Arment is an amazing book that helped inspire me to see homeschooling outside of what I knew education to be in the classroom.

Savings Doesn’t Mean Compromise

Sometimes, seeking out savings on curriculum feels like you might be compromising on quality, but thankfully, that doesn’t have to be the case. Savings can come from purchasing a gently used curriculum or using some of the unique ways mentioned above to cut down the full price. If you have other great ways to save on homeschool curricula, let me know in the comments below! 

Related Reading:

Another big expense that can add up is homeschool materials. Check out this article to see our list of essential homeschool materials!