March 3, 2025 • 26 mins
Ever wondered how to homeschool on a single income in today's two-income world? Join us for the next episode of The Colorado Homeschool Podcast as we dive into this topic with Emily Jarvis, a dedicated homeschool mom and savvy budgeter. Emily and her husband, John, have been married for twelve years and have been navigating the homeschooling journey for the last five years, all while living on a single income with their four children. Emily brings a wealth of practical experience and inspiration, sharing actionable strategies such as thrift shopping, affordable curriculum options, and how to leverage community resources to make homeschooling financially feasible.
Listen in to gain insights and hear Emily's inspiring stories of faith and resourcefulness, teaching us the importance of embracing contentment and prioritizing family values over societal pressures. Whether you’re considering homeschooling or looking for budgeting tips, this episode is packed with valuable advice to help you thrive on your homeschooling journey.
Don’t miss out on this real conversation. Subscribe to The Colorado Homeschool Podcast today and join a community of families dedicated to discipleship and education at home.
The Colorado Homeschool podcast is a ministry of Christian Home Educators of Colorado. We have been motivating parents to disciple the next generation by embracing home discipleship that is Christ centered, parent directed, and free from government control. We invite you to join us in this mission. If you’re looking for support, resources, and inspiration on your homeschooling journey, visit CHEC.org. Don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast and share it with anyone who might benefit from the wisdom shared in this episode!
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Christmas time is just so expensive. And I thought, lord, please,
please provide some black pants. And we went to another thrift store in Castle
Rock and there they were, just the perfect size right there, waiting for me.
Learning to use what you have and what the Lord's giving you. But then on
top of that, if he doesn't provide it, trusting that you don't need
that.
(00:24):
Welcome. It's the Colorado Homeschool Podcast.
Interviewing experts, parents, graduates,
all here to help you navigate this incredible journey called
homeschooling. And if you're looking for resources, tips and help,
go to CHEC.org you'll find what you need. In the meantime,
subscribe, follow along. Well, hello and thank
(00:46):
you for joining us today. I'm your host, Kashia Davis, and
we have a really fun guest with us today. Her name is
Emily Jarvis. I have a great story of how I met her. But
Emily and her husband John have been married for 12 years. They have four
kids. They are in their fifth year of homeschooling. And
I'm so excited because Emily is going to talk to us about one of the
(01:08):
biggest obstacles I hear all the time in homeschooling. How
can I even afford it? Being a single family income
in a two income world? What sacrifices, what strategies?
And so, yeah, so I'll tell you really quickly how I met Emily.
I was actually shopping for, I don't know if you can see all the fun
stuff behind me. We were shopping to stage our
(01:29):
podcast and I was at Goodwill because like
every good homeschooler for the long term, that's my favorite place to
shop, is thrift stores. So I met her there. And right before
I met her, I was, I was literally praying about podcast guests and saying, lord,
I just need a woman or family that would be able to talk about budgeting
and the sacrifices. Cause I was thinking about my own experience with
(01:52):
shopping at thrift stores with my children and how we really
utilized those thrift stores and our budget.
And then Emily came up and she was like, hey, she recognized me.
And I just was loading my car after I talked to her. And literally
the Holy Spirit said, wait a minute, didn't you just pray about this? And I
was so nervous. Cause I thought, oh my gosh, she's gonna think I'm a creepy
(02:12):
stalker. I waited for her in the parking lot and approached her.
So you were so gracious, Emily, because that is a little creepy for some woman
to just walk up to you in the parking lot and ask you to come
onto a podcast. So thank you for being willing and vulnerable.
And I really do feel like the Lord just opened this up. So thank you.
Yeah, you're welcome. So tell me.
(02:35):
Yeah, I mean, we're talking about budget and finances. So
first tell me your story of like, how did you come to homeschool?
And then how was that even the financial. Was that a consideration?
What were those things in your household? What'd you guys talk about? Yeah,
so we had always kind of. Homeschooling had kind of always been in our
brains as an option, my husband and I. But you know, when you have
(02:58):
babies and littles, you're like, I don't need to think about that for a while.
And at the time when my. I have like, I think you said I
have four kids. When my two olders were little, I was still having to work
part time to contribute to our income. So I thought, well, there's just no way
I can home school. I have to work. So I'm like, lord, you're really going
to have to move about in here to provide for me to come home or
whatever. So we had actually my husband and I
(03:20):
been exposed to a lot of homeschooling families even before we had kids. We worked
for a ministry right when we got married called His Little Feet, based out of
Northern Colorado, and it was all homeschool families. And then we had. It was
a orphan children's choir and we were responsible for their schooling while we
were on the road. So that was kind of an interesting experience. And then
later, when my youngest was a little bit older, I started working with
(03:42):
a Christian youth theater here in town, and it's
all homeschool families. So I thought, wow, I'm just meeting like really
feels like this is the community the Lord wants me to be with. But it
was funny because at that time I with
that particular community, not everyone, but a lot
of them seem to have more resources
(04:05):
than I would have going into homeschooling. They were part of multiple co ops. They
did a lot of extracurricular activities, including the one I worked for. And
I thought, oh my goodness, is this what we need to homeschool? Then there's no
way. We're going to have to. I can't ever quit my job. I can't, you
know, so it seemed daunting. The finances seemed
daunting. And we were definitely hesitant for that reason.
(04:26):
But we thought, well, private school's not an option. We don't want to do public
school, so we just need to try to figure this out. And then when my
oldest was at kindergarten age, we Thought, okay, now it's time to make the
Choice. It was 2020. And so she went into kindergarten that
fall of 2020. So I thought, you know what, we're not even going to play
with this school thing. My 6 year old is not doing school on the computer.
