How I'm Saving $989 on Curriculum This Year

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I'm going to *guess* that you've probably received a few emails and have seen a few social media posts about the Build Your Bundle Sale? Honestly, in years past... I thought it was obnoxious. I'd purchased a bundle here and there, but I tend to ignore "the thing" everyone is talking about. I couldn't figure out what all the fuss was about. But the truth of the matter was I never really looked into it either- I totally blew it off. 

Are you working super hard to get the most for your curriculum dollar? Have you ever considered using digital curriculum? The Build Your Bundle sale is a fantastic resource for getting a HUGE amount of curriculum and resources for pennies on the dol…

Over this past year, my attitude has evolved. I've become a huge fan of digital curriculum for two reason: space and MONEY. Digital curriculum is almost ALWAYS less expensive, while not lacking anything in quality, AND I don't have to have a bookshelf for it. Win. Win.

For the past few days, I've been studying the bundles, running calculations, sending up some prayers, and thinking about our big picture plans for our 2018-2019 school year. I want to make sure I steward our dollars well, getting the best value possible while only getting curriculum and resources we will truly USE. For our homeschool that will include a 9th grader, a 6th grader (with dyslexia), and 2 toddlers/preschoolers, I *think* I've figured it out. I'll give you a brief summary first then give more detail on my "why".

My Shopping List:

Total Value: $1087.87

My Cost: $98.00 (after coupon)

Savings: 91% OR $989.87

The numbers are impressive, so what about content? How much value is truly in each or these bundles... Or is there just filler? Let's take each one piece by piece.

First up: The Charlotte Mason Bundle. This bundle is one of the pricier ones so my expectations were high... And once I dug through the bundle details and explored each product's website, I wasn't disappointed. I had four main products that truly jumped out to me in this bundle:

  • The Charlotte Mason- Inspired Kindergarten Curriculum: Why? Because you can never have enough resources to pull from when you are a very eclectic educator who's always looking to be inspired. I'm super interested in how she plans for morning time and how the 36 weeks are structured. Despite using my own curriculum as our bedrock next year, I'm not too good for fresh ideas!
  • Master Charlotte Mason Planning: Why? I'm always looking to grow. The more I learn about a CM education, the harder I work to instill it in each of our school days. I need continued help to grow in this area.
  • What Really Happened in Ancient Times: Why? I have a freshman who passionately loves ancient history. This is a PERFECT addition to our use of Beautiful Feet Book's Ancient History Pack for literature and history.
  • A Modern Charlotte Mason's Tea Time- Volume 1 and 2: Why? I love the idea of tea time but often fail. The riches that take place during that time fall to the bottom of my priority list as the craziness of the day kicks in. I love the idea of having this time pre-planned so I have one less excuse to skip it!

I actually considered doing a Build Your OWN Premium Bundle of 5 for $39 to save $10 as these 4 were my main loves from this bundle. But then I realized... For TEN DOLLARS more, I'm getting the Mystery of History audiobook, Wayfarers audiobook, copywork, more planning resources, an introduction to Shakespeare, artist studies, and more... Of course I should just get the bundle!

The Special Needs Bundle: As a mom of a daughter with dyslexia and auditory processing disorder, I've seen the extreme results that can come from practices like vision therapy and therapies that cross the midline. I've also seen (and struggled to understand) how difficult seemingly "easy" tasks can be for her due to poor working memory and processing challenges. To be the best teacher to all of my children, I can't ever stop learning. I'm so excited about this entire bundle... From exercises for crossing the midline (that you can bet I'll be doing with my toddlers) to the working memory workbook for my daughter and the class for me to understand better how she learns and what she has to overcome to do so, this bundle was built for our family.

The Mystery Bundle. I feel like this may be a "duh." Because, who can pass up a mystery? Especially when you can buy two bundles and get one free! I've heard from several readers that this is a FABULOUS deal. I also want to remind everyone that per the BYB website, this bundle includes materials for elementary and early learning... Not for upper grades.

The Homemaking Bundle. I feel like this bundle has a secret weapon in it that many may overlook. If you've EVER considered blogging, but you just weren't sure exactly how to get started, this bundle is for you. Inside of this $15 package is a $97 course from Heather Bowen at LifeofaHomeschoolMom.com that may be worth its weight in gold. Even though I already have a blog, I still have SO MUCH to learn. I've gotten to know Heather through my blogging community. She truly, truly has a heart for helping others succeed, and she's so GOOD AT It. She is genuinely a precious person. This course was already on my wishlist personally, so I am BEYOND psyched to be able to get it for $15. And if that wasn't enough, this bundle spoke to me with help for healthy snacks, organization (I'm a junkie!), a fitness program (I NEED THIS), a guide for working from home (again, raising hand), and so much more. I am honestly MOST excited about this bundle (that's totally for me!).

The last item I was PSYCHED to find is the Unbreakable Faith course from Pilgrim's Rock. I have a freshman whom I am working to be very intentional with about apologetics and standing firm in her faith as we begin her entry into the big, wide world. The reviews for this program are excellent (click link to access brochure). It's a great fit for a busy schedule, and something we can do as a family as well. I think we will all love it, AND it filled a gap in my existing plan for her freshman year at a great price!

So that's it friends. For under $100, I have an incredible amount of resources at my disposal. I found several items that I knew I needed and expected to spend much more on.

I would LOVE to hear what you have snagged during this sale! What are your favorites? I'd also be happy to answer any questions you may have.