I have three boys that I will be homeschooling so part of my choice will stem from an economic standpoint.  Each year our curriculum needs to be used for the next child. That is the first way that I save on curriculum. They all three need to be able to use the curriculum unless one needs to switch due to a conflict. If a subject is not working for a particular child, then I will gladly switch it for another company.
Some of the larger companies offer a bundle of subjects for a price. Then the electives are offered individually. For me, this was very pricey and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get my entire selection at one place. I also did not want to exceed my budget that I had set for my purchase.
As I researched companies at this year’s convention I kept my future goals in mind and also held my list in my hand. This would help me to not stray in my decision making. As I began to speak to different representatives about their curriculum I realized that with the larger companies my attention was straying as they were explaining the various attributes of their product. All I could think of was the price. I wanted to make sure that if I paid that much money I would have no problem teaching the subject.
Ask For The Discount
I continued to shop for my 2014 curriculum, and at the same time keeping in mind that I wanted something simple, within my budget, and teachable. My purchase needed to be handpicked by me and my husband for each subject.
Individual companies were my choice to buy curriculum. I was able to ask my questions, obtain one on one time with a rep and ask questions.  When I was ready to make my purchase I asked if they offered any discount for paying cash or for conference attendees. Some did and some did not.
A few of them did give me an additional percentage off of the price. I did not save a whole lot of money but I did save. It was definitely worth it to think about my purchase, use cash, and talk to the reps requesting a discount.  My questions were answered and a camaraderie was created. Isn’t that how we always save money? Next year I will go to the same company and maybe call before conference to let them know I may be purchasing from them.
For a fair price I was able to purchase my entire Reading/Phonics, Math, Spanish, History and Science.
How do you save money on your homeschool curriculum? Do you buy from a stranger on the internet or establish a relationship with a representative?
To close the academic year and to start the renew homeschooling years, I would like to recommend the legendary and original homeschool bundle sale, Omnibus 2016. Training videos, cd’s with advice and many other helps are available in this sale that will help any exhausted mom.
This sale will only last for a few days so don’t delay. Buy the tools necessary to have a successful homeschool year!
Click on the image to go directly to the sale and purchase your homeschool help for the year! It really will allow you to be more prepared than last year and it IS a great deal for the money!
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Reusing one curriculum for different children is a great way to save on homeschool supplies! I have 6 little siblings, and while Mom did tweak the program a little each time and sometimes change curriculums for children with different learning styles, there was a lot of overlap and many books were used again and again. We used Sonlight, primarily, which seems to be especially well designed for use by large families!
Using the same curriculum for our younger children has really saved us big in the homeschooling department. Great tips.
I’ve never thought to talk with a representative and negotiate a discount, but that’s an idea 🙂 We are new to homeschooling but given that we’ll have 4 kids in school, I’ve already considered this issue. I only purchase curriculum that works for multiple learners. That way I can copy what I need, when I need it, without copyright infringement.
If I’m given the choice between workbooks and textbooks, I choose textbooks every time. It’s easier to back up and review material, and I can hand it down to each of my 6 children. 🙂