Every September, millions of kids across the country sling a backpack over their shoulders and head out to catch the bus for school. While these children are sitting in a classroom or waiting in the lunch line, an estimated two million kids are learning from their comfort of their home, according to the National Home Education Research Institute. Homeschooling is a great way for parents to bond with their children while taking a more active role in their education. But one of the challenges of homeschooling is trying to keep costs down. Even without spending money on loads of school-based expenses, the costs of homeschooling can quickly add up. It’s easy to spend a lot on things like school supplies, curriculum materials, books, craft supplies, field trips, and activities if you’re not keeping an eye on the bottom line. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, keeping your budget in check is crucial for every homeschooling parent. This article details how to save money on supplies, curriculum, and field trips.

A look at some of the reason not to buy used curriculum. What and where you purchase your curriculum (and any other homeschool-related books) will have a much greater impact on the homeschool market than it would in any other only because of how small this market is.

Home schooling may not be as expensive as private school, but it's not free either. Costs can quickly mount when you make sure that your children have state-of-the-art resources to ensure that they can compete academically with their more formally schooled peers.

This email support group offers resource and idea sharing to help you find free resources for use by homeschoolers. You'll be able to network with other homeschooling parents to get free worksheets, printables, books, lesson plans, software, learning aids, and much more.

There seems to be a collective thought about money - that homeschoolers don't have any. Not only that, but because there is a belief that homeschoolers don't have any money, there seems to be an underlying assumption that resources, information, and services should be provided dirt cheap, if not for free. Why? What is it with homeschoolers and money?

When parents are considering homeschooling, they need to count the cost because there are many expenses to consider when contemplating educating their children. The costs are not just financial, but also emotional and physical.

Although a credit or deduction could be helpful for homeschoolers, HSLDA opposes any tax break legislation that could come with governmental regulations. Homeschoolers have fought far too long and much too hard to throw off the chains of government regulation that hinder effective education and interfere with liberty. It would be inconsistent and foolhardy to accept tax incentives in exchange for government regulation. However, HSLDA supports tax credits that promote educational choice without threatening any regulation of homeschoolers. - See more at: http://nche.hslda.org/docs/nche/000010/200504150.asp#sthash.tvLv2ItR.dpuf

This newsletter aims to help you provide your children with a high quality homeschooling education at the lowest possible cost.

Website full of ideas to cut costs while homeschooling without sacrificing a high quality of education. Includes information on saving money, home educator discounts, ideas for funding college, and more. They also sponsor a forum to discuss your frugal ideas.

Most parents believe educating their children is an expensive proposition. According to The Homeschooling Book of Answers, public schools spend nearly $7,000 per pupil per year. What if you were told there were families providing an excellent education for their homeschooled child for $50 per year? And even for those who splurge on a few beautiful books occasionally, they can easily manage to keep their total expenses under $200 a year. Sound impossible? Here's how.

Register online to receive a Teacher Discount Card. You will receive 10% off your total purchase all year long and are added to their Preferred Customer mail list for additional special savings. They are asking that all homeschoolers requesting these cards be affiliated with PEAH (Parents Educating at Home). PEAH requires you to fill out a form to get a code to use to sign up for this discount. You may choose not to jump through this additional hoop, or it may be worth it to you if you intend to purchase often from these stores.

How much are supplies for unschooling? It ranges somewhere between nothing and everything--the whole budget. Once a family starts to consider everything educational, even groceries and cleaning supplies are educational. For beginners, though, part of the trick is working on the definition of "educational."