Let's Talk About Money and Homeschooling
There are several ways that money affects the ability to homeschool, and I’d like to address each of them with encouragement and solutions. Whether the concern is living on one income, budgeting money for curriculum and activities, or figuring out how to work and homeschool, there are numerous options!
First Things First: Understand the Flexibility of Homeschooling
Money usually seems like a big issue to those who don’t really understand how homeschooling works. Let me be clear: understanding how homeschooling works is key.
I am not proposing a copy of the public school in your home. This would be stressful and expensive, and take up all of your time. In home education, the home is the important part. In the home, parents oversee everything in a child’s life. With homeschooling, education is added to this list of tasks. And for the most part, how this is accomplished is also up to the parents.
There is not one right way to educate a child. Education should be individualized, not standardized. And though this may sound a bit intimidating, it’s also very freeing. No two homeschools look alike, because no two families look alike. Understanding this is very important: you can educate your children at home on your personal schedule, your budget, with your unique selection of curriculum, with a variety of outside helps, and tailored to your family’s needs.
So no matter what kind of circumstances you face, homeschooling is flexible enough to fit into them. I’ll illustrate this with specific situations below.
A Generational Vision
If you want to homeschool, you need a vision. This is more than a reason; I hope you have a strong conviction about the discipleship of your children. Having a strong reason WHY you want to homeschool will make your living adjustments that much easier. If you have to tighten the purse strings, it will not hurt as badly when you know it’s for a higher purpose.
Pray about it. Search the scriptures. Discuss this with your spouse. And write down the reasons and convictions you have. Keep your long-term vision in mind.
Now, let’s address money.
From Two Incomes to One
Giving up a family’s second income is one of the biggest leaps of faith! I will not deny the sacrifice that it takes to make such a huge adjustment, and I applaud every family who is willing to do it. I know so many who have, and they have not regretted it.
This does require some planning. For most, it will not be an overnight change. We live in a society where it’s the norm for both mom and dad to work while kids attend school during the same hours. The reasons for this are many, so I won’t address those. I want to help you determine how to make the leap from two incomes to one (or something in between).
It's time to examine your budget with a fine-toothed comb. With a spreadsheet or a pencil and paper:
Determine how much the second income provides on a monthly basis.
Subtract the costs associated with that second income (meals out, gas, special clothes, memberships, day care, etc.).
Assess other expenses that could be cut from your monthly budget (basically, everything that is not a necessity: Starbucks, nail salon, entertainment). If you’re not sure where you spend your money, track every penny you spend for one week or one month. If you’ve never done this before, you might be a bit shocked!
Begin to pencil in a new budget with the first three in mind.
Consider it a challenge, if it seems overwhelming. There may be more than these four steps for many families. Perhaps your house could be downsized, or maybe you need more time to pay off debts. For other families, simply reducing spending is the answer. Every family is so different that there’s not one magic formula.
This exercise will determine your level of commitment. That is not a judgmental statement; it’s simply a fact. I have met families across this entire spectrum, and I love hearing stories from those who sold their large home, downsized everything, simplified their lives, and have been homeschooling for years. They always say, “We will never go back.” (See my book Anyone Can Homeschool for stories from parents who gave up their second income to homeschool.)
“In home education, the home is the important part.”
But what if it’s not that simple?
I understand it’s not so straightforward for everyone. Sometimes there’s a transition from two incomes to one, or just a permanent adjustment of schedules while still living on two incomes. Or, there are single parents who only have one income, and they need it desperately.
Working and Homeschooling
As I have already stated, there is not one way to homeschool, or one magic formula for making it affordable. This applies to those who work full or part-time and homeschool their children.
Remember how I said flexibility is important? This is definitely the case for parents who work. Whether the job is at home or outside the home, juggling education and work can be tricky. I will not pretend otherwise. But I’ve been there in multiple different scenarios.
Here’s where you really, really need to put the public school method out of your head. Home education does not have to be Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 3:00pm, every week from September through May. It does not have to be in textbook form with 7 subjects a day. It does not have to be an accredited program online for 7 hours a day. (Read how it does not take twelve years to educate a child.)
Schooling can be scheduled any way you need. And if you are a working parent, this is a real blessing! I wrote a detailed blog post on how to create a plan that works for you. I encourage you to use the free printables to brainstorm working and homeschooling in your family. There are many factors to consider, such as the age of your children, your work hours, budget, outside classes or tutors, and much more, but based on my experience for over 20 years, I can promise you that where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Affording Curriculum
Once again, homeschooling shows us its superiority in the form of curriculum options for every kid. While the public school relies on state boards of education and school boards to pick from a small pool of curriculum, homeschooling parents have a smorgasbord of options to choose from. It is really mind-boggling when you first dive into curriculum research! (If you’ve ever attended a homeschool convention, you know what I’m talking about!)
First, free curriculum abounds! If you are in a desperate situation and have no budget for curriculum, you can certainly begin homeschooling with internet service and a library card. I keep a growing list of free curriculum options here.
Second, the used curriculum market is amazing. Finding what you need for a fraction of the cost is very possible by searching Facebook groups, eBay, and going to local book fairs. Talk to homeschoolers in your area about what they are selling, or let them know what you’re searching for. Bonus: when you are finished with a book, sell it again and get a few more dollars back.
Finally, borrowing is a great option if you are plugged into a local homeschool group. Explain your situation and ask friends if they would loan you a text or video for a time. You will never know until you ask!
Caution: Keep Your Homeschool Private
The topic of money and homeschooling often leads to the question of vouchers or ESAs (Education Savings Accounts), where the state gives money to homeschool families to pay for curriculum and extracurricular activities. As tempting as it may be to get a nice lump sum every year for your expenses, I encourage you to research this topic in depth.
Homeschool Legal Defense Association recently released an excellent PDF entitled The Civic Virtue of Private Home Education: Or how I learned to stop worrying and oppose so-called Education Savings Accounts for homeschoolers.
You can read my comprehensive treatment of school choice legislation here.
Israel Wayne addresses this in his article Why School Vouchers are Bad for Conservatives.
I hope you have seen a variety of ways to pay for curriculum or even a whole new lifestyle. Homeschool freedom is worth preserving.
Homeschooling and Posterity
Home education can be about putting your child in a different location, or it can be an entire generational shift. If you see it as an opportunity to raise your child up with a biblical worldview and to send mature, Christian, world-changing adults into the future, money will not be an object.
America flourished for its first two centuries because families understood the importance of a generational vision. Posterity is a word that you will find often repeated in the writings of our founders. In 21st century America, a Christian education at home is how we will influence generations.
Make the hard choices today, and plan now to help your children forge a new and different path for their future. Show them how to live within their means, to set their priorities, and to marry with a generational vision in mind.