It is, perhaps, an inherit trait of homeschooling moms to love homeschooling curriculum.*
In fact, some homeschooling moms refer to themselves as homeschool curriculum junkies.
We love to research, purchase, and use homeschool curriculum. And when a new school year approaches, we're ready to do it all over again!
Yet, one negative result of being a homeschool curriculum junkie is that we often end up with shelves, closets, storage boxes, and even just piles of homeschool curriculum.
If we're not at the end of our homeschooling journeys, we can, of course, inventory our vast array of curriculum to determine what can be used in the future. Yet, let's be honest. We all end up with some stuff that, for whatever reason, is not going to be of use.
What can we do with the curriculum overflow? Here are some suggestions:
USED CURRICULUM SALES
You can regain at least a portion of your original expenditures by reselling your used materials at an organized used curriculum sale.
Some homeschool support groups sponsor such sales, and often members can obtain tables from which to sell their items at a reduced rate or even as a member benefit.
NICHE also offers an annual used curriculum sale in connection with the Homeschool Iowa Conference.
Be sure to respect the copyright protections on your materials.
ONLINE MARKETPLACE SALES
Another means of gaining income from your curriculum excess is to offer your materials for sale on an online marketplace. There are many possible platforms to use (e.g. Amazon, Homeschool Classifieds, Vegsource, etc.). You can find others with a simple online search.
The Homeschool Iowa Facebook Marketplace is another tool to offer your used curriculum for sale online, at no cost to you.
By the way, the same copyright cautions mentioned above also apply to online sales.
SWAPS OR DONATIONS
If you are not concerned about obtaining cash for your leftovers, you might also consider swapping or donating them.
Perhaps you can connect with another homeschooling mom who might want to trade something you don't want for something she doesn't want. Or maybe you know another homeschooling mom who would welcome the donation of your castoff curriculum.
SAY GOODBYE TO CURRICULUM CLUTTER
Yes, we all love our homeschool curriculum when we're researching and purchasing it, but let's avoid letting the accumulating results of our enthusiasm overwhelm us.
Send that curriculum overflow on to others (even if it's just to make room for the next installment)!
*Yes, we know that the plural of curriculum is curricula. However, we defer in this article to common usage that has become recognized and familiar.