(04:46):
She doesn't even know how to use a computer. So. And I'm hearing horror stories
about that. So I thought we're just going to do it. So I found some
really easy, cheap curriculum and I just. We were just home
and it was just so organic the way it worked out because you're used to
being home with your kids already. So we
just all of a sudden started working 20, 30 minutes in our day. I
(05:07):
was school, you know, and it's just, I think a lot of
moms with littles wouldn't you. You spend some of your time anyway teaching your
kids things shapes and colors and all of that. So when you kind of
slide into homeschooling at the way beginning it feels very natural. And
kindergarten is so simple that it is actually pretty affordable,
which was surprising to me. But well, we got
(05:30):
started. I love that, I really love how you said that, that we
slid into it. It was really organic because boy, a lot of
homeschoolers just feel like, well and they start that. I mean I think it's
human nature in any endeavor. We start thinking about, well what about this and what
about this and. And you opened with sort of the comparison like
well, so. And so was doing this program and this program and this program. And
(05:52):
yeah, that was. So after you started and
you slid into homeschooling, what were some practical things that you did
to make it so that you could afford. You. You mentioned you found
affordable curriculum. How did you find that? Yeah,
so I think check was one of the first things that I got connected
with. So there's just so many. Yeah, so so many resources on there
(06:14):
links to good curriculum. And then I went to the seminar,
the. What's it called? The, the Introduction to Homeschool.
Yeah, about a year in I went to that. They were like, oh, you've already
started. I was like, yeah, but just teach me all the things. So that's kind
of what we've always done. If I've ever paid or put my kids into a
co op or something, it's always been something that I could trade my
(06:34):
skills and my time to help pay for tuition. And that's a sacrifice
too because then you're giving your time and there's been seasons where I can't do
that. If I have a newborn. I've been having babies the last 10 years. Last
year we were home and we didn't do anything because I had to be home.
And that was fine. And that was actually a really great year of homeschooling. So
I need to remember. Yes, less is more, usually with homeschooling,
(06:54):
especially with littles. Well, I think, you know what, I'm. I'm just gonna
draw back to what you said about, especially in kindergarten,
that you just started implementing a little bit. Because I tell
people, honestly, you could homeschool with a library card. You really could.
If you're intentional about what you're learning and you're reading and you're living your life.
And there's this great intimidation for homeschool parents
(07:16):
where they feel like. Or parents considering homeschooling. Well, I could never
teach my children, but you've taught them everything they know up to this point
and, and all the things that you've done naturally. I feel like we have this
idea that just needs to be taken away. That's not what educate home
education is about, right? Absolutely. And I think you hear
so many parents who are experienced in homeschooling telling you that when you're starting,
(07:39):
like, it's just so you can do it for free if you wanted to. And
I feel like now that I finally have my feet wet a little bit with
five years, I'm like, oh, I finally get what they're saying. Like, it doesn't need
to be complicated. Like you're saying, I promise you that expensive
curriculum you're paying for is going to teach your kids the exact same thing. I
mean, it's really. It's pretty simple. Yeah.
Yeah. Well, okay, so let's talk about the thrift
(08:02):
store. I mean, we met at a thrift store. And how does that work? So
were there. It's kind of countercultural. Well, it's kind of trendy right
now, actually. Thankfully, thrifting is really popular. A lot of
young adults that I know in my world, my. I told you, my children are
young adults. So their friends are all about finding the really cool
thrift stores. But it wasn't always. So tell me about
(08:24):
that and how that works into the choices that you're making as a family to
prioritize you being home, because we kind of skip that
over. You were a home, a stay at home mom before you had children. Right?
Working just part time. Just part time. Yeah. We worked for, like I said, we
worked for that ministry when we first got married and then when we were actually
on tour with them, I got pregnant. So we came home and I was pregnant.
(08:45):
So it was. And that was. We'd only been married a year. So
that actually with that season. So we're
coming out of ministry. I know, I don't know if there's any going to be
listeners who have done that, but it can be hard to kind of get your
feet back on the ground financially after that. And
so that season after I'd had my daughter, I couldn't go back to work. She
(09:06):
was a very difficult baby and my recovery was really
hard and so I planned on going back to work, but I remember they called
me at like six weeks, they're like, okay, it's time to come back. And I
was like, nope. So we just had to figure it out. And that's really when
I started thrifting. And I, I like look back on that season and I'm so
thankful for what the Lord taught me as far as just
(09:26):
making do with what you have and the resources he's given you.
I try to constantly remember that the Lord gives you what you need. And
so it doesn't, it's not a. It doesn't do much
to sit and think, well, why can't I afford the fancy car? Why can't I
get. And I'm not perfect at this by any means, but why can't I afford
the fancy car? Why can't we go to the fun co ops that everybody else
(09:47):
does and do all the extracurriculars? But the Lord is not providing for us in
a way that we can do that. And I just need to trust that that's
where he wants us. So I learned so much in those early
years about what do I have in my pantry? Like I just need to figure
out. And I got better at cooking through that and then going to the thrift
store. And there's so many times actually when I met you at Goodwill, like I
went to find homeschool, I was looking for Halloween costumes, which we don't really do
(10:11):
Halloween, but dressing up is one thing. My kids love to participate in that. And
so I thought, okay, we're going go to the well. And there's been so many
times I've gone to Goodwill or another thrift store and the Lord has provided
exactly what I need. And I. Anyone who thrifts knows that you
don't really go to thrift stores to look for exactly what you need, right?
So I found that day I met you, I found all three costumes. They were
(10:33):
three costumes my kids actually liked and they were actually in their sizes, which is
a miracle. So. Yeah. Woo.
So many times my kids in me to buy new shoes or, you know,
just, just this last week my son was in a Christmas concert and he needed
black pants. And you know, Christmas time is just so expensive. And I thought,
lord, please, please provide some black pants. And we
(10:54):
went to another thrift store in Castle Rock and there they were, just the perfect
size right there, waiting for me. Learning to use what you have and what the
Lord's given you. But then on top of that, if he doesn't provide it, trusting
that you. Don'T need that, that's wise. You know, I, I
became a Christian as an adult and my very first favorite
Bible verse, I realized later in life I was doing out of
(11:16):
context. It's, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And I was
like, yeah, I can do it. Woohoo. But then when you, when I learned the
context of that is I can be content with a little or
with a lot. And that is, boy, that what you're teaching your
children in that. So have you seen that played out because of
the choices that you're making? And we live in a world where a lot of
(11:38):
people have two incomes and they can afford to eat out regularly or
to vacation on these extravagant things.
