7 Ways to Save Money on Homeschooling

With a new school year in full swing, now is the perfect time to implement some changes to help you save more. One of my biggest worries when I started homeschooling was the added cost of curricula and having to do it all on my own.

But I’m here to tell you, you don’t have to spend like crazy to teach your kids at home. Your kids can still have a great education, even if you're at home.

I’m still pretty new in my homeschooling journey (this is only year number 2 for me), but there are a few things I do to help with the financial aspect of it. So I wanted to share with you some tips and tricks I use to help save money with homeschooling!

1. Shop at Consignment Stores

Buying second-hand can save you so much off retail prices. Consignment shops or sales are a big place I shop for all kids' items, including school books and supplies. You can find items still in good shape (sometimes practically brand new) for a fraction of the price.

2. Stock Up During Sales

Stock up on supplies during sales. I grab quite a bit once all the back-to-school supplies get marked down after the new school year starts.

3. Buy Supplies Throughout the Year

Spread out your spending by buying items you need throughout the year vs. all at once when you’re about to start the school year.

4. Use Free Resources 

Thanks to the internet, there are actually quite a bit of free resources out there. You can find almost anything you want on YouTube or Pinterest. Some homeschooling companies even offer free products for you to test out.

5. Use Your Public Library

Public Libraries are probably the best free resource! You can find books on pretty much anything. If you’re doing a book study or working on a certain subject, just check the book out for free vs. buying one. Libraries also usually have fun programs like story time and different events.

6. Create Your Own Studies

Try your hand at DIYing or creating your own studies for different subjects vs. buying an entire curriculum for it. For example, if you want to do an ocean study, you can find ideas on Pinterest, check out library books on the subject, watch the Oceans documentary on Disney+, etc.

7. Recycle & Reuse

One of the biggest things I do with homeschooling is reusing items. When I buy workbooks, I take the pages out and put them into sheet covers and into a binder. My kids then use dry-erase markers to complete their pages. When they’re done, you simply wipe the page clean. You can keep reusing the same workbooks over and over if they want to repeat it or for future years with other kids. It ends up saving so much over the years of not buying new ones every year.

A big thing I love about homeschooling is that there is no one-size-fits-all. Every family and situation is different. There are so many options! And with all the technology nowadays, there are so many free resources to help you on your journey. You can start saving money even with homeschooling anytime!

North Carolina Zoo

In May of 2021, we visited the North Carolina Zoo for the first time. We made it a big family day with all of my siblings and parents coming down and meeting us there for the day. 

It was a long drive for us, but it was well worth the trip. We only had two kids at the time, but they love animals, so we knew it would be a great time. 

The Zoo is big and spread out. As you drive to it, it seems to be in the middle of nowhere (not in a big city, etc.). There are lots of animals to see inside and lots of walking to be done. There are restaurants and a gift shop as well.

Parking

The NC Zoo has two main parking lots. The North American Lot is open year-round. The Africa Lot is open only April-October. Parking is free at this zoo. Bus & RV parking is also available. There are electric car charging stations.

Tickets 

At the time we went, we had to make a reservation and purchase tickets ahead of time (because it wasn’t long after the pandemic).

Note:

If you have a Zoo or Aquarium membership check to see if you get a discount. At the time we went we didn’t have one but we currently do have an aquarium membership in NC which gets us in free to this zoo now. Many zoo/aquarium memberships can get you up to 50% off on tickets when you visit other big zoos.

Animals

The Zoo has many exhibits with animals based on their home geographical locations. Some of the exhibits are only open during warmer seasonal times, but we were able to see most of the animals during our visit at the end of May.

North America

Home to animals of North America, including polar bears, black bears, red wolves & hundreds more native to North America. It features these exhibits:

• The Prairie Habitat features American Bison & Elk.
• Honey Bee Garden
• Grizzly Bear Habitat
• The Streamside Habitat features a Barred Owl, Bobcat, Copperhead snake, Cottonmouth snake, North American River Otter, Timber Rattlesnake & Longnose Gar.
• The Cypress Swamp Habitat features an Alligator Snapping Turtle, American Alligator, Barking Treefrog & Cougar.
• Marsh Habitat
• The Rocky Coast Habitat features an Arctic Fox, Harbor Seal, Polar Bear & Horned Puffin.
• Red Wolf Habitat 
• Black Bear Habitat 

Africa

Home to animals of Africa, including chimpanzees, giraffes, gorillas, zebras & elephants. It features these exhibits:

• Baboons Habitat
• The Forest Glade Habitat features the Western Lowland Gorillas
• Lemur Island Habitat 
• The Kitera Forest Habitat features Chimpanzees
• Zebra & Giraffe Habitat 
• Red River Hogs Habitat 
• The Watani Grasslands Habitat features the Addra Gazelle, African Elephant, Bongo, Waterbuck, Fringe-eared Oryx, Greater Kudu, Southern White Rhinoceros & Thomson’s Gazelle.
• African Lion Habitat 

Desert

The Desert Habitat features a Blue-tongued Skink, Desert Pupfish, Desert Tortoise, Gila Monster, Ocelot, Vampire Bat, Spiny-tailed Monitor, Ornate Uromastyx, Beaded Lizard, Sidewinder, Laughing Kookaburra, Sand Cat, African Pancake Tortoise, Crested Coua & many Desert plants.

