Homeschool Discounts

Before making a purchase, ask the manager if the store offers a teacher's discount. If he or she says, "yes," ask if that discount extends to home educators.

If the store requires an official letter, you can create letterhead containing your school name and address using your personal computer, and have it signed by your school principal (aka your husband).

If the store requires you to show a homeschool ID card, you may obtain one from your local homeschool group, or a print a free, custom homeschool identification card from the Homeschool Buyers Coop.

Some merchants may require you to complete an in-store application for a teacher's discount card.

Homeschooling Discounts

Here's a list of merchants that provide home educator discounts:

Academic Superstore

Apple's Home for Homeschools

Barnes & Noble

Books A Million

Borders

Dell Computers (For members of Homeschool Buyers Coop as described below.)

Fedex Kinko's

Half Price Books

Hancock Fabrics

Joann Fabric and Craft Stores

Lakeshore Learning

Microsoft

Office Depot

Office Max

Staples

Teacher Appreciation Days

Some book sellers such as Barnes & Noble, Borders and Scholastic offer additional savings at Teacher's Appreciation Events. Here are some additional sources of discount homeschool books.

Michaels, Office Depot, Office Max, Staples and Wal-mart host Educator Appreciation events in late July/early August where teachers receive freebies and additional discounts. I will update my blog as I become aware of these events.

Homeschool Buyers Coop

The Homeschool Buyers Coop helps homeschoolers take advantage of the purchasing power of membership in a cohesive group.

The coop negotiates discounts and arranges group buys on behalf of its members. It also maintains a website that provides information on local discounts, contests and scholarships, and a free classifieds section.

Membership in the Homeschool Buyers Coop is free!