Swap. Maybe you could set up a Shop 'n' Swap table. Everyone is welcome to bring whatever they have to donate — supplies, books, odds and ends, clothing, even food — and can take as much away as they like. Our family did most of our clothes "shopping" at the swap table last year.

You can also set up a swap with specific friends who have children just older or younger than yours. When we had ice skates to give away last year, for example, we offered them to the Hamres, who have 13, 11, and 9 year old kids. Our friends the Thomases often hand down shoes to our boys.

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." Our grandmothers and many of our mothers followed this excellent advice. One way to homeschool inexpensively is to ask yourself these questions before buying:

1. Can I use it up? Maybe I could tear out the good pages from two partially-used phonics workbooks and put them together into a binder for my preschooler.
2. Can I wear it out? If I put Shoe-Goo on the bottom of Timmy's tennis shoes, maybe we can make them last another six months.
3. Can I make it do? Perhaps I'll cut start cutting Susie's hair myself, and save the cost of several trips to the hairdresser.
4. Can I do without? Before I spend the money on that expensive set of new reading books at the curriculum fair, I'll call the library tomorrow and see if they carry the books there.

When you need curricula, services, and supplies and household items, there ARE alternatives to spending a pile of cash. If we keep our eyes open wide for bargains, we'll discover many opportunities to homeschool on the cheap. And our awesome God will make sure that we have all that we need, and more, to homeschool well.

*This is actually a low figure, since my information was quoted from a 1999 study by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Rhonda Barfield is wife to Michael and homeschooling mom of Eric, Christian, Lisa, and Mary. She is also the author of Real Life Homeschooling: The Stories of 21 Families Who Make It Work, Feed Your Family for $12 a Day, and 15-Minute Cooking. For more information, visit www.lilacpublishing.com or e-mail Rhonda at barfield@aol.com.

Copyright, 2004. The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Used with permission. www.TheHomeschoolMagazine.com Direct comments to publisher@TOSMag.com