Other Attractions 

Other attractions include an outdoor carousel, a Giraffe deck for feeding the Giraffes, tree house trek, and the Kaleidescape Butterfly Garden. There is a Giant Garden Friends playground for kids, a kid zone & hiking trails. There is also a zoofari ride and ropes course.

Note:

Some of these attractions may be at an extra expense.

Note:

Some of these attractions may be seasonal only so check on availability/times they are open beforehand.

North Carolina Zoo is located at: 4401 Zoo Parkway, Asheboro, NC 27205. For more information about the zoo and/or to plan your visit, check out their website here: https://www.nczoo.org/

There is plenty to keep you busy at this zoo all day! So many animals to see and fun little statues for photo ops. Some animals or exhibits may be seasonal and not available all year round. Our highlight of this zoo trip was the Kaleidoscope Butterfly Garden. It was so much fun!

If you’re in North Carolina and have kids or just love animals, then you should give North Carolina Zoo a try!

Summer Pregnancy Announcement Ideas

Summer is my favorite season. I love the warm weather, beach days, and fun adventures. If you have a bun in the oven, what better time to announce a pregnancy than during summer?

I haven’t been able to do a summer announcement yet due to timing with my kids, but in hopes of helping to bring inspiration to anyone looking to announce a pregnancy soon — I have collected this list of the cutest summer-themed pregnancy announcements that I have come across. Enjoy!

Summer Onesie

A lot of people do baby announcements with baby onesies that have a cute saying. Buy a cute summer-themed onesie or, if you’re a big DIYer, make it yourself. Then put the onesie on display for your announcement photo.

Summer Wreath Around Ultrasound

Some of my favorite announcement ideas are the simple ones with just an ultrasound photo and a couple of cute items around it. Why not do the same for your summer-themed announcement too? Try a simple flat lay photo with an ultrasound photo and a summer wreath around it. Sometimes the simplest photos are the most elegant.

Maternity Shirt

There are so many cute maternity shirts with items on the belly that are associated with the baby. Grab a summer-themed one and take a simple photo in it for the announcement. Easy to do, as cute as anything else, and you can wear the shirt for the rest of your pregnancy.

Summer Baby Item

Use a baby’s summer item for your announcement. Think a baby swimsuit, sunglasses, baby swim floaty, etc.

4th of July

If you’re planning on announcing around July 4th, try using that for inspiration with your announcement itself. Try a play on words with “red, white & due” or “our hearts are exploded with joy”. You could also use the song “Baby You’re a Firework”. You could use sparklers or smoke bombs.

Ice Cream Cone

This is probably my favorite of the summer themes I’ve seen. The possibilities are endless with ice cream cones. You could hold a cone in front of your belly, say you’re eating for two, or use a cutesy saying like “here’s the scoop”.

Flip Flops

I’ve seen quite a few cute announcements using shoes…make it summer with flip-flops. A pair for each parent, older siblings, and a tiny pair for baby.

Watermelon

Another great summer option I love is using watermelon. You could do something funny with “don’t eat watermelon seeds” or make it cutesy with “We’ve been keeping a juicy secret”, etc.

Beach

The beach is a great option if you’ll be visiting before your announcement. There are so many options. You could do a family photo with the ultrasound by the ocean, draw an announcement in the sand, or use shells for each member of the family, including the new baby.

Here’s the Tea

A great drink in summer is sweet tea. Why not use that as part of your theme? You could go with “here’s the tea” or “spilling the tea”. If you’re not a fan of sweet tea, you could always use hot tea too.

BBQ

Try a cooking/BBQ theme for a unique announcement. Think “Burgers on the grill, Bun in the oven” or “we’re cooking something special”.

S’mores

Another fun and unique theme would be to use s’mores. Strike up a campfire and use s’more supplies to make an “adding s’more love to our family” announcement. You could even have a fun family photoshoot cooking the s’mores to use in the announcement.

Summer announcements are some of my favorite out of baby announcements because there are so many fun options. Do you have a favorite summer pregnancy announcement idea? Let me know in the comments below!