Inside: If you’re wondering whether or not middle class homeschooling is possible, I can assure you it is! Here’s how middle class families are making it make it work financially.
The homeschool community majority used to be conservative Christians wanting to give their kids an education with a Christian worldview (read: not liberal or woke) and shield their kids from the dangers of public schools.
I can’t say they’re completely off on the shielding part. Every kid doesn’t need to be bullied to “develop character”, thank you very much.
But the pandemic changed everything, homeschooling included. Homeschooling has grown exponentially, with secular families making up a much larger percentage of the community.
Having been raised deep in evangelical Christianity, where liberals were the boogeymen and the supposed majority, I never in a million years would have imagined secular parents choosing to homeschool because religion, white-washed history, Christian nationalist narratives and fake science were starting to infiltrate public schools.
But it’s 2025, and I guess nothing should surprise me anymore?
Suffice it to say, homeschooling is growing exponentially for all kinds of reasons in a time when it’s getting more and more difficult to make it work financially.
Housing costs are insane. Grocery prices are insane. Healthcare costs are insane.
About the only thing that’s NOT insane these days is Mint Mobile’s $15 a month cell phone plan (bless you, Ryan Reynolds) and Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy. And no, this isn’t a sponsored post.
So how can middle class families make homeschooling work financially?
Our middle class family with five kids has been making it work for over ten years. I’ve got a list of ideas a mile long – or 2500 words long, anyway – to get your wheels turning on how you, too, can make it work.
15 Ways Middle Class Families Can Afford to Homeschool
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First things first: despite what homeschool influencers are saying on Tiktok, not every family can afford to homeschool.
I’m a firm believer that homeschooling is a privilege AND a sacrifice – it can be both.
That being said, a lot of families can homeschool who don’t think they can, and certainly middle class families. You need to think creatively about every area of your budget, but it IS possible.
I’m hoping that this list of ideas jump starts your homeschool journey.
Related: 5 Reasons NOT to Homeschool on One Income (Sacrifices I Wasn’t Willing to Make)
Side Note: You’ll quickly notice that I don’t have “pay off all debt” as one of these tips. We had student loans AND credit card debt at one point from moving (albeit zero interest CC debt) when we started homeschooling. Paying off debt is not a prerequisite, though it sure can help.
1. Keep housing costs low.
I listen to the Money Guys podcast regularly, and what I love most about them is that they aren’t telling people that nixing their coffee habit is essential to getting ahead
Instead, they encourage you to focus on the biggest budget derailers (in America, at least): housing and cars.
Could you move in with family temporarily to pay off debt or save for a down payment, or more long-term, depending on your relationship with your parents or in-laws? Or is there a space that could be renovated to create a separate, but connected living space?
Could you buy a park model home or RV and put it on family property to save money?
Could you buy a duplex and rent out the other side? Buy with another homeschool family?
Could one parent work at a college as an RA with on-campus housing included? Or an apartment building supervisor for free or reduced rent?
Could you do geoarbitrage and live in a super cheap country and work remotely?
Are there low or middle income housing programs in your city that you could apply for? We rented this type of housing in Boston for three years, and friends bought through a similar program.
You could also make small space living work long-term. We did this for years before finally upsizing in 2020 when my husband’s aunt and uncle let us buy a house from them in 2020.
I could go on and on in this category. Once you reduce your housing costs, homeschooling is MUCH more doable.
2. Buy a used car, skip the loans and make one car work if at all possible.
I’m convinced the general public has been indoctrinated to believe that new cars are safer and worth the cost.
Here are some basic car facts:
- “A car loses about 10% of its value, on average, as soon as it’s driven off the lot. In three years, it has often lost 50%” (CNBC).
- The warranty isn’t going to make up for the rapid value depreciation.
- New cars can have just as many problems as used cars.
We’ve never had a car loan. And we’ve driven used cars for years and never felt unsafe.
Have they had their problems? Sure. We’ve replaced alternators and exhaust systems and timing belts, along with the typical brakes and tires.
But to us, not having a car payment and simply setting aside more in our sinking car repair fund is worth it.
The key? Buy a brand known for their reliability like Toyota and Honda, buy locally and insist a trusted mechanic be able to look at the vehicle before purchase.
Related: We Happily Bought a 14-Year-Old Car – Here’s Why
3. Make one car work as long as possible.
We’ve been a one car family for almost twenty years.
Is it inconvenient at times? Sure. But it’s never been “buy a second car” kind of inconvenient.
Even when my husband went into the office five days a week, we found ways to make it work, like waking kids up to drop dad off so we could use the car one day a week.
Especially in today’s world where remote work is often an option, put off buying a second car as long as you can.
A second vehicle means higher insurance and repair costs.
Speaking of remote work…
4. Consider creative work arrangements to maximize income and flexibility.
My husband took a career detour years ago, leaving engineering and returning years later. That meant his income was never as high as it would have been had he stayed in one career long-term.
