Home Education on One Income: The Real Costs
Most people fear the unknown costs of home education, and it’s one of the biggest reasons they’re put off the idea altogether. I’m not saying there are no costs, but I am here to say that it is possible to home educate on a very limited budget.
The angle I’m sharing comes from a two-parent household with a sole breadwinner and a SAHM. I want to acknowledge upfront that this is a privileged position, and I’m not naïve enough to think everyone will be able to home educate in the same way or with the same circumstances. This is simply our reality and our experience.
The truth is, I had no intention of home educating. The idea felt foreign and strange to me at first. Over the years, before we even had our first child, we toyed with the idea and decided it was something we wanted to keep open as an option. Fast forward to three children later, and we feel confident in our decision, while also staying flexible. If it ever stops working for our family, we are very clear that other options will always be there.
One practical factor that has helped us is that my husband has been able to work remotely for several years. This has made a big difference to the overall dynamics of home education and sharing the household load. It also saves on commuting costs, outside lunches and, most importantly, time. Although our eldest only turned five last year, our approach to education started long before that, right from babyhood. You can read more about that in my previous blog post [link here].
We follow a semi-structured, child-led approach. That means we lean into our children’s interests, while still having some non-negotiables and gentle guidance. We don’t recreate school at home, but we also don’t believe learning happens by accident alone.
So, what does home education actually cost?
This is where many people expect big numbers, expensive curricula and endless Amazon deliveries. In reality, our biggest cost hasn’t been money. It’s been intention.
Here’s a breakdown of where we do spend, and where we consciously don’t.
1. Curriculum & Resources
We don’t buy expensive all-in-one curriculums. In fact, we’ve tried some and wasted money along the way. That trial and error helped us realise that Ibrahim does not enjoy repetitive learning or constant book work. Worksheets all day would have been a fast track to everyone feeling miserable.
Only recently has he started to accept and enjoy more book-based learning, and even then it began very gently with ten to fifteen minute bite-sized maths sessions. English was mostly covered through reading his own books, and only recently have we introduced comprehension and grammar.
What we actually use is a mix of:
Library books, which are completely free and incredibly underrated
Second-hand books and resources
Printable resources that are often free or very low cost
A small number of carefully chosen workbooks for literacy and numeracy
We also use free online platforms like Khan Academy, YouTube and the free version of Duolingo. YouTube in particular gets a bad reputation, but honestly, you would be surprised how much children learn from good quality educational videos.
I did purchase Reading Eggs for a year to see how it worked for my daughter, but Ibrahim also enjoys using it for maths and English. It’s not essential, but it works well for us.
We do have an extensive home library that has built up over the years, but this is absolutely not necessary. Libraries are free, accessible and one of the best resources available.
If worksheets are your thing, a simple Google search will bring up endless free or low-cost options.
2. Activities & Experiences
This is where people often assume home education must be expensive, but many of these activities replace things families are paying for anyway.
One of our best investments has been an annual National Trust membership. It allows us to have spontaneous days out without overthinking the cost every time. Even if we just pop out for a walk and a snack, it still feels worth it.
We also take advantage of:
Nature walks, parks and free museums
English Heritage sites and nature reserves
Community groups and meet-ups
Home projects like gardening, cooking, baking and DIY
Many places also offer discounted home education days specifically for home educating families. These often run during term time and are significantly cheaper than weekend or holiday sessions. Museums, heritage sites, activity centres and even farms frequently offer reduced rates, workshops or educational sessions aimed at home educated children. Once you start looking, you realise there is far more out there than you initially think.
There are also countless free or subsidised outings available through community centres and local organisations, if you keep an eye out.
We also pay for a weekly science club during term time with other home educating families. The mums who run it are teachers by profession, and it costs around £40 a term for a one-hour weekly session, which feels very reasonable for us.
3. Time vs Money
This is the real trade-off.
Home education on one income works for us because we’ve chosen time over convenience. We cook more from scratch, plan our weeks carefully and reuse resources as much as possible. We don’t outsource learning. We live it.
My husband being home also saves costs and gives our children something invaluable, which is access to both parents more consistently.
4. What We Don’t Spend On
School uniforms
School trips
Daily packed lunches
After-school clubs as childcare
Constantly upgrading resources
When you factor these in, home education often costs far less than people expect.
It’s also worth saying that home education isn’t necessarily free, especially if you plan for your child to gain qualifications later on, as exams and resources will cost money. But it’s important to look at the full picture.
A rough monthly breakdown without numbers
Our regular costs look something like this:
A monthly direct debit for swimming lessons. You can absolutely teach swimming yourself, but we wanted this important life skill covered and he has been swimming since he was four.
A termly cost for the science club.
A yearly subscription for Reading Eggs.
An annual National Trust direct debit.
A yearly purchase of the White Rose maths and science curriculum. This is completely optional and there is no requirement to follow a curriculum at all.
Final Thoughts
Home education isn’t free, but it doesn’t have to be expensive either. All you are required to do is provide a suitable, full-time and well-rounded education. Subjects do not need to look like school. As long as children are developing literacy and numeracy, learning can happen in many different ways. (more detail/guidance can be found on the HEFA facebook page)
Learning does not mean sitting at a table doing worksheets all day. It happens through conversation, cooking and baking, everyday life and yes, even YouTube.
For us, as a family on one income with three young children, this works. Not because we have loads of money, but because we’ve been intentional, flexible and honest about what really matters.