Over the past few years, we’ve received more questions that involve financial aspects of homeschooling:
- “Can I get paid for teaching my child?”
- “How can I afford to homeschool? I’m a single mom.”
- “What funding options are available for homeschooling families?”
While we understand the financial sacrifices many families make in educating their children at home, these questions are important to understand in the wider context of homeschool history.
When homeschooling wasn’t even legal
Parents in the 1980s faced a lot of opposition for their courageous decision to homeschool.
In one tragic example, the Kansas Supreme Court actually ruled against one family and charged parents with truancy. The court described their homeschool plan as “a thinly veiled subterfuge” threatening compulsory school attendance.
Even though homeschooling is now legally recognized in every state, longtime veterans have been justifiably wary of government intervention and regulations.
Whatever we do as parents, we want to make sure we don’t jeopardize our freedom to choose whatever educational option we believe best for our children.
However, government funding carries with it the following dangers:
- Regulatory oversight. Just like any money with “strings attached,” government money implies the authority to regulate whatever program it funds. For example, in Arizona, users of Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs) can no longer buy anything with government money unless a curriculum explicitly requires it.
- Inflated costs. Prices typically rise in government-subsidized services (e.g. real estate and colleges), which affects all consumers – even those who don’t take the subsidy in the first place.
- Increasing dependency. Over time, families tend to compromise rather than lose the money they have become dependent on receiving. For example, a homeschool co-op in Michigan accepting government funds was told prayer was no longer allowed during classes. Rather than give up the money, the co-op complied and now only allows prayer during non-class time.
(Feel free to explore this in our blog post about ESAs.)
10 ideas to ‘get paid’ or save as you homeschool
With all that in mind, let’s get to the good stuff – making (or saving) money as you homeschool!
We reached out to homeschooling families in the Kansas City area for their best money-making and money-saving suggestions, and here’s what they said:
- Create and use a budget. This involves meal planning as well as scheduling your weekly outings to save on gas.
- Look for part-time work opportunities. “I’ve been able to find part time side work over the years doing childcare, cleaning houses/churches/businesses, and working at coffee shops.”
- Consider DoorDash or Uber Eats. “It’s super easy and your kids can come along and do school work in the car or between random trips to a park or such, your gas and mileage becomes tax deductible, and your children oddly find it exciting to drop food off at the doors and even argue about whose turn it is. Also listen to podcasts and such as you go. In short- it’s my new favorite thing.”
- Explore ways to save on curriculum. “Buy curriculum that can (legally) be used with multiple children. Learn how to simplify; think “short but focused” and long term vs. needing the latest and greatest thing that brings fast results. Crockpot vs. Instapot. Don’t sign your kids up for every activity available; choose ONE. (Or maybe two at different times of the year.) This not only saves money but saves sanity, time, and energy, as well.”
- Consider coming to our Used Curriculum Sale as another way to save on educational supplies. The next one is scheduled for Saturday, June 14!
- MPE also accepts gently used curriculum if you’re looking for a place to donate and help other families who homeschool. Any donations should be less than 10 years old. We accept literature books, readers, workbooks and chapter books in good condition. We also take games/puzzles and general school supplies. Please contact us for more details!
- Consider ebooks. “Maybe not a huge savings but we buy our curriculum as an EBook and then we’re able to reprint the curriculum for when it’s needed for younger kids.”
- Get paid for after-school care. “Watch neighborhood kids after school for some extra $!”
- Participate in a lending library. Knowing other homeschool families around the area can really help with this one!
- Host garage sales. Over time, your house accrues items you no longer need and can pass on to others. The spring is also a great time to declutter while seeing what others will pay for your “no-longer-needed-but-still-useful” supplies!
- Adopt a “right-to-repair” mentality. Have you heard about the increasingly popular “Right To Repair” legislative movement? While it started as an effort to guarantee consumers’ rights to repair their own electronics, you can apply that same principle to clothes, household appliances, and more!
- As another mom wrote on our Facebook page, “When something breaks google it to see if you can fix it before just buying another one.”
- Make saving money a part of your family lifestyle. “Buy second hand clothes (thrifting is fun!), cut your own hair, … have meatless dinners, don’t upgrade your phone until you absolutely have to, use the library instead of buying books.”
(You can see more suggestions on this Facebook post.)
Other ideas to save or get paid as you homeschool? Let us know in the comments!
