10 Money-Saving Tools for the Frugal Homeschool Mom

As a homeschool mom, I can attest to the fact that there are so many amazing products out there to use in a homeschool setting. As a homeschool mom of many on a limited income, I can also attest to the fact that those beautiful supplies can easily add up to spending an obscene amount of money- something that I’m neither willing, nor able, to partake in.

Being a frugal homeschool mom can take a bit of cleverness, resourcefulness, and planning, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have our must-have tools we just can’t live without! Today I’m going to share with you ten money-saving resources that are not only handy to have for a well-run homeschool, but they save money (and sanity) to boot! 

 

10 Money-Saving Homeschool Tools

 

 

1. Coffee

I’m only half-joking here. To me, coffee is my way of relaxing and preparing my mind for a busy day. Better to have a mom who’s had time to savor a quiet morning than a cranky one to begin the homeschool day with!

 

2. A library card

My library card is the most-used resource we have. The vast majority of our books and DVDs come from the library, in addition to the abundance of workshops and events available there for cardholders. I love the library!

 

3. Netflix

Since we don’t have cable, we use Netflix every single day. From “The Magic School Bus” to WWII documentaries, so much of our learning comes from the enormous amount of programming offered through Netflix Streaming.

 

4. A printer

Although a printer may cost some money at the outset, in the end, it saves so much money if you either have a large number of children or use a hefty number of printables. As much as I may bristle at having to buy ink every couple of months, it sure beats having to pay for all of our photocopies at Staples!

 

5. An electric pencil sharpener

If there ever was a time and sanity saver, this is it. Our electric pencil sharpener just broke a few weeks ago after being dropped on the floor for about the 100th time, and I am going crazy without one! It is so not fun having to sharpen pencils using cheap dollar store sharpeners that either don’t work from the very beginning, or stop working after the 4th or 5th use. Trust me. Buy an electric pencil sharpener. You won’t be sorry.

 

6. Spiral notebooks

We use spiral notebooks for just about everything in our homeschool. They are perfect to use as:

• lesson plan books
• daily logs
• journals
• subject notebooks
• book lists
• checklists
• prayer journals
• notebooking

We usually get a bunch of them at the beginning of the school year when they can be found for between 10¢ and 17¢ per book.

 

7. Dollar Tree 3-ring binders

As with the spiral notebooks, I usually buy a lot of these at one time. They’re perfect for notebooking, which we do a lot of, and for older kids to keep track of all of their papers.

 

8. Dollar Tree baskets

These baskets come in an array of colors and can be used to organize supplies, workbooks, and art supplies. Since they’re only $1, they’re also perfect for each child to have their own individual basket for their own supplies, and, since they’re so cheap, even if they break after awhile, they’re extremely inexpensive to replace.

 

9. A whiteboard

This is another one of those things that is just indispensible here. I use our whiteboard  to write our copywork verses, any notes that need to be copied during our lessons, and my kids really enjoy using it for math problems when they’re having a difficult math day.

 

10. YouTube

As with Netflix, YouTube contains an invaluable plethora of information. Last week alone, my 16-year-old watched videos on three Greek scientists and one on eclipses. While this website does need to be used with parental supervision, it’s certainly worth the trouble!

 

If you’re looking for more ideas on handy homeschool tools, be sure to visit iHomeschoolNetwork.com!