Posted in My Homeschool FAQs

A recent study by Money Management International (MMI) found that nearly half of surveyed parents plan to spend more than $200 per child on back-to-school shopping; 9 percent plan to spend more than $400 per child. More of them will be buying uniforms, as the number of schools requiring uniforms rises.

The National Retail Federation is hoping parents will spend even more. It quotes a study predicting the average family will spend $527 this year, up from $443 last year. (read more...)

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This is a rare moment for me, but I am almost speechless! (almost ) I had no idea that the average family spent this much on back-to-school items!  I have already posted about my purchases for back-to-school.  ($14.40 spent on school supplies for 3 kids for a year!  I Wonder what the National Retail Federation would think of that!)  Anyway in light of my recent post about The Cost of Homeschooling I thought I would point out a few ways you can actually SAVE money by homeschooling! 

#1.  I have never bought any back-to-school clothing for my children.  That's right, my kids wear the same clothing they have been wearing all Summer to start the school year!  I know its shocking, but it's true.  Not only do I not buy any back-to-school clothing, I buy virtually ALL of their clothing at thrift shops!  (No peer pressure to tell them that's not cool!)  This is actually a HUGE annual savings.  I spend approx. $240.00 a year on clothing for 3 kids for a year.

#2.  I have never bought a lunch box for any of my children.  We have a cooler bag and a soft cooler on wheels that we take when we go on field trips. We have used the same bags for years.  Other than that we eat lunch at home. ) Lunch boxes range from $10.00 to $15.00 each, so I am saving at least $30.00 a year on this one.

#3. I have never bought a backpack for back-to-school.  My kids do each have a backpack they use for travel, but they were all bought at thrift stores as I came across them.  Backpacks range from $10.00 to $40.00 or more, I am saving a minimum of $30.00 a year here too! (Of course you may decide to go with the Bullet Proof Backpack for your child's protection in a school shooting.  Those are $175.00.  Sadly, I am not making this up.  Click here to read all about them.)

#4.  I have never bought any fancy school supplies for my kids.  They get the cheap stuff from Target and are fine with it.  (Again, no peer pressure or exposure to the cool stuff available.) There is no telling how much I save here.  But, I know you could spend a lot on all the fancy stuff I saw at Target.

#5. None of my children have a cellphone.  They never need to call me, they are always with me! I know in our neighborhood the average age to get a cellphone is about 8!  (From what I read online I think this is online with the average age in America to get a cellphone.) This saves $20.00 to $30.00 per month.  So we save at least $240.00  a year on this one.  (Per kid over age 8.)

#6.  I have never paid for before or after care for any of my children.  The cost on this one will vary by where you live, but no matter where you are this is a BIG ticket item!

#7.  I have never paid for any type of Summer Camp/Summer Child Care for my kids. Same as above, I don't know exactly what it would cost, but I know it's expensive.

So the next time someone asks you about the cost of homeschooling...You might want to ask them what they are spending to send their children to school?  They may be surprised at the total! 

BTW, I don't think the average homeschooler spends $527.00 a year on curriculum. I would love to hear how much you all are spending?