I remember getting ready for our first and second years of homeschooling.

I remember paying through the nose for brand new curriculum.

I remember pouring over homeschool catalogs and making lists and running totals and having to cut my lists in half and then some.

I remember my first book swap after our second year of homeschooling and having my EYES OPENED to the glorious world of second hand books.  Books that were within my budget!

Suddenly I could afford whatever curriculum I wanted.  As long as I planned my purchases for the bookswaps.

After my third year of homeschooling I learned how to do it all for free by getting a table and selling last years stuff and using the “earnings” to finance the purchases for the coming year.

After our fourth year of homeschooling I was able to sit my kids at my table to sell last years stuff, while I had the freedom to drop by the table occassionally to just pick up more cash and shop, shop, shop for next years stuff.

I also supplement this wonderful method with purchases from the thrift store, and the used book room at our local homeschool curriculum store.  (Yeah, we have one, no, it ain’t all that useful.)  But I used to buy items in there for little of nuthin’ and keep them for several months (maybe use ‘em, maybe not) and sell them at the next swap for more than I paid.  Sometimes much more.

Now that I have kids old enough to babysit the littles I go alone.  At last year’s book swap I shared a table with my neighbor and we both made out alright, but it was tiresome, and hot, and I spent everything that I took in.  I came home with a lot of neat stuff, but no cash.

This time, though, I did something I’ve never done before.  Today was the swap that I usually attend.  Since I am on a $$$DIET I originally declined my neighbor’s offer of sharing a table again.

But she’s so good, she always offers twice, and when she offered the second time I decided to think before opening my mouth.  (I’m smart that way.)  And I thought to my little self, “Self, you need to get rid of some stuff or you are just gonna have to pack it and move it and you may never, ever use it anyway!  Why don’t you just try to sell it?”

So I told her I had some stuff to sell but I didn’t need to buy anything.  And do you know what she said?  She said, ” Well, why don’t I just take your stuff and sell it for you and you don’t have to go.”  What an angel!

Well, sir!  That is the way to go!  I sat here in the luxury of my own home, enjoying the company of my very own children, eating my meals at the normal time.  My routine was not impacted by this bookswap in any way.

Unless you count having to answer the door a minute ago and have my sweet, angel of a neighbor hand me $42.50!

So, unlike last year, where I listed the school books I bought, this year I am gonna list what sold.

• Melissa & Doug “Abacus”    $4.50
• Wooden 1-5 counter    $3
• Melissa & Doug Bead Sequencing Set    $8
• Melissa & Doug Wooden Magnets    $2
• Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons    $5
• Lauri Alphabet puzzle- lower case    $2
• Lauri Alphabet puzzle- upper case    $2
• English for the Thoughtful Child    $5
• Curly Girl    $3
• Intermediate Language Lessons     $3
• Bible on CD    $5

Can’t beat it!

Did I miss going to the swap?  Having all the fun of shopping at such a deep discount?  Yeah, a little.

But I didn’t miss wearing myself out trying to fight the crowd.  Getting all frazzled from the failing a/c in a gym full of bargain-crazed moms.  Not being able to resist the swan song of a lovely piece of homeschool usefulness priced at ¼ of it’s retail cost.  These I can live without!

Now I need to figure out what I’ll do with the books that didn’t sell.  I think I’ll offer them here on the blog.  But I’ll wait for for another post ‘cuz this one is already a mile long!

Here’s your shortcut back to Frugal Fridays.

Related posts:

1. Book Swap Time Already?
2. Free Homeschool Stuff – remix
3. The Plan – part 2 – Homeschool
4. Spanish Test Today!
5. Teaching Textbooks