Simple Homeschool Organization on a Budget
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Homeschooling tends to come with a lot of ‘stuff’. There is curriculum, books, educational toys, craft supplies, and more. It all needs to be organized in a way that lets us find what we need without hours of frustrated searching. Thankfully, it is possible to obtain homeschool organization on a budget.
These steps will help you organize most of your homeschool supplies. I personally use these steps to organize my homeschool. Homeschool organization is an ongoing task because our kids are continually growing.
I love an organized space, but I also like spending money on vacations – not fancy expensive organization systems!
Homeschool Organization on a Budget
Step 1: Get rid of anything that you don’t need or use
The first step is to get rid of anything that you do not actually use in your homeschool. Sometimes we buy things with the best of intentions, but then find that they are not the right fit for our family.
If it isn’t being used, then there is no need for it to take up space in your home.
Go through your curricula, books, manipulatives, games, old science kits, and papers. Sell, donate, or recycle anything that is no longer serving your homeschool.
Related: Sell Your Used Curriculum with Hoot Book Revival.
Letting things go can even be a way to help someone else. You free up some space and they get something that helps their family. It is a win-win.
Fewer homeschool supplies = less to organize and store.
There is one exception, though. Don’t get rid of something that you plan to use in the future with another child. There is no point in selling something now, just buy it again later.
I usually go through my homeschool every summer to get rid of curricula and activities that my kids have outgrown.
Step 2: Use what you already own
After clearing out the old material, it is time to take a look around your house and see what you already own that can be used to organize your homeschool.
Some things are just clearly made for organization:
Storage boxes – These can hold and organize just about anything, depending on the size. I store office supplies like metal rings, pens, pencils, and index cards in small bins. Hands-on manipulatives such as flash cards, miniature figurines, and math wrap-ups live in an under-the-bed storage bin. (Oddly enough, I have never kept this bin under a bed. It has always lived either under a couch or on a shelf.)
Baskets – Baskets are a great way to combine form and function. They look nice when they are out in the open, but they are also really useful. Baskets full of books or kid-friendly magazines are a great way to organize books in a living room. We always keep a basket full next to a chair or couch.
Baskets can also corral lots of small items such as glue, paint, and art supplies. I have a plastic basket in my homeschool closet that holds all of our extra glue bottles, glue sticks, and tape.
Glass jars – Reusing old mason jars is a great way to organize your homeschool and save the planet at the same time. Just wash out your old salsa or spaghetti sauce jars and lids and you can repurpose them. They can hold paint brushes, pencils, markers, or small craft supplies like googly eyes.
Shoe boxes – Shoe boxes are made to stack well, so they are a great way to organize homeschool manipulatives.
You can even have a shoe box dedicated to each subject. One shoe box could hold math manipulatives such as math wrap-ups, flash cards, and dice. Another shoe box could hold science supplies such as pocket microscopes, magnifying glasses, and small science kits.
Make sure you label the outside of the box so that you don’t have to guess and open every box to find what you need.
Another way to use shoe boxes is to tear the lid off and use them to hold old magazines. They are the perfect length for standing up magazines. We use old magazines for craft projects, writing prompts, and our fall poetry center. Standing the magazines up makes it easier to find what we want.
Step 3: Shop for inexpensive organizational supplies
Sometimes you need to pick up a few items to get your homeschool organized. The trick to doing it on a budget is to carefully select the store.
There are two types of stores that I check first when I have an organizational need: thrift stores and Dollar Tree.
Thrift stores are great places to find a deal. I always look for baskets and bookshelves. Both are versatile organizational tools, and they cost a fraction of the retail price when used.
Related: Top 12 Supplies for Homeschool Organization
Dollar Tree sells a variety of plastic bins that are perfect for homeschool organization on a budget. They come in all different shapes and sizes, so you are sure to find something that fits your needs.
I like to use their square containers for storing my alphabet stamps. They are a perfect fit and keep everything contained.
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