Mike Smith:
My guest this week is Melissa Morgan, co-author of the book Homeschooling on a Shoestring. Thank you so much for joining us, Melissa.

Melissa Morgan:
Thank you for having me. Thank you for the work you do at HSLDA.

Mike:
Well, you’re welcome. For families considering homeschooling, what are some of the financial considerations they need to think through?

Melissa:
Homeschooling is challenging, but it is possible, and the rewards are well worth it. In many homeschool families, the parents both work or a single parent is homeschooling alone. However, in a two-income household, you might not need that second income as much as you might think when you include all the hidden costs of working. For instance, if I worked outside the home, I would need to pay for childcare, a better wardrobe, transportation, and a lot more. In our book we discussed real-world examples of families including single parents who enlist the help of grandparents, trusted friends, they co-op with other homeschool families or they juggle their schedules so that one parent can be home with the kids. If your kids are independent and mature enough, they may be able to homeschool alone during the day with your oversight in the evening. Many homeschool families have a home business and they learn geography and math skills on the road and they teach math and writing skills to their children through their own business. Real-word experiences can be far more valuable than reading about math or geography in a textbook.

Mike:
Well thank you very much Melissa for that very helpful advice. Until next time, I’m Mike Smith.