Things You'll Need:
- List of books and items needed
- Internet access
- Local homeschool support group
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Step 1
Check on craigslist first. Some homeschoolers have found discounted or free homeschooling curriculum by posting a wanted ad. Check the for sale advertisements, too. You can subscribe to these sites to receive instant notifications of new content and be the first to respond when someone lists their new or used homeschool curriculum for sale. With these sites, you won't have to worry about shipping fees, and you can inspect the products before you buy them (see Resources below).
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Step 2
Try eBay for homeschooling curriculum. If you know exactly what you're looking for; search for it regularly on ebay. eBay users are selling new and used homeschool books, science equipment and math manipulatives (see Resources below).
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Step 3
Place an ad in your local homeschool support group's newsletter or email list. Be specific about what you want, because someone else might have it just lying on a shelf somewhere.
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Step 4
Visit your favorite homeschool message board and see if there's a homeschool curriculum swap or sale forum. These forums can be quite active, especially from July to September when homeschooling families are purging their shelves to make way for this year's curriculum.
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Step 5
Make a list of what you'll need for next year, too. Knowing what you'll be using next year is a great way to save money and find discounts and bargains on homeschool curriculum. Shopping during the "off seasons" (October to June) is a great way to beat the rush. Keep the list handy and check yard sales, thrift shops and more traditional homeschool curriculum sites.
