I don't know how!  

I do have a few ways to be more frugal with my purchases. I buy used books. I use resources from the library and the internet. I try not to buy totally unnecessary things. (I should be selling things I am not and will not use, also.)

Other than that I'm at a loss. I'm not a frugal person, not really, and I AM a book addict. A curriculum junkie...a bookaholic...with bookaholic, craftaholic children.

There are certain things that I feel are *needs* (of course that is subjective). These are the things that I think almost every homeschooling family should have. We can't buy everything at once, and those *needs* change with the season, year, and age. Nonetheless, these are *needs* and I buy them.

Then there are the *raves*, and of course we feel we have to have those. *Everybody* uses them...what would our lives be like without them. They eventually come to feel necessary. I fall prey to them...and buy them. Sometimes we like them, and sometimes we don't.

Then there are the things that we just want to try out thinking we will love (sometimes yes, and sometimes no). So I buy those things too. Granted, I will try to find them used, but if I can't I will just buy them anyway. They are to benefit our children, you know? So, I feel the purchase justified.

So you can begin to see through this picture I have painted that I spend a goodly amount on *school* things. (though a lot of these things are not really *school* things in the eyes of some...maybe I should come up with a different term for them...life enrichers ??) To think of *not* spending money for school...well...I just...

I know that I have learned enough in the last five years to be able to *make do* if we had to. I'm not sure how much I could make do though. I would still have to spend some money I think.

I feel like I'm having to make do this year, but in reality I'm not...we will be using everything that we wanted to use, I just cannot order it all new and at one time. That's not really making do...that's just doing better.

So if I know enough to make do, to school my children without spending money...homeschool on the cheap...then why do I not do that? Other than I don't wanna...? Well, that and I am lazy...?? It would be more work without all these resources.

These thoughts stem from a conversation I had earlier with another hs'er (with only young children, and only one *formal* schooling). Her and I do things very differently...and I told her so.

So, I'm wondering...do any of you try to *homeschool on the cheap*? How do you? What led you to do that? Was it just a financial decision or the thought of unnecessarily spending money on resources that could otherwise be had for free/minimal cost?

Yesterday I read a tip from someone, when asked how to cut homeschool costs. She said to make your decisions, then make your purchases, and STOP LOOKING!! Now that makes really good sense to me!