In fact, the sodas werent for sipping at all.

They were for science.

The girls loved it.

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Ava, left, and Nadia Hollaway work on an art project during school time at home in downtown St. Petersburg. Aileen Perilla/The Penny Hoarder

We did the soda thing lots of times, Nadia said.

Probably not as good as youd like.

It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

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But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

Ask one of these companies to help…

The messy experiment was part of a home-school lesson about volcanoes.

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We went the Home schooling route when Nadia was getting ready to go to kindergarten, Hollaway said.

Then once we started, it just took off, and we havent stopped yet.

Nadia is now in fifth grade, and Ava is in second grade.

Hollaway also has a 21-month-old daughter, Joyce.

But now, shes hit her stride.

And shes found that Home schooling doesnt have to be expensive if youre conscious about your spending.

Heres what has worked for her family.

Her mother connected her to veteran home-school moms she knew.

Hollaway even joined a home-school co-op a group of families that cooperatively educate their kids.

Being in touch with other home-schooling families gave Hollaway a sense of support.

It also provided her with ideas for how to educate her kids on her own.

She said the home-schooling moms she met were excited to share the learning materials that worked for their children.

The only curriculum Id purchase was probably a few math books, Hollaway said.

Everything else was given to me.

Hollaway recommends new home-school parents consider joining a co-op to get that valuable support.

Every co-op is different, she said, and the cost to join will vary.

Hollaway recalls paying about $100 per semester for her eldest daughter to attend co-op sessions once a week.

Outside of home-school co-ops, Hollaway advises parents to tap into the skills and talents of friends and family.

Use the people that you know, she said.

Hollaways daughters learned penmanship from their great-grandmother, who is a retired teacher.

[She] always had them writing, she said.

She also advises parents to check out thrift stores for books and teaching materials.

Shes found whole sets of curricula some for math, some for science at thrift stores.

Hollaway and her girls live about a half-mile from one of the library branches in her city.

The library is very helpful, Hollaway said.

We used to go for story time and then just always get library books and sometimes DVDs.

Many public libraries offer more free gems.

you might take advantage of computer access and community programs hosted on-site.

Your library may even let patronscheck out unique itemslike museum passes, science tools and musical instruments.

Some places offer free admission a couple times per year specifically for home-schooling families.

Others offer educator discounts that reduce the price of admission.

We love our home-school field trips, she said.

Balance Home Schooling With Work

Hollaway said the major financial challenge with home schooling isnt purchasing books and supplies.

Its balancing home schooling with working to earn a living.

The first year she home-schooled, Hollaway worked nights as a janitor.

She also worked as a nanny out of her home for two years.

Hollaway is a small-business owner.

Shes the founder of Cultured Books, a pop-up childrens bookstore that specializes in books featuring children of color.

Hollaways daughters participate in the business by selling their art.

Being at the bookstore helps them learn entrepreneurial skills, like how to price items for profit.

You dont have to quit your 9-to-5 job, she said.

you’ve got the option to home-school when you get off work.

Home school doesnt just start in the morning and end in the afternoon.

Nicole Dow is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)

You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…