Top Five Best Buys for Your Homeschool
The Essential Best Buys for Starting Your Homeschool on the Right Foot
No matter where you live or how many children you are homeschooling, there are many must-have items to get started. Here are our picks as the essentials and best buys to get started:
Best Buy: Printer
Our Pick: Brother Printer
Our Brother Printer is a bit older model but is still working after years and years of use.
Pros
- Hardy (withstands banging, shifting, clunking and endless use for many years)
- Ink lasts for a long time (we order one ink cartridge per 7-8 months and it gives clear printing for that long with moderate weekly usage)
- Top cover sometimes slams down.
- Top loading paper feeder is slow but functional and clear, never jams
- Affordable one time purchase ($150-$200)
- Affordable long lasting ink ($45)
Cons
- Paper tray can only hold a small amount of paper at a time
- No good way to use a tray feeder for envelopes or other sized paper (only really takes 8 1/2 x 11)
- Top glass can be small and challenging to get even copies.
- Only uses B&W ink – no color options
Best Buys: Notebooks & Binders
Our Picks: Walmart Binders 1″ & 2″ hard plastic
Our Pick: Walmart Composition Notebooks
Pros & Cons (Binders)
- Sturdy
- Cheap
- Versatile for teacher materials & student
- Holds clear plastic sleeves well
- Doesn’t easily break
- Has front cover sleeve for easy labeling
- Fits and stands up easily on shelving
- Easily bends/falls if overfilled
- Can be expensive if you need more than 10
- Corners of binders can be sharp/break if used often or overfilled
- Binder three prong can get jammed sometimes
Pros & Cons (Notebooks)
- Sturdy
- Versatile
- Good for guiding writing for younger students
- Easily labeled in front or designed (we put stickers on ours)
- Can be used for any subject
- Lasts a long time with many journal entries
- Super cheap ($1.00 or less!)
- Edges can curl/break
- Hard to find – easily stuck under or in other school items (which is good and bad depending on how you utilize the notebook)
Best Buy: Desktop Computer (or Laptop)
Our Picks: HP Laptop or Intel or Apple
Any desktop computer brand with Linux or Windows 11 will work for the needs.
The main purposes for the computer would be: researching, typing practice and writing papers.
HP Pavilion Laptop
Intel i5 Core Desktop computer
Best Buys: Shelving
Our Picks: Walmart Cube Organizers & Hyper Tough Plastic Shelving
It doesn’t have to be expensive to work. While these are not fancy or extra sturdy, they will work to keep you organized and have many practical uses. We like the hyper tough plastic shelving for many reasons – including its used for garages and can support a ton of weight for books, materials and constant use.
Best Buy: Organizers
Our Picks: Walmart/Amazon/Dollar Tree Bins and baskets
These bins & baskets are mostly sturdy, look nice and are AFFORDABLE.
A fool-proof, quick and easy way to declutter the mess with a bin of any size. In a quick day you can have every material ready at hand for anything you need during a school day. There’s no pros/cons. Just try it and it will get you organized.
There are many ways to organize and get a homeschool started. But these are just a few of our top favorites that seem essential. What we love most about these top best buys is that they fit into any schedule or situation you may have. Whether you homeschool in your small living room or a designated schoolroom, it works. These top picks are good for on the run schoolwork, all day school and more.