And a few years ago, for physical and mental health reasons, we knew that he needed to work four days a week, instead of the typical five day, 40 hour week.
I knew long ago that I didn’t want to homeschool on one income, so I built my own online business that I could work on in between childcare and home care.
My business has had its ups and downs, but it’s a big reason we can afford to homeschool today.
When family offered to let us buy their house in another state for a steal of a deal, my husband asked to work remotely and was approved – before remote work was commonplace.
I’ve known parents who have worked opposite shifts in order to homeschool (and avoid crazy childcare costs).
I’ve known parents who are blessed with grandparents willing to watch grandkids 1-2 days a week for free.
Remember in Marley and Me when John asked for a raise because Jen wanted to quit her job to stay home? Asking for a raise is an option.
It might involve finding a different job or reentering the workforce or building your own business from scratch, but there are so many ways to increase your income so you can afford to homeschool.
Related: How to Work from Home And Homeschool – 10 Essential Tips
5. Use credit card rewards strategically.
This might be controversial, but I think the Dave Ramsey “never use credit card” camp is nuts.
When we had a crazy mix-up with AT&T and bills that weren’t ours were attached to our debit card, the bank was not super helpful. We had to jump through serious hoops to get over a thousand dollars back into our bank account.
On the other hand, most credit card companies have scarily accurate ways of knowing when there’s fraudulent activity on your account. And they usually refund your money ASAP.
Plus, if you swear off credit cards, you’re leaving so much free money on the table.
Well, as long as crazy Congressmen don’t get their way and outlaw rewards.
We’ve used credit card rewards to clothe our family for almost nothing for the past decade.
Whatever you value – travel, clothing, entertainment – there’s a credit card for that. Find a credit card to put all your expenses on that will help you get it for free.
The key to all of this working? Pay off your card in full at the end of every single month.
6. Become a ninja at saving on food – without becoming a crazy couponer and eat-out Scrooge.
I poured a LOT of time into extreme couponing in my early days of motherhood.
For the hundred or so dollars I saved every month, I could have poured that time and energy into building a business a lot sooner. Sigh.
But I digress.
You can save money on groceries without resorting to spending hours running from store to store with a fistful of coupons.
You can still eat out, but be smart about it. We mostly enjoy fast food (does Chipotle count?), and use deal menus, online coupons and reward programs.
I should say that we almost never sit down at a restaurant. But if that’s your thing, cut back on the frequency and set a budget for it.
You can homeschool without giving up everything you love, yummy food included.
Related: 9 Secrets to Saving Money on Groceries Without Coupons (Or Aldi)
7. Look at how you can save on healthcare.
My husband could probably have jumped jobs and gotten big raises, but a big reason he stays at his current company is the healthcare benefits.
In addition, we learned that we could apply for financial aid through our healthcare network to save even more on our co-pays. Now I reapply every six months, depending on our income.
We also applied for Medicaid in our state for the kids who have specific diagnoses that qualify. They pick up the co-pays for therapy and might even pay for braces.
It might be worth switching jobs just to save money on healthcare. Or I’ve known families who have used secular healthcare sharing companies to save money.
I was pretty serious about Mark Cuban: if you can find your medications at his online pharmacy for less, do it. Also, I recently learned about a non-profit called Dollar For that helps families in certain income brackets access little known hospital programs that cover medical bills.
These ideas won’t work for everyone, especially if you have major healthcare needs, but they will likely work for some.
Speaking of…
8. Apply for government benefits.
This might be controversial, but hey, if you’re paying taxes in any way – federal, state or property taxes – your money is funding public education, often with no homeschool kickback.
If you qualify for government benefits, there is absolutely no shame in applying and reducing your expenses in order to homeschool.
We qualified for free health insurance in Massachusetts for years. We applied for WIC when our kids’ ages and our income level qualified.
It took A LOT for me to overcome the American independence idea that we needed to “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps” and never take government money if we could help it.
In other countries? Things like childcare, funded maternity and paternity leaves, and basic healthcare are benefits all citizens enjoy. America is the only developed country to not have these basics.
And no, their taxes aren’t that much higher than in the United States (that’s American propaganda). Plus, they get a whole lot more for the taxes they do pay.
So my advice? Do not hesitate to take advantage of whatever government benefits you qualify for.
9. Shop second-hand first for just about everything.
This one is pretty self-explanatory.
From cars to furniture to clothes to books. You can buy just about everything second-hand.
As long as you steer clear of second-hand underwear, you’ll be ok.
There are Buy Nothing groups and actually affordable thrift stores (a.k.a. not Goodwill) in most areas, unless you live super rurally.
Ask to borrow and offer to lend. Try to give as much as you take, or in the future, when you’re better off financially pay it forward.