Have you been, have you seen examples of being able to teach your children
about being content with a little or with a lot? Yeah, I feel
like that's a lesson that we're constantly having to
teach not just them but ourselves, because it does feel like, I don't know if
(12:01):
it's living in Castle Rock or Colorado in general, it's higher income around
us. And so it does feel like you're just constantly surrounded with, oh, I'm going
to Hawaii or we're going to Disneyland for the third time.
Yeah, we've never been to Disneyland or wherever. I don't
know, you know, and just having those conversations of like, you know, the
Lord will go and it's a good time for us to go, and it's when
(12:23):
the Lord opens that door for us to go and it's just not now. And
that's okay, you know. Thankfully, my
husband and I both grew up in more modest homes, so I feel like
that's, I feel like we're like kind of continuing this lesson
that's been taught that used to be kind of normal in past generations.
That's been. Yeah, I mean, it's frustrating for my children, but I
(12:44):
think in the end they'll be thankful that they'd I didn't have all the
things. And, you know,
so, yeah, you're right. You're sowing seeds. You're. You're teaching them
character, and you're giving them a biblical worldview. Right. To. To
consider the things that really do matter. And I will tell you, I.
I think I've said it already. My children are young adults, and when they hit
(13:06):
that teenage year, I mean, we had a certain budget for their clothing. So the
first thing we did was we still went to the. The thrift stores to try
to get some staples, and it was a finite amount of money.
And I remember finally giving my kids the reins because
they were like, no, no, I don't want this, Mom. And then they went to
the mall to try to buy the clothing that they wanted. It was like, okay,
(13:26):
for the same amount of money, you get two items, or we can do a
whole wardrobe. What would you rather. Yep. So it's kind of an
epiphany to. To hand the reins over and let them make those choices.
But you're right, Emily, though, it's. It's also, for
me, I need to be reminded of those things to not get caught
up in. I mean, we're recording this at Christmas time. We're. We're not airing this.
(13:48):
It's going to come out later, but right now, it's around us everywhere.
They're like, how many gifts are you buying? And what. What stuff? It's.
I don't know. It's really, really easy to get caught up
into and to start to believe that
you're not blessed. And that's not true at all. Right. Really a good
way of wording it. Yeah. Yeah. So what are some other
(14:11):
practical things that you guys have done? You mentioned already cooking out of the
pantry and learning how to be a good cook, because
that's. That's a big. So tell me a little bit about that. Have. What other
practical things have you had to do to kind of make the budget work
to make this sacrifice? Yeah. So as far as those kind of
everyday needs, go, learning how to bulk shop
(14:32):
Costco, Sam's Club style, learning how to
stretch your food and not just go grab what you need,
which was a learning curve for me because I am not a meal planner at
all. I am not one. I'm like, what sounds good? That's what I want and
love. If there's anything wrong with running to the grocery store to pick up whatever.
But. But then, you know, anyone
(14:53):
with kids knows that food goes really fast. So some practical
examples would be like, My kids really like yogurt, so I learned how to make
yogurt. Yeah. Because it goes so fast.
And, you know, and I make my own bread because bread is so expensive and
it goes so fast. We eat a ton of eggs.
So this last year we got seven chickens, and we want to get more next
(15:15):
year so we can supplement our own eggs. So. Because the
more you do these things, the more you realize, wow, this is so much more
affordable. And you're controlling what's in your food and where it's
coming from. So if those are cares or concerns for you, that's definitely the
route to go. You probably get to include your kids in those. Right. Like, have
you taught them how to make the bread, how to take care of the chickens,
(15:36):
how to prep the food? Yeah. Yep. And they all see
where it comes from. And next year, we're hoping they're going to have a real
good eye opener because for next year, we're hoping to get into meat chickens. So
they're going to see, wait, why aren't we killing that chicken? We just bought it,
you know, versus for a while. But so. But that is.
Those are things we want to teach our kids. Like, it's not, you know, every
(15:57):
time a chicken is on the shelf at the grocery store, there's a lot of
work that goes into that. So that. And then, you know, the furniture in our
home is all pretty much used, which is just smart when you
have little kids anyway. But that's another thing that we've always prayed
like, you know, Facebook Marketplace or Goodwill or things like when we really need a
new couch or. And there's been times that we've had to buy things new. And
(16:18):
I. I've tried to trust then, too, that, like, okay, if we need to buy
this and the Lord's not providing it through one of these means, like, he's going
to provide the money we need to get that thing. And it's okay to
spend money. I think sometimes when you're a thrifter, you think, oh, my goodness, there's
just no way I can spend this money. It's too much. You know, And Lord's
like, it's okay, you can go buy that rug. You don't need to thrift. The.
Just wait for a good sale and then buy the rug. No. Or something like
(16:39):
that. We've never had car
payments. We've always tried to avoid that. And that's also been through
the Lord blessing us. Or like you said, driving older vehicles and. Or I don't
know if you said that on here. But when we were talking earlier
and not always having the nice car. I mean, I do have several friends who
always. And this is. They can totally do this. It's fine. But they always
(17:01):
have a new car every two or three years and that's fine. That's their choice.
But that's just not an option for us, you know, so we tried to buy
cars in cash. We did have to get a new vehicle when my third. When
we had our third baby. But we paid it off as fast as we can
because we're like, oh my goodness, this is such a big payment every month. You
know, are there any times that you feel like when is
it that it is the most obvious and you feel a little like
(17:23):
less than maybe because you are not keeping up with the Joneses or you don't
drive that fancy car or. Or is that even a
consideration? Yeah, I mean, like you said, I feel like I'm.
I feel like it's pretty in our face most of the time because most of
our neighbors are double income. Most of our church community is double
income. And yeah, so I feel
(17:45):
like it's a pretty constant thing that you're
faced with. I don't know. I don't know if it's just because of where I
live or something. I don't know because I always tell my mom, I talked to
her, I'm like, mom growing up. Because I'm from a family of four kids too,
so is my husband. And I thought, was this the way it was when you
were younger? I just felt like the people I grew up with were more simple.
