Kids Going to College? Considered Renting Textbooks?

I stumbled onto this money-saving website today and found the idea quite appealing. Despite the fact that my own kids are many years away from leaving the nest and heading to a University... finding ways to save money when they do... gets me excited. lol It's like Benjamin Franklin once said... "A penny saved is a penny earned". I'm a firm believer in this philosophy.

So, the site is: www.BookRenter.com and they're all about renting college textbooks, w/ free shipping (both ways) and for those of you who've attended college level courses, you know just how expensive those books are. You can easily spend $1000 a year just on textbooks... no joke.

I've never used this site personally... I think I was on Kommando.com when I found it... Kim Kommando's website (self-proclaimed digital goddess! lol).

Let me know if it works for you!

Finding Used & Discounted Homeschool Curriculum

Looking for used or discounted curriculum? If you're looking to save some money this year on your homeschool, consider a variety of options for seeking a deal online:

Buy/Sell Used Homeschool Curriculum Options:

VegSource offers homeschoolers a marketplace for buying/selling their unwanted/previously used curriculum. There's actually a lot being sold here, so if you've had enough of eBay and aren't finding what you want on Craigslist, be sure to give this site a shot. If you don't see what it is you're looking for, or if you have a books you're wanting to sell, place your own ad with the site.

Homeschool Classifieds another buy/sell site.. even search for homeschool groups and activities in your area

Homeschooler's Trading Zone Forum a forum set in place for selling/buying used homeschooling materials

A-Z Classifieds a Yahoo group offering a platform to buy/sell homeschooling curriculum

Craigslist This site operates like an online community bulletin board and is free to post most ads. You'll want to start by searching under the city closest to you, then enter in your search information. Sometimes you can really find a great bargain on Craigslist and the best part is you can search locally and avoid paying shipping fees! Although, with the price of gas I suppose you could argue it's a toss up.

Auction Sites:

Homeschoolbid.com is another site where you can buy/sell your homeschooling books and resources. I don't know as much about this site so can't give you a lot of information.

HomeschoolAuctions online auction featuring homeschooling materials

HomeschoolBuy This is an auction site, started by The Old Schoolhouse (according to what I've read).

This Little Piggy Stayed Home another auction site offering used homeschooling curriculum

Kingdom Builders whew! Who knew there were so many auction sites! lol Here's another one.

eBay.com obvious option and one you've likely already visited. The only complaint I have about eBay is that with the high volume of traffic it can be challenging to truly land a deal. Then again, it's less scary to buy from a seller when you have a platform for providing and reviewing feedback left by other buyers. Just be careful you're not paying just as much for used, as you could be for new. I've seen people do that before!

Used Curriculum Stores:

Second Harvest offers used homeschooling curriculum.

Discounted Curriculum (new):
Pennywiselearning
Curriculum Express

Free Curriculum for Families Who Cannot Afford to Buy:
The Book Samaritan This is a wonderful program, but intended strictly for families unable to afford homeschooling any other way. They accept donations too... so if you're in that fortunate position of possessing unwanted or already used materials and not sure what to do with it all... consider donating them!

Tips:

• Anytime you're buying online, request your books, CD's, DVD's (any educational material) be shipped media mail. The materials will take slightly longer to reach you, but you'll save money.
• Always ask questions before you bid or buy. Especially with used materials it's wise to ask questions first. Know whether the books you're considering are marked (written in) or contain pages which are dogeared for example, before you decide this is the material for you.
• Find out whether the materials come from a smoke free/pet free home... if that's important to you. If you or your children have any allergies, this could be huge!

Know of any other sites? Have any other advice to offer those of us looking to buy used and/or discounted materials? Do share!

~Wendy
P.S. If you'd like to purchase textbooks try looking here.

Teacher Discounts for Homeschoolers?

That's right! More and more businesses are beginning to see the benefit of offering teacher discounts to homeschoolers. Not everyone has jumped on board, but you might be surprised who has.

Most office supply stores are among the mix of participating retailers... here are a few links to get you started. It may help to make your own homeschooling id card before you visit a retailer... if you'd like a free resource to do just that, check out: Free Student/Teacher ID Card.

If you have anything from the state or from a homeschooling program that you've joined verifying your homeschooling status, you should take it along when enrolling in teacher programs.

Kinkos -get an educator discount card and save 15% of select services including copies. An online educator savings program application is also available! This is where I'd start because it's just so easy to apply for. They'll send you the card in the mail within a couple weeks time.

Staples -offers a teacher rewards program, 10% off copies

Office Max -offers a teacher's program, Max Perks Program offers cash back on purchases made with your educator card

Office Depot - offers a teacher's program, Star Teacher Program entitles you to 5% discount on merchandise and 15% on photocopies

Barnes & Nobel -20% off school materials, 2 sales per year permit you to recieve 25% off all book purchases whether for school or personal use.

Borders -20% off for classroom use
"If you are a homeschooler and can provide any applicable state certification, you are also eligible for the 20% Classroom Discount Card. Homeschoolers in states without certification should contact a manager at the store for instructions on how to document your status as a homeschooler. The 20% discount will be applied to the list price of books, music and videos purchased in a Borders store for use in the classroom or for classroom preparation"

Hobby Lobby -10% off
Sounds like you're not required to show proof of your homeschooling status, but it's appreciated if you do.

Jo-Ann's -10% off (both regular and sale merchandise)
Apply in store by simply providing anything verifying you're a homeschooler. Whether issued by the state or a card or membership letter from a homeschooling support group. You could also bring other teacher discount cards... for instance if you already have your Kinko's educator card, you could provide this as evidence of your teaching status.

If you know of another retailer offering discounts to homeschoolers be sure to share!

~Wendy