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~ 3 Ways To Save ~

As a thrifty, homeschooling mom I enjoy finding great deals on curriculum at yard sales, used book sales, eBay and sometimes even Goodwill. But lets face it, when you are buying used, there are several problems you can run into.

- You only find a portion of the material- such as a teacher's manual without the work text
- You find a used workbook, but, it's partially used!
- The manuals or books you find are outdated or an obscure edition

Recently, I was excited to find a used teacher's manual for a specific subject. The problem was that the company's website no longer sells the workbook for this particular manual anymore! Some materials are great to find used, while others are best to go ahead and just purchase new!

Of course, if I am going to

purchase new, unused materials

each year, I still want a discount!

Rainbow Resource Center

is a great place to find

BRAND NEW, UNUSED, DISCOUNTED materials for your homeschool!

Rainbow Resource Center sells TOP NAMES in homeschool curriculum including:

Handwriting Without Tears

BOB JONES
ALPHA OMEGA
ROSETTA STONE
MOVING BEYOND THE PAGE
HANDWRITING WITHOUT TEARS

They offer free shipping on orders over $50 and they have over 50,000 materials to choose from. My suggestion? Do a search on their site first to see if they have the materials you need because most of their materials are discounted from the retail price!

If you want even more of a bargain, you can also scroll through their slightly imperfect books to find books at close to half the price! This section includes a range of items including:

Picture Books
Science Lab Supplies
Workbooks
Biographies
Music Books
Bible Resources
and so much more.

Rainbow Resource Center also provides thousands of free resources on their site that can be easily incorporated into your homeschool routine. One of my favorites is the lapbook section! These are great for those unit studies that you can do on their own or as a supplement to what your child is already learning. Here is where you can find a links to printables, educational websites, and even flashcards. Since there is so much to choose from, you can simply search by age, subject, type of materials and/or grade. It is an easy way to search their database to find relevant and age appropriate materials for your child.

Some supplies that homeschoolers go through excessively can easily be found at your local dollar discount store! Why go to an office supply store when you can get basically the same items at such a discounted price? One of the joys of homeschooling is you don't have to fall into the pressure of trying to stay trendy! You don't need to buy a new backpack or wardrobe each year for your children. It may sound silly but I remember the pressure in school to have the coolest clothes, lunch bag, even folders and notebooks sporting the most popular movies or trends! My kids on the other hand aren't too picky and are fine with simply picking out a simple folder in their favorite color! Therefore, dollar stores are a perfect fit!

Local dollar stores are usually seasonal so now is the time to stock up. Even though they have a "teacher's section" year round, there are some items that they will only be selling right now. To save money, you can pick up the following for only a dollar apiece:

4 Count Ballpoint Pens
6 Count Neon Gel Pens
10 Count Colored Pencils
6 Count Mechanical Pencils
1" 3-Ring Binder
2 Colored Folders with Pockets and 3 Prongs
10 Count Manila Folders
2015-2016 Daily Planner
Wooden Clipboard
Full Size Stapler
4 Pack of Glue Sticks

If you have several children, it can be helpful to schedule in educational computer time for each of them. This way, you can focus one-on-one with another child during a more teacher intensive subject. Here is a list of FREE sites that I have incorporated into our daily routine in the past.

Salsa
Brain Pop Jr.
ABCya
Starfall
Learn with Homer (FREE app- There is a cost for the online version)

Getting ready for the new homeschool year doesn't need to be stressful nor does it need to break the bank! Just remember, there ARE ways to get quality products to be excited about without having to pay the full retail price!

Original 13 Colonies Fact Cards (Free Printable)

These Thirteen Colonies Fact Cards were created for my kids as we studied early American history. What a pivotal time in our history! Puritans seeking religious freedom, adventurers setting out for a new land, and those in debt hoping for a fresh start—a new life. From the first colony in Virginia, until all thirteen stars on the first American flag were represented, these cards are a perfect review for your homeschoolers. Use them to drill the first thirteen colonies so your child can recite them with ease, and have them dictate the information on the cards to help them remember a small fact about each colony. Feel free to print these out and have your children write facts that they learn about each colony on the back. Go ahead and laminate them, too! Simply right-click, save, and print to use this resource in your homeschool as you study about the original thirteen colonies in America. Use the facts for dictation, copy work, or discussion in your home. Disclaimer: All co...

Truck-Themed Homeschool Chore Chart

Use this truck-themed homeschool chore chart to keep your kids on track throughout the school week. With lessons, field trips, meals, and unexpected errands filling up your week, even the simplest chore chart can help your home run more smoothly. At times, kids are excited for the new opportunity to help out around the house and do it with joy. Other times they stomp toward the trash can with anything but a good attitude. Help keep attitudes in check by using stickers, smiley faces, or positive verbal reinforcement as your child completes each task on the chart. For the child who loves lists (and the mom) this is the perfect free printable to have on hand! (Simply right-click, save, and print)

The Pencil Grip Inc. {Review}

We have found what we have been looking for in The Pencil Grip Inc .'s 24 pack of Magic Stix Washable Markers . These markers are the perfect fit for a homeschooling family such as ours. I am thrilled to tell you about our experience with them! Normally, I do not have a favorable impression of markers for several reasons. For one, as a kid, I remember markers having such a strong smell that it would give me a headache. I know some kids enjoyed the scents but it certainly was not for me. And to be honest, if I had markers like that in my house today, my kids would probably stick them up their nose or something. Another reason I have a distaste for markers is the drying out factor. As a parent of many children this is super frustrating. I finally teach the older ones to put the caps back on when they are done using their markers but then a younger one comes along and just doesn't understand. This then leads to the undue frustration of your child sitting down to...

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