She's like, no, it was a little different in Colorado back then. It was not
(18:06):
as crazy, but so it's. But then the more you're
around that and you view the double income thing and you know, that's a
sacrifice people are making too. And I don't know if they always realize that. You
know, I was so young when I had kids that I didn't have a career.
And at the time I was so self conscious of that when I was younger.
And now I'm like, I'm so thankful for that because I didn't have to juggle
(18:27):
that choice of why am I going to fall out of my career and
lose my status or be a stay at home mom. It was just so obvious
to me, oh, I may be a mom now. You know, I love you're saying
some really great things are making me think about reminding me of my life.
But you mentioned that sometimes if there's something you need. Need you do some kind
of barter or trade. So, like, tell me about how that has worked
(18:49):
out. Yeah, so mostly that's been with like, co op stuff
or my. What do you mean by co op
stuff? Like the co op that we're a part of right now. I teach at.
So I'm there. Oh, okay. Yeah. So it pays for all of my kids. I
have two kids there and it pays their tuition. Completely amazing.
So that's what we've done both times. Like, hey, it's an arts enrichment program. And
(19:12):
hey, I have a history in music computer I can teach. They're like, great. I
love that. Yeah. So that's always what we've done for that. It's almost been something
like we were not going to do the co op unless I can do something
like that. And then my daughter takes
piano lessons from my dad. Oh, that's
thinking outside of the box. That's awesome. Well, we drove down to Littleton, which is
about 30 minutes away from us, every day, or not every day, every week.
(19:35):
And my dad teaches her that
sometimes you do have to make your life a little more complicated to get things
that are not as expensive. We could sign up at the music store down the
street, but. But that's a double win because you're also seeing your father
weekly, right? Yes. So what about, like,
date nights and things in your marriage? And how do you accomplish that,
(19:57):
you know, on a. A tighter budget? Are you utilizing friends
or family or in dates. Stay dates.
Yeah. So we've been. We're so blessed. Both of our
families live around us, which actually is a conscious choice we made. There
was a couple years ago, we were contemplating moving out of Colorado
because it's just so expensive to live. But my husband's whole side of the family
(20:19):
is here, and my whole side of the family is here.
So we financially have sacrificed to stay
here, but with that comes those relationships
you were just talking about. And so as far as date nights go, we have
amazing. My husband's sisters both live here in Castle Rock,
and then his parents live pretty close to us too. So they'll come and they'll
(20:40):
watch so we can go out, which is just huge. I always think about people
who live away from their famil. I'm like, oh, that would be so hard. But
we keep it pretty simple. When we go out, we'll just. Sometimes we'll just get
a cup of coffee and walk around downtown and. Or
actually all of our dates include a trip to a thrift store.
Well, that's really impressive. I don't know that my husband is down for that or
ever. Well, my husband loves to walk around. I'm like, where did he go? I
(21:03):
can't find him. So if you ever see us again at Goodwill, it might be
on the date night. Oh, I love that. That's so cute. Well, I just want
to add a tip for anybody who isn't by family.
We lived away from family for most of our marriage, and my family
was my church. And so we. I just found friends in the same boat, and
I was like, can I watch your kids for a date night? And will you
watch mine? And we just did lots of trading. So many good,
(21:25):
trustworthy teenagers, too, that, like, would be like, I'll watch them for free.
I'll do it. So, yeah. Or some kind of a trade,
like you teach music or help them tutor
speech. I mean, there's so many creative ways. That's why I love homeschooling is
it really is about finding the needs of your family. Prioritizing
what God wants to prioritize, not what the town of Castle Rock.
(21:47):
I love Castle Rock. I live in Castle Rock, too. I love it here,
and I love Colorado.
Mostly it is expensive, but I love what God
wants. Right. And honoring our families and prioritizing that
and teaching our children to love the Lord. And that
is. It's not really a sacrifice. When I look back on it, that's. Always so
(22:10):
encouraging to hear from a mom with who's done it all the way through. Well,
how has your family. It sounds like you come from a Christian family,
and you've got lots of support in that, and they understand that decision. So there
hasn't been any criticism from that realm.
For the most part? No. I wouldn't say criticism, but definitely some, like, side
eyes. Like, are you sure this is what you want to do? Well, but
(22:32):
very, very politely, let's look forward. Or are
you sure this is working? Or are you sure that
curriculum is sufficiently teaching your children what they need to know? That's
kind of the questions that I get, which, in the beginning, you're very like, well,
I don't know. I hope so. But with more experience, you're like, yeah,
it's okay. We're fine. But for the most part, as the longer we've done it,
(22:53):
our family has been very like, oh, this is just so normal now. You know,
I think they're starting to see, oh, wow. This is just. This is a really
unique way of educating your kids when you're not used to it. But
there's so many benefits to it. Yeah. Well, if you look at our,
the vision statement of check, we say we envision families honoring Christ by
embracing home discipleship that is Christ centered, parent directed, and
(23:15):
free from government control. That really doesn't include the word
education. But that's what home education gives you the
opportunity to do is to disciple your child in the way that he should
go. Right. Or she should go, which is so awesome. And so
now that you've been homeschooling, now you're in your fifth year, are you starting to
see family go, oh, and they really love to see it. Yeah.
(23:36):
And I think they are seeing. And we're seeing too, because we're extreme
alongside of that, of what you're saying about, you know,
it's so easy to focus on the education, but that's just such a side. It's
not a side thing for us, but it's such a small part. I don't, I
don't want to, like, I'm not trying to make it sound like it's not important,
but it's just a piece of what we do. Like, there's so much more to
it. Especially today with kids being exposed to so many things so young
(23:59):
now that my kids are getting. My oldest is going to be 10 next month.
