Home Schooling Budget, How Much?

[manitoba_mommy]

DH wants to make up a monthly home school budget to try and curb my "oh!!! I gotta have that!!!" spending impulses

I am not talking curriculum or anything, just supplies and equipment that could qualify as an education expense. Yeah, I know everything is educational, but I am talking paper, pens, maps, printer paper, computer games, globe, microscope, magnifying glass, storage containers, craft "stuff", books, etc. etc.

So, give me a monthly/yearly questimate. How much do you spend on stuff like that? I know ours has gone up since the kids came home and I can see it will go up further before it levels off a bit so I could realy use some btdt input.

For that matter, what kind of stuff might you buy in the average month?

TIA

MM

[SagMom]

Re: Home Schooling Budget, How Much?

Originally posted by manitoba_mommy

For that matter, what kind of stuff might you buy in the average month?

MM

I'm only going to answer this portion. I know you'd like an actual figure, but I think it really depends on the individual family.

So, in an average month, we go through a lot of computer paper and ink, as well as art supplies. We also spend $ on arts and crafts classes and museums and other trips, and we all have magazine subscriptions. (Well, that's a yearly expense.) Ds1 has a paper route which almost covers his Lego addiction, but I buy board games and card games from time to time to add to that collection.

Things like globes, storage, microscopes, etc. are a one-time expense, (or so I'd like to think!)

I COULD spend a fortune on books, but our library and interlibrary loans provide just about all we need.

[cortsmommy]

a question

Is the stuff that you buy for school tax deductable??

[lilyka]

Tax deductable? I don't think so but you could always try. Read up on educational expenses. See what it says.

Budget: Mine is about $70 a month. that includes all lessons, field trips, memberships, magazines etc. . . Lessons alone eat up $55 plus belt tests ($30 every 2-3 months) and uniforms ($30 for each child). Zoo membership eats remainding money for 2 months and Girl Scouts another 2 months I need a bigger budget it would seem. That doesn't leave a lot. But I also try to take one week make a plan for the year (for storage, cirriculum etc. . . ) and that is sorta a free for all. If I buy it then I don't have to take it out of my budget so really there isn't much left to buy throughout the year.

As for things etc. . I buy a lot of organizy stuff, and we are pretty stocked up on gadgets etc. . . We also give a lot of that stuff as b-day and christmas gifts. the last thing I bought was a counting frame. i think that and a couple of second hand books are the only things I have bought this year, 4 months into it. But I have also gotton pretty good at saying no to things or squeezing them into another part of the budget (gifts, going on a trip and need stuff to keep the girls busy etc. . . )

[anythingelse]

We spend what equals to one months private school tution. about $400. two times a year on books and the day to day supplies for the younger ones are very minimal.
My older ds now is much more expensive, just his science and his math was $200.00 plus and will only last one semester. On top of that we each year join the zoo, two museums, and usually something else, about $400 in family memberships. 20.00 a year library fines the classes like my dd dance are 20.00 a month. same as lilyka we do magazines and boys have their stuff, no uniforms, but it adds up.

I buy in bulk paper, crayons, markers etc.. from a school supply and sell our used texts and stuff on ebay. We ask for bday and Christmas gifts that double as homeschool materials.

However, we would do all the same things (classes, memberships etc) even if we were not homeschooling.

How old are your children?

mary
mom to ds15, ds9, ds6, and dd 4yrs

[moominmamma]

We spend exactly what we can afford, no more, no less, and I think anyone can do the same. We actually have a pretty generous budget, but I know people who spend less than $50/month per child, inclusive of curriculum, activities, supplies, etc..

My biggest weakness is books. We have no library (rather,... we live 75 minutes drive from a small library where we'd have to pay for borrowing privileges, and with 4 kids and wintry remote roads we don't make that drive any oftener than we absolutely have to). Art supplies is my other weakness. Books are probably $80 a month, art supplies average about $25 per month. I also pay for piano lessons, gymnastics classes and art classes for two or three of my kids. That's expensive for sure when you multiply by 2 or 3, but we can afford it and the kids are really passionate about this things, so it's worth it for us.

It's worth asking, though, how many of these expenses would disappear if the kids were in school. Some, but not all. And others would appear anew, like activity fees and the-right-brand soccer shorts and extra school sneakers.

Cheers!

Miranda

[SagMom]

Re: a question

Originally posted by cortsmommy
Is the stuff that you buy for school tax deductable??

Nope.

[Dar]

Well, it depends on what you call homeschooling expenses, and what you call kid-expenses. We very rarely buy actual "stuff", because we seem to have a houseful of various supplies already, and we can borrow from friends or the librray for most things. I do spend $54/6 weeks of clay class, and around $80 a month on dance classes (two hours a week of dance). We used to have a zoo/science center membership, but now that we live so far away we don't, it's cheaper to just pay for the time or two a yearwhen we go (and if we go on hs day it's really cheap). We do spend some for tickets to shows, when we can't usher to get in for free. I pay $10 for internet access, if that counts...

Dar

[phathui5]

I have a thing with turning school supplies into Christmas and birthday presents, which saves me money. Ds got a huge art set and a membership to the children's musuem from his great-grandparents this year. Both of which I wanted for school.

[marilynmama]

Like someone else said, I just spend what I can afford and no more. Of course I see all kinds of things I want, but I don't buy everything I want!

We have a year pass to the zoo for the family and also to the science museam but I dont really count that. The only monthly expenses are art supplies, paper and things like that ($20 a month?). I dont spend much at all otherwise. We do buy books here and there but use the library a lot.

There are things I am waiting to buy when I get my income tax return (stethascope, good microscope, things that will last for years).

I guess a budget would depend on how old your kids are and what activities they are in and their interests. I know mine will increase with their ages...

I guess right now I only spend about $20 a month if you want a figure.

Marilyn

[Lotusmama]

I'm another "spend what I got and no more" type. I spent a lot of money in the beginning getting basics (atlas, globe, microscope, books, etc.) After three years, we're pretty stocked up on what we need, I mostly spend money on classes, field trips, magazines and books.

BTW, Manitobamommy, the Education library here in Winnipeg will mail out any resource they have to any registered hser, at their expense (both ways), they have a pretty decent library, and lots of manipulatives, videos, etc. The library catalog is online at the Education website www.edu.gov.mb.ca , the library is called the Instructional Resource Unit, it's site is www.edu.gov.mb.ca/KS4/iru/index.html

McNally-Robinson in Wpg is very good about ordering books in, and if you register with them as an hser (you need to show the card the hsing office sends with their notification letter), they'll give a 20% discount on most stuff (has to be usable with the age grade your kids are at, ie: no infant board books for junior high, etc,) they're quite flexible about the age and subject thing. Also, there's no provincial sales tax on educational books (don't know about non-book stuff, like arts and crafts items).

Ali