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Getting Started: Making Room in Your Budget for Home School
By Mimi Rothschild

Public education is free, and often free of the morals and values that are so highly prized by home schooling parents across the country. But some who recognize that their public school system is failing them in academics and attention feel that they can't afford the money that home school would cost. Aside from home school curriculum supplies, most of the time both parents work and home school means one of them quitting their job. This would lead to a bill pile up that, already hard to deal with, would become impossible to handle.

This leaves a problem with an answer so simple that it is deceptive. Home schooling is as easy as making your children your first financial priority. It's not an easy answer, as it requires some serious re-tooling of your lifestyle, but the outcome will mean that your children have the advantage of home school that they will not receive by staying in the free but public school system. Here are a few examples of some changes you and your household can make to afford the time and money needed for home school:

• Buy a used car instead of a new one. Sell one car if you have two and make it work. Learning basic car maintenance and teaching your child as well will pay off for years to come. The savings in insurance and car payments alone will more than cover the cost of home school curriculum and field trips.
• Buy appliances, cookware, dishes and silverware, furniture and more at a fraction of the cost at local re-sale shops.
• Move to a less expensive town, neighborhood, or home. If you own your own home and feel that making mortgage payments is cheaper than moving to a rental, make upgrades to the place on your own. Insulate against high heating bills.
• Keep the roof repaired and learn basic plumbing.
• The parent who quits their job to home school could begin a sideline business from home, online or consulting, part time to help out with the bills. The parent who maintains full time work can assist the stay at home parent with the home business on weekends. A little less television never hurt anyone.
• When they're old enough, the kids can help out with the home business it's even tax deductible. The older ones can take part time jobs outside of the home just like any other child their age and help pay for their education and learn saving skills as well.
• Though it may seem like a severe change at first, your children's well being is more than worth the sacrifice. Put them before the bills and see how your life changes for the better when you have the time and money for home school.

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.

  Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.

  An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.

  Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.