And she, you know, seeing kids her age and the things that they see and
the things that they're saying, and you're just like, this is, this is not to
shelter them, but this is why we do this. Because she's not old enough to
see these things. She's not, you know, to protect her childhood in a way. All
of their childhoods, in a way. So it's. Yeah. And just
fostering those relationships with family and having. Not being exhausted all the
(24:22):
time and not. Yeah, it's been all around. I
love it. Well, Emily, you're saying a lot of the things that I say all
the time to homeschool families that are thinking about it like, you can do this.
There is always this fear of, can I afford it? What sacrifices
need to be made. And what's funny about it is we are talking about
sacrifices, we're talking about budget things, but the truth is they just don't know
(24:44):
yet. It's not a sacrifice. The rewards are way better than the things
that you lose. Right? Yes. So true. So it is true. You might have to
cook your meals at home and you might have to consider having an older
car. You might have to consider not getting a brand new house
and making the kids share a bedroom, that kind of thing. Um,
so. But they're all really temporary things. And when
(25:06):
you talk about the eternal impact on raising your children and
instilling in them that biblical worldview. Well done,
Mama. I am so, so blessed to hear your story. I think
I. I opened with it. I said, you know, I really consider the homeschool
families doing the work the heroes of the story. And you really are one of
our heroes. So thank you for joining us today and
(25:28):
sharing a little bit of your practical advice. And it really is
a. The blessed life, right? Yes, absolutely. Thank
you so much for joining us today. The Colorado Homeschool
Podcast is a ministry of Christian Home Educators of Colorado. We
have been motivating parents to disciple the next generation by
embracing home disciples that is Christ centered, parent directed,
(25:51):
and free from government control. We invite you to join us in this mission.
If you want to support homeschooling in Colorado, go to
CHEC.org donate in the meantime, share this with
your friends and make sure you subscribe. That really helps us. Thank
you.
(26:11):
Brought to you by the podcast upload.com empowering
faith driven voices.
Christmas time is just so expensive. And I thought, lord, please,
please provide some black pants. And we went to another thrift store in Castle
Rock and there they were, just the perfect size right there, waiting for me.
Learning to use what you have and what the Lord's giving you. But then on
top of that, if he doesn't provide it, trusting that you don't need
that.
(00:24):
Welcome. It's the Colorado Homeschool Podcast.
Interviewing experts, parents, graduates,
all here to help you navigate this incredible journey called
homeschooling. And if you're looking for resources, tips and help,
go to CHEC.org you'll find what you need. In the meantime,
subscribe, follow along. Well, hello and thank
(00:46):
you for joining us today. I'm your host, Kashia Davis, and
we have a really fun guest with us today. Her name is
Emily Jarvis. I have a great story of how I met her. But
Emily and her husband John have been married for 12 years. They have four
kids. They are in their fifth year of homeschooling. And
I'm so excited because Emily is going to talk to us about one of the
(01:08):
biggest obstacles I hear all the time in homeschooling. How
can I even afford it? Being a single family income
in a two income world? What sacrifices, what strategies?
And so, yeah, so I'll tell you really quickly how I met Emily.
I was actually shopping for, I don't know if you can see all the fun
stuff behind me. We were shopping to stage our
(01:29):
podcast and I was at Goodwill because like
every good homeschooler for the long term, that's my favorite place to
shop, is thrift stores. So I met her there. And right before
I met her, I was, I was literally praying about podcast guests and saying, lord,
I just need a woman or family that would be able to talk about budgeting
and the sacrifices. Cause I was thinking about my own experience with
(01:52):
shopping at thrift stores with my children and how we really
utilized those thrift stores and our budget.
And then Emily came up and she was like, hey, she recognized me.
And I just was loading my car after I talked to her. And literally
the Holy Spirit said, wait a minute, didn't you just pray about this? And I
was so nervous. Cause I thought, oh my gosh, she's gonna think I'm a creepy
(02:12):
stalker. I waited for her in the parking lot and approached her.
So you were so gracious, Emily, because that is a little creepy for some woman
to just walk up to you in the parking lot and ask you to come
onto a podcast. So thank you for being willing and vulnerable.
And I really do feel like the Lord just opened this up. So thank you.
Yeah, you're welcome. So tell me.
(02:35):
Yeah, I mean, we're talking about budget and finances. So
first tell me your story of like, how did you come to homeschool?
And then how was that even the financial. Was that a consideration?
What were those things in your household? What'd you guys talk about? Yeah,
so we had always kind of. Homeschooling had kind of always been in our
brains as an option, my husband and I. But you know, when you have
(02:58):
babies and littles, you're like, I don't need to think about that for a while.
And at the time when my. I have like, I think you said I
have four kids. When my two olders were little, I was still having to work
part time to contribute to our income. So I thought, well, there's just no way
I can home school. I have to work. So I'm like, lord, you're really going
to have to move about in here to provide for me to come home or
whatever. So we had actually my husband and I
(03:20):
been exposed to a lot of homeschooling families even before we had kids. We worked
for a ministry right when we got married called His Little Feet, based out of
Northern Colorado, and it was all homeschool families. And then we had. It was
a orphan children's choir and we were responsible for their schooling while we
were on the road. So that was kind of an interesting experience. And then
later, when my youngest was a little bit older, I started working with
(03:42):
a Christian youth theater here in town, and it's
all homeschool families. So I thought, wow, I'm just meeting like really
feels like this is the community the Lord wants me to be with. But it
was funny because at that time I with
that particular community, not everyone, but a lot
of them seem to have more resources
(04:05):
than I would have going into homeschooling. They were part of multiple co ops. They
did a lot of extracurricular activities, including the one I worked for. And
I thought, oh my goodness, is this what we need to homeschool? Then there's no
way. We're going to have to. I can't ever quit my job. I can't, you
know, so it seemed daunting. The finances seemed
daunting. And we were definitely hesitant for that reason.
(04:26):
But we thought, well, private school's not an option. We don't want to do public
school, so we just need to try to figure this out. And then when my
oldest was at kindergarten age, we Thought, okay, now it's time to make the
Choice. It was 2020. And so she went into kindergarten that
fall of 2020. So I thought, you know what, we're not even going to play
with this school thing. My 6 year old is not doing school on the computer.
