Do the math: Home schooling is cheaper than private school, but can cost more than you think. There are ways to cut the price.

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?

Now that you're homeschooling, how will you fit in the laundry, the grocery shopping, the cooking, the cleaning? Well, you probably can't do it all, but here are some guidelines for keeping your sanity at homeschool.

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

Dawn Davis talks about her own experience attending homeschooling conferences and how they can recharge you and help prevent burn-out. She also discusses the benefits of teens attending conferences.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

So, how much does homeschooling cost anyway? As much as you can afford. That isn't a very comforting answer, but it is a realistic one. Some families reportedly homeschool on as little as $50 a year. Most likely you will spend more than that. How much, exactly, is going to depend on the resources you have available and your children's needs.

This is a Christian email group that can help you face those feelings of burnout.

This article explains why formal homeschooling is often not the best choice for your very young child. Avoid burnout by enjoying the process of learning and living.

For any family seeking a private Christian education in the home, money quickly becomes an issue. While programs like K12 and other public-school umbrellas exist, they do not offer the freedom of choice so many homeschoolers are looking for. Nor do they offer a Christian education. Most homeschooling families opt to buy their own curriculum so they can truly be in charge of their child’s education. When a homeschooling family has many children, curriculum buying becomes an exercise in creative frugality. Here are a few ways you can save and stretch money in your homeschool.

Yes, there is one downside to homeschooling. Does it happen to everyone? Are some moms more prone to burnout than others? How can you cope, and more importantly, how can you prevent it? To find out, Isabel Shaw asked her team of experts—dozens of homeschooling moms—if they experience burnout, and how they deal with it. Their answers may surprise you.