Help for the frugal family!

Christian parents have a desire to have homes that model good work ethic, enterprise, and accomplishment. Homeschool families strive to incorporate activities for all family members that work toward these goals. Now more than ever, as we face challenging economic times, we all want to find cost-saving activities that are constructive and helpful to our families.  Vision forum is offering a sale this week on products for practical and frugal home management.

Homestead Blessings:

Learn how to bake bread, create soap, and make lovely homemade candles—each skill offers a great way to save money while working together as a family. Use to cut your family’s grocery bill, or as thrifty, but uniquely personal gift.  Professionally-produced, 3-DVD set: a fun-filled presentation of homemaking skills by Vicki, Jasmine, Hannah, and CeCe West as they “teach by doing”-experts at saving money and family togetherness.

Transform your yard into a family vegetable/fruit garden! Learn how with The Backyard Homestead. Save money and enjoy fresh, organic, great-tasting food all the time; raise chickens, goats, or even a cow OR keep bees; . The Backyard Homestead gives the details you need to make it happen. Then, when the harvest is in,  The Backyard Homestead will guide and instruct you so you can learn how to cook, preserve, brew, cure, or pickle the fruits of your garden.

The Last book in this offer is Just In Case by Kathy Harrison: (essential guide to family preparedness.)

Disaster can strike when you least expect it. Be  prepared by following Kathy Harrison's practical suggestions for emergency preparedness and self-sufficiency in Just In Case.

-Everything you need to know about how to survive when public services fail is covered

-Evaluate, organize, and rotate your food supply;

-Pack an evacuation kit;

-How you can protect important documents from fire;

-How to develop a communications system;

-Learn to make nutritious soup with canned and dried items from the pantry.

-Keep your children entertained in difficult circumstances.

Check Vision Forum's website for these helpful books.

The financial crisis is affecting all of us. Here are some things that I have done to save money on homeschooling. Maybe they will help you.

Buy Used Homeschool Books

1. Shop Thrift Stores, Goodwill, and Garage Sales - Over the years I have bought at least half of our books for homeschooling at Goodwill and garage sales.  I got some terrific bargains.  Some of the books, I still have after 20 years and some have been sold or donated. I have occasionally found textbooks, but mostly topic books for unit studies, reference books, and fiction for children.

2. Shop used curriculum online sites like Homeschool Classifieds and Best Homeschool Buys.  When you buy from other homeschoolers, you are helping them collect some money to enable them to pay for next years curriculum.   One some of these sites, If you think they are asking too much, try making an offer that is reasonable.  You may be surprised, it will often be accepted.  See more sites for used homeschool curriculum at the bottom of this post.

3. Check out books from THE LIBRARY - You can either use the item for a few weeks and return it or decide that you do like this book and want to purchase it. Many libraries have the book catalog online and even allow you to reserve books and renew books online. What could be easier.  Also, when the library doesn't have the book you need, try the interlibrary loan request.  All you do is fill out a simple form to request a book and the date that you need it and you will be contacted when it is available.  Then you check it out like any other book.  This is a service that can save you from buying so many books.  The important thing is to decide exactly when you need it.  You can usually renew the interlibrary loaned books so that you can keep them twice as long.

5.  You can find so much free teaching help on the internet...free print outs,  ebooks, worksheets. SEARCH for  free homeschool , free homeschooling, free samples, free printables, and more !! What ever you are going to study, you can search on the internet and find all kinds of helpful info that you can use.  Actually, there is usually so much available that the problem is just deciding which ones to use!

6. Learn in the REAL world.  Take field trips, visit free parks, go on nature walks, get outside.  There is so much learning that takes place with no books involved.  Look everywhere for learning opportunities.  This way of learning will be remembered by your children.

7.  If you have access to cable or satellite TV, record the educational programs that complement what you are teaching.  You can look online for the TV schedules- what plays when...such as The History Channel or The Discovery Channel

You CAN homeschool on a shoestring. You will learn to be creative which in the end is rewarding and fun.

Children that grow up in a family that has to budget benefit because they have a greater appreciation for their blessings.

This site, Best Homeschool Buys offers used and new homeschool books and curriculum at discount prices.  Take a look at what's available.  Since these are organized ebay homeschool listings, new items are added daily, so please check back often.

Cheap Homeschooling: Buy Used Books

Other sites that may help you save are:

Homeschool Christian Message Boards

This Little Piggy Stays Home

The Homeschool Library

The Back Pack

Homeschooling on the Cheap

Used Homeschool Curriculum Searches for Textbooks and Workbooks

cheap apologia, cheap homeschooling textbooks are some of the homeschool curriculum and other resources that homeschool families need. What homeschool books are you looking for? Go to our MASTER MENU or use the SEARCH box in the sidebar.