(04:46):
She doesn't even know how to use a computer. So. And I'm hearing horror stories
about that. So I thought we're just going to do it. So I found some
really easy, cheap curriculum and I just. We were just home
and it was just so organic the way it worked out because you're used to
being home with your kids already. So we
just all of a sudden started working 20, 30 minutes in our day. I
(05:07):
was school, you know, and it's just, I think a lot of
moms with littles wouldn't you. You spend some of your time anyway teaching your
kids things shapes and colors and all of that. So when you kind of
slide into homeschooling at the way beginning it feels very natural. And
kindergarten is so simple that it is actually pretty affordable,
which was surprising to me. But well, we got
(05:30):
started. I love that, I really love how you said that, that we
slid into it. It was really organic because boy, a lot of
homeschoolers just feel like, well and they start that. I mean I think it's
human nature in any endeavor. We start thinking about, well what about this and what
about this and. And you opened with sort of the comparison like
well, so. And so was doing this program and this program and this program. And
(05:52):
yeah, that was. So after you started and
you slid into homeschooling, what were some practical things that you did
to make it so that you could afford. You. You mentioned you found
affordable curriculum. How did you find that? Yeah,
so I think check was one of the first things that I got connected
with. So there's just so many. Yeah, so so many resources on there
(06:14):
links to good curriculum. And then I went to the seminar,
the. What's it called? The, the Introduction to Homeschool.
Yeah, about a year in I went to that. They were like, oh, you've already
started. I was like, yeah, but just teach me all the things. So that's kind
of what we've always done. If I've ever paid or put my kids into a
co op or something, it's always been something that I could trade my
(06:34):
skills and my time to help pay for tuition. And that's a sacrifice
too because then you're giving your time and there's been seasons where I can't do
that. If I have a newborn. I've been having babies the last 10 years. Last
year we were home and we didn't do anything because I had to be home.
And that was fine. And that was actually a really great year of homeschooling. So
I need to remember. Yes, less is more, usually with homeschooling,
(06:54):
especially with littles. Well, I think, you know what, I'm. I'm just gonna
draw back to what you said about, especially in kindergarten,
that you just started implementing a little bit. Because I tell
people, honestly, you could homeschool with a library card. You really could.
If you're intentional about what you're learning and you're reading and you're living your life.
And there's this great intimidation for homeschool parents
(07:16):
where they feel like. Or parents considering homeschooling. Well, I could never
teach my children, but you've taught them everything they know up to this point
and, and all the things that you've done naturally. I feel like we have this
idea that just needs to be taken away. That's not what educate home
education is about, right? Absolutely. And I think you hear
so many parents who are experienced in homeschooling telling you that when you're starting,
(07:39):
like, it's just so you can do it for free if you wanted to. And
I feel like now that I finally have my feet wet a little bit with
five years, I'm like, oh, I finally get what they're saying. Like, it doesn't need
to be complicated. Like you're saying, I promise you that expensive
curriculum you're paying for is going to teach your kids the exact same thing. I
mean, it's really. It's pretty simple. Yeah.
Yeah. Well, okay, so let's talk about the thrift
(08:02):
store. I mean, we met at a thrift store. And how does that work? So
were there. It's kind of countercultural. Well, it's kind of trendy right
now, actually. Thankfully, thrifting is really popular. A lot of
young adults that I know in my world, my. I told you, my children are
young adults. So their friends are all about finding the really cool
thrift stores. But it wasn't always. So tell me about
(08:24):
that and how that works into the choices that you're making as a family to
prioritize you being home, because we kind of skip that
over. You were a home, a stay at home mom before you had children. Right?
Working just part time. Just part time. Yeah. We worked for, like I said, we
worked for that ministry when we first got married and then when we were actually
on tour with them, I got pregnant. So we came home and I was pregnant.
(08:45):
So it was. And that was. We'd only been married a year. So
that actually with that season. So we're
coming out of ministry. I know, I don't know if there's any going to be
listeners who have done that, but it can be hard to kind of get your
feet back on the ground financially after that. And
so that season after I'd had my daughter, I couldn't go back to work. She
(09:06):
was a very difficult baby and my recovery was really
hard and so I planned on going back to work, but I remember they called
me at like six weeks, they're like, okay, it's time to come back. And I
was like, nope. So we just had to figure it out. And that's really when
I started thrifting. And I, I like look back on that season and I'm so
thankful for what the Lord taught me as far as just
(09:26):
making do with what you have and the resources he's given you.
I try to constantly remember that the Lord gives you what you need. And
so it doesn't, it's not a. It doesn't do much
to sit and think, well, why can't I afford the fancy car? Why can't I
get. And I'm not perfect at this by any means, but why can't I afford
the fancy car? Why can't we go to the fun co ops that everybody else
(09:47):
does and do all the extracurriculars? But the Lord is not providing for us in
a way that we can do that. And I just need to trust that that's
where he wants us. So I learned so much in those early
years about what do I have in my pantry? Like I just need to figure
out. And I got better at cooking through that and then going to the thrift
store. And there's so many times actually when I met you at Goodwill, like I
went to find homeschool, I was looking for Halloween costumes, which we don't really do
(10:11):
Halloween, but dressing up is one thing. My kids love to participate in that. And
so I thought, okay, we're going go to the well. And there's been so many
times I've gone to Goodwill or another thrift store and the Lord has provided
exactly what I need. And I. Anyone who thrifts knows that you
don't really go to thrift stores to look for exactly what you need, right?
So I found that day I met you, I found all three costumes. They were
(10:33):
three costumes my kids actually liked and they were actually in their sizes, which is
a miracle. So. Yeah. Woo.
