Frugal Friday

When you can't get a book you need at the library, what do you do? There's always a second-hand book store like Half Price Books. It's often hard to find books in stores like that, but you can find some really good deals if you are willing to take the time to search through the shelves. Another option is to get an educators' discount at bookstores like Borders and Barnes & Noble. All you usually have to do is show proof that you are a homeschooler -- like a copy of the affidavit we have to file here in Arizona -- and you will receive a discount card that is good for a year. Both Borders and B&N give a 20% discount on materials, excluding DVDs and periodicals, used for educating your kids. At least once a year, those stores also have an "educators week" when you can receive an even better discount.

When I was first homeschooling, those stores didn't offer us the discount. We've made some progress!