10. Do staycations or cheap local vacations.
We take exactly one vacation a year, and it’s for three nights at the beach at a cheap hotel that’s a borderline motel.
It’s super drivable, and it’s just enough time. We save every month all year long.
When we have one less kid, we squeezed into one room, making it even more affordable.
If even a cheap vacation is too much, do a staycation!
I know homeschool families who never travel at all. As much #homeschooltok might lead you believe that travel is a homeschooling requirement, it’s not.
You can do homeschooling well without ever taking a vacation or trip.
11. Never pay for babysitting if you can help it – skip, trade or barter.
Do date nights at home after the kids are in bed. Trade off “sanity nights” with your partner where one parent gets to go out while the other stays home.
Beg ask grandparents for free babysitting. Swap babysitting with another homeschool family.
Babysit someone else’s kids while you watch your own to earn extra money.
Swap babysitting for services, like hair cutting or cleaning or anything really. Bartering is underrated.
And yes, I’m going to tell you to use the screens as babysitters. Sometimes, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.
Bottom line: don’t pay for babysitting if you can help it.
12. Rethink your regular monthly expenses, including utilities and insurance.
Remember when I mentioned Mint Mobile? Ryan Reynolds is a national treasure for creating a cell phone service that’s only $15 a month.
Here are some ways we’ve saved over the years:
- Never using cable, and only paying for two streaming services at a time.
- Changing car and home insurance every few years.
- Driving old cars, which leads to cheaper insurance.
- Pre-buying our propane every year to lock in a low rate.
- Changing internet tiers every couple years.
- Creative phone savings from hand-me-down phones to company lines.
There are so many ways to save on utilities!
If you have a creative way to save I didn’t mention, share in the comments.
Related: 11 Minimalist Budgeting Tips & Tricks – Stress Less, Save More
Side Note: One other big expense (for a family our size) we save on is haircuts. My husband cuts the boys’ hair, and the girls get haircuts every 6-9 months or so. Vocational schools are another great place to get cheap haircuts!
13. Get the most out of your library card.
Speaking of buying things secondhand, unless your kids are serious re-readers, borrow books, instead of buying.
Those gorgeous wall to wall bookshelves you see in some homeschooler’s Instagram posts? They’re pretty (I drool, even as a minimalist), but you don’t need them.
These days, even my gorgeous beloved reference books are rarely used.
Google – or Bing because the big G sucks these days – is free. Youtube is free. And I find myself turning to these two resources all the time.
The one time I tried to look up an answer in a book recently did not go well. I fought the good fight, but ultimately, I turned to the good ol’ internet.
I’m rambling, but the moral of the story is this: use your library like it’s your job…because it kind of is.
Do all the free programs, request books like a boss, and ask if you can get free or discounted museum passes while you’re at it (and if not, why not?).
14. Use Youtube all the time. Enough said.
I strongly believe that if you needed to, you could homeschool with only a library card and Youtube account.
There are so many amazing educational Youtube channels!
We visit the following channels regularly:
- SciShow Kids
- Sci Show
- Crash Course
- Veritasium
- Mark Rober
- Nyle Red & Nyle Blue
- Complexly
- Oversimplified
Between Youtube and the free PBS Kids app (may it ever be federally funded) and the library, you’ve got this.
15. Take advantage of free and cheap activities for kids.
I just read an article in the New York Times about how much parents are paying for summer camps these days, and my god, the insanity!
And these are camps that traditionally schooled kids don’t even necessarily want to go to. Their parents are dragging them because they think they need it, or because they need the childcare.
They would be just as happy to stay home all summer watching TV, going to the pool, playing and being bored.
So save your money and rock the free parks and libraries and museums with your littles as long as you can. Do local and school sports, and skip the pricey travel leagues.
Look for free camps. Unless your kid shows a super strong interest in a specific sport or activity, choose cheaper activities with fewer expenses (i.e. gymnastics instead of horseback riding, soccer over baseball).
Stay home. Let them be bored and come up with things to do.
If all you give your kids are free and cheap activities for their entire childhood, they’ll be fine – promise.
Bottom Line: Middle Class Families All Over the United States Are Homeschooling. You Can, Too.
Every family figures out the financial part of homeschooling differently.
Some parents choose careers that allow them to homeschool. Other parents swap shifts
Some families squeeze into tiny houses, while others live with family. Some families skip the curriculum and use mostly free resources, while others do side hustles to afford the co-op or curriculum they love.
One family makes one income work, while another says, “Nope,” and opts for two incomes.
Creativity goes a long way, and every family has to decide for themselves which sacrifices are worth making in order to homeschool.
At the end of the day, “where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
I believe that most middle class families can figure out how to make homeschooling work if they really want to. You’ve got this!
If you’ve homeschooled for a while, I’d love to hear from you! Share in the comments how you’ve made homeschooling work financially.
Read Next: 11 Things We’re Teaching Our Kids About Money (That Schools Don’t)