So many times my kids in me to buy new shoes or, you know,
just, just this last week my son was in a Christmas concert and he needed
black pants. And you know, Christmas time is just so expensive. And I thought,
lord, please, please provide some black pants. And we
(10:54):
went to another thrift store in Castle Rock and there they were, just the perfect
size right there, waiting for me. Learning to use what you have and what the
Lord's given you. But then on top of that, if he doesn't provide it, trusting
that you. Don'T need that, that's wise. You know, I, I
became a Christian as an adult and my very first favorite
Bible verse, I realized later in life I was doing out of
(11:16):
context. It's, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And I was
like, yeah, I can do it. Woohoo. But then when you, when I learned the
context of that is I can be content with a little or
with a lot. And that is, boy, that what you're teaching your
children in that. So have you seen that played out because of
the choices that you're making? And we live in a world where a lot of
(11:38):
people have two incomes and they can afford to eat out regularly or
to vacation on these extravagant things.
Have you been, have you seen examples of being able to teach your children
about being content with a little or with a lot? Yeah, I feel
like that's a lesson that we're constantly having to
teach not just them but ourselves, because it does feel like, I don't know if
(12:01):
it's living in Castle Rock or Colorado in general, it's higher income around
us. And so it does feel like you're just constantly surrounded with, oh, I'm going
to Hawaii or we're going to Disneyland for the third time.
Yeah, we've never been to Disneyland or wherever. I don't
know, you know, and just having those conversations of like, you know, the
Lord will go and it's a good time for us to go, and it's when
(12:23):
the Lord opens that door for us to go and it's just not now. And
that's okay, you know. Thankfully, my
husband and I both grew up in more modest homes, so I feel like
that's, I feel like we're like kind of continuing this lesson
that's been taught that used to be kind of normal in past generations.
That's been. Yeah, I mean, it's frustrating for my children, but I
(12:44):
think in the end they'll be thankful that they'd I didn't have all the
things. And, you know,
so, yeah, you're right. You're sowing seeds. You're. You're teaching them
character, and you're giving them a biblical worldview. Right. To. To
consider the things that really do matter. And I will tell you, I.
I think I've said it already. My children are young adults, and when they hit
(13:06):
that teenage year, I mean, we had a certain budget for their clothing. So the
first thing we did was we still went to the. The thrift stores to try
to get some staples, and it was a finite amount of money.
And I remember finally giving my kids the reins because
they were like, no, no, I don't want this, Mom. And then they went to
the mall to try to buy the clothing that they wanted. It was like, okay,
(13:26):
for the same amount of money, you get two items, or we can do a
whole wardrobe. What would you rather. Yep. So it's kind of an
epiphany to. To hand the reins over and let them make those choices.
But you're right, Emily, though, it's. It's also, for
me, I need to be reminded of those things to not get caught
up in. I mean, we're recording this at Christmas time. We're. We're not airing this.
(13:48):
It's going to come out later, but right now, it's around us everywhere.
They're like, how many gifts are you buying? And what. What stuff? It's.
I don't know. It's really, really easy to get caught up
into and to start to believe that
you're not blessed. And that's not true at all. Right. Really a good
way of wording it. Yeah. Yeah. So what are some other
(14:11):
practical things that you guys have done? You mentioned already cooking out of the
pantry and learning how to be a good cook, because
that's. That's a big. So tell me a little bit about that. Have. What other
practical things have you had to do to kind of make the budget work
to make this sacrifice? Yeah. So as far as those kind of
everyday needs, go, learning how to bulk shop
(14:32):
Costco, Sam's Club style, learning how to
stretch your food and not just go grab what you need,
which was a learning curve for me because I am not a meal planner at
all. I am not one. I'm like, what sounds good? That's what I want and
love. If there's anything wrong with running to the grocery store to pick up whatever.
But. But then, you know, anyone
(14:53):
with kids knows that food goes really fast. So some practical
examples would be like, My kids really like yogurt, so I learned how to make
yogurt. Yeah. Because it goes so fast.
And, you know, and I make my own bread because bread is so expensive and
it goes so fast. We eat a ton of eggs.
So this last year we got seven chickens, and we want to get more next
(15:15):
year so we can supplement our own eggs. So. Because the
more you do these things, the more you realize, wow, this is so much more
affordable. And you're controlling what's in your food and where it's
coming from. So if those are cares or concerns for you, that's definitely the
route to go. You probably get to include your kids in those. Right. Like, have
you taught them how to make the bread, how to take care of the chickens,
(15:36):
how to prep the food? Yeah. Yep. And they all see
where it comes from. And next year, we're hoping they're going to have a real
good eye opener because for next year, we're hoping to get into meat chickens. So
they're going to see, wait, why aren't we killing that chicken? We just bought it,
you know, versus for a while. But so. But that is.
Those are things we want to teach our kids. Like, it's not, you know, every
(15:57):
time a chicken is on the shelf at the grocery store, there's a lot of
work that goes into that. So that. And then, you know, the furniture in our
home is all pretty much used, which is just smart when you
have little kids anyway. But that's another thing that we've always prayed
like, you know, Facebook Marketplace or Goodwill or things like when we really need a
new couch or. And there's been times that we've had to buy things new. And
(16:18):
I. I've tried to trust then, too, that, like, okay, if we need to buy
this and the Lord's not providing it through one of these means, like, he's going
to provide the money we need to get that thing. And it's okay to
spend money. I think sometimes when you're a thrifter, you think, oh, my goodness, there's
just no way I can spend this money. It's too much. You know, And Lord's
like, it's okay, you can go buy that rug. You don't need to thrift. The.
Just wait for a good sale and then buy the rug. No. Or something like
(16:39):
that. We've never had car
payments. We've always tried to avoid that. And that's also been through
the Lord blessing us. Or like you said, driving older vehicles and. Or I don't
know if you said that on here. But when we were talking earlier
and not always having the nice car. I mean, I do have several friends who
always. And this is. They can totally do this. It's fine. But they always
(17:01):
have a new car every two or three years and that's fine. That's their choice.
But that's just not an option for us, you know, so we tried to buy
cars in cash. We did have to get a new vehicle when my third. When
we had our third baby. But we paid it off as fast as we can
because we're like, oh my goodness, this is such a big payment every month. You
know, are there any times that you feel like when is
it that it is the most obvious and you feel a little like
(17:23):
less than maybe because you are not keeping up with the Joneses or you don't
drive that fancy car or. Or is that even a
consideration? Yeah, I mean, like you said, I feel like I'm.
