Pinching Pennies?

Allison knows homeschooling is full of choices. When she started teaching her oldest ten years ago, she obsessed about researching curriculum so her daughter got the education she deserved.

Since then, Allison has used a LOT of different curricula with her children. A friend used Sonlight several years ago and then kept saying that was her best homeschool year ever.

So Allison finally bought Core D+E. And then she started gushing—about the Instructor's Guide, literature-based learning and the special bonds her family is forming. But Allison also gushes about the price.

"What?!" you may exclaim. "'The price'?! But Sonlight is so expensive!"

Isn't it? Maybe not. I'd like you to consider …

Monthly bills

Do you have any monthly bills? For internet, phone, gas or electricity?

What if your utilities company clearly showed you, up front, every penny you'd spend for a year's worth of gas and electricity? You'd probably take a big gulp, right? But then, if you value those services, you might break it down to a monthly or even weekly or daily cost and decide it's worth it.

The Core breakdown

When you look at the price tag for a Sonlight® Core program, you might take another gulp. But take a step back. What if you broke that cost down per month per child?

Allison did so in 2010 for Core D+E with 3 kids:

Even using it one year, that's just $150 per child ... or $12.50 per child per month. Not too bad.

Allison already combines three children with one Core. But even if her kids were too far apart to do that, she could easily reuse each Core with her younger children when they were ready.

"Mamamoz" wrote on the Sonlight® Forums:

You know when I realized how inexpensive Sonlight really is??? The first year I pulled out a full Core for my second child. Now we have four children, all a few years apart, and a corner of the attic dedicated to plastic bins, each with a Core in it. Let's see ... $125 a year per child. No online or workbook curriculum could compete with Sonlight.

Even if you'll only use a package with one or two kids, break down the price by month and your education costs might prove more reasonable than you expect. Also, don't forget the flexible budgeting options ofTime Payments.

Public and private schools

It's no surprise that Sonlight is far more affordable than nearly all private schools. "Dcubed" from the forums used to send her children to a relatively inexpensive private school:

Even though I won't be reusing any Cores, I still find Sonlight a bargain—especially compared to the Christian school they were enrolled in: $4,000 per year per child.

But public school is free, right? Well, if you count registration fees, activity fees, lab fees, field trips, fund-raising donations, school clothes and miscellaneous supplies ... it can really add up. Not only would you miss the benefits of homeschooling, you'd still likely pay hundreds of dollars.

Shop around

You could buy many Sonlight materials at online discount stores. But we hear again and again that it's not worth the headache:

I bought PreK piecemeal and saved, I don't know, ¹⁄₃ of the cost? And went nuts.
—MeAndTheBoys

It was just not worth it to me to save $50ish and make myself a basket case in my 'quest.' I am happy to pay Sonlight to do that legwork.
—That'swhatshesaid

In a recent test, the books in 4 out of 4 Sonlight Cores were cheaper from Sonlight than from the world's largest online retailer. And consider that when you buy a Core from Sonlight, you receive free, fast FedEx shipping (to the lower 48), a one-year money back guarantee and additional Core Club benefits.

Head to the library

Couldn't you just get your Sonlight books at your local library? Yes. Well, sort of.

Maybe you live next door to a fantastic library. And no one else in your town likes to read. And you never accrue late fines. And you don't mind renewing your kids' favorites again and again.

Perhaps the library is your best bet. But there are hidden costs to consider. As Mary Grace said on the forums:

Sonlight books are VERY popular in my wonderful library system ... you cannot count on getting them when you need, no matter how far in advance you schedule the hold.

Build it from scratch

Ambitious parents sometimes set out to build better curricula and save money. They gather books, create schedules and write assignments.

After countless hours preparing—after frustration from poor library systems and wasted nights on eBay auctions—they often find the time wasn't worth the money they may or may not have saved. And the materials (which they can rarely return) often just don't meet their expectations or needs.

Choose cheaper curriculum

We know that some other homeschool curricula look cheaper. And sometimes they are ... if you only look at dollars. But the old adage "you get what you pay for" can really prove true.

Plus, Sonlight shows you your whole price up front, and shipping is free (to the lower 48 states) when you buy a Core or Multi-Subject Package. If you purchase from another company, make sure to factor in the extra books, supplies, equipment and shipping into your final financial cost.

And if you buy from someone else, make sure it's really the package you want before you buy. No one else is confident enough to let you take your program for an actual test run like we do.

Final thoughts

Yes, you do have other options. But consider:

• What is the true cost of Sonlight per child (since you can reuse about 90% of each Core)?
• Is it worth the headaches and uncertainty to build your own package?
• How much do you value the high quality of education Sonlight provides? What about the time and stress you save by not ordering from multiple places or planning your own lessons?
• How much are the Core Club benefits worth to you?
• Time Payments help fit your budget.
• Our one-year Love to Learn Guarantee means you can return your package— used books and all—for a full refund if you and your kids don't absolutely love it. (But very few ever want to return Sonlight packages!)

May God bless your homeschool this year.