I feel like it's pretty in our face most of the time because most of
our neighbors are double income. Most of our church community is double
income. And yeah, so I feel
(17:45):
like it's a pretty constant thing that you're
faced with. I don't know. I don't know if it's just because of where I
live or something. I don't know because I always tell my mom, I talked to
her, I'm like, mom growing up. Because I'm from a family of four kids too,
so is my husband. And I thought, was this the way it was when you
were younger? I just felt like the people I grew up with were more simple.
She's like, no, it was a little different in Colorado back then. It was not
(18:06):
as crazy, but so it's. But then the more you're
around that and you view the double income thing and you know, that's a
sacrifice people are making too. And I don't know if they always realize that. You
know, I was so young when I had kids that I didn't have a career.
And at the time I was so self conscious of that when I was younger.
And now I'm like, I'm so thankful for that because I didn't have to juggle
(18:27):
that choice of why am I going to fall out of my career and
lose my status or be a stay at home mom. It was just so obvious
to me, oh, I may be a mom now. You know, I love you're saying
some really great things are making me think about reminding me of my life.
But you mentioned that sometimes if there's something you need. Need you do some kind
of barter or trade. So, like, tell me about how that has worked
(18:49):
out. Yeah, so mostly that's been with like, co op stuff
or my. What do you mean by co op
stuff? Like the co op that we're a part of right now. I teach at.
So I'm there. Oh, okay. Yeah. So it pays for all of my kids. I
have two kids there and it pays their tuition. Completely amazing.
So that's what we've done both times. Like, hey, it's an arts enrichment program. And
(19:12):
hey, I have a history in music computer I can teach. They're like, great. I
love that. Yeah. So that's always what we've done for that. It's almost been something
like we were not going to do the co op unless I can do something
like that. And then my daughter takes
piano lessons from my dad. Oh, that's
thinking outside of the box. That's awesome. Well, we drove down to Littleton, which is
about 30 minutes away from us, every day, or not every day, every week.
(19:35):
And my dad teaches her that
sometimes you do have to make your life a little more complicated to get things
that are not as expensive. We could sign up at the music store down the
street, but. But that's a double win because you're also seeing your father
weekly, right? Yes. So what about, like,
date nights and things in your marriage? And how do you accomplish that,
(19:57):
you know, on a. A tighter budget? Are you utilizing friends
or family or in dates. Stay dates.
Yeah. So we've been. We're so blessed. Both of our
families live around us, which actually is a conscious choice we made. There
was a couple years ago, we were contemplating moving out of Colorado
because it's just so expensive to live. But my husband's whole side of the family
(20:19):
is here, and my whole side of the family is here.
So we financially have sacrificed to stay
here, but with that comes those relationships
you were just talking about. And so as far as date nights go, we have
amazing. My husband's sisters both live here in Castle Rock,
and then his parents live pretty close to us too. So they'll come and they'll
(20:40):
watch so we can go out, which is just huge. I always think about people
who live away from their famil. I'm like, oh, that would be so hard. But
we keep it pretty simple. When we go out, we'll just. Sometimes we'll just get
a cup of coffee and walk around downtown and. Or
actually all of our dates include a trip to a thrift store.
Well, that's really impressive. I don't know that my husband is down for that or
ever. Well, my husband loves to walk around. I'm like, where did he go? I
(21:03):
can't find him. So if you ever see us again at Goodwill, it might be
on the date night. Oh, I love that. That's so cute. Well, I just want
to add a tip for anybody who isn't by family.
We lived away from family for most of our marriage, and my family
was my church. And so we. I just found friends in the same boat, and
I was like, can I watch your kids for a date night? And will you
watch mine? And we just did lots of trading. So many good,
(21:25):
trustworthy teenagers, too, that, like, would be like, I'll watch them for free.
I'll do it. So, yeah. Or some kind of a trade,
like you teach music or help them tutor
speech. I mean, there's so many creative ways. That's why I love homeschooling is
it really is about finding the needs of your family. Prioritizing
what God wants to prioritize, not what the town of Castle Rock.
(21:47):
I love Castle Rock. I live in Castle Rock, too. I love it here,
and I love Colorado.
Mostly it is expensive, but I love what God
wants. Right. And honoring our families and prioritizing that
and teaching our children to love the Lord. And that
is. It's not really a sacrifice. When I look back on it, that's. Always so
(22:10):
encouraging to hear from a mom with who's done it all the way through. Well,
how has your family. It sounds like you come from a Christian family,
and you've got lots of support in that, and they understand that decision. So there
hasn't been any criticism from that realm.
For the most part? No. I wouldn't say criticism, but definitely some, like, side
eyes. Like, are you sure this is what you want to do? Well, but
(22:32):
very, very politely, let's look forward. Or are
you sure this is working? Or are you sure that
curriculum is sufficiently teaching your children what they need to know? That's
kind of the questions that I get, which, in the beginning, you're very like, well,
I don't know. I hope so. But with more experience, you're like, yeah,
it's okay. We're fine. But for the most part, as the longer we've done it,
(22:53):
our family has been very like, oh, this is just so normal now. You know,
I think they're starting to see, oh, wow. This is just. This is a really
unique way of educating your kids when you're not used to it. But
there's so many benefits to it. Yeah. Well, if you look at our,
the vision statement of check, we say we envision families honoring Christ by
embracing home discipleship that is Christ centered, parent directed, and
(23:15):
free from government control. That really doesn't include the word
education. But that's what home education gives you the
opportunity to do is to disciple your child in the way that he should
go. Right. Or she should go, which is so awesome. And so
now that you've been homeschooling, now you're in your fifth year, are you starting to
see family go, oh, and they really love to see it. Yeah.
(23:36):
And I think they are seeing. And we're seeing too, because we're extreme
alongside of that, of what you're saying about, you know,
it's so easy to focus on the education, but that's just such a side. It's
not a side thing for us, but it's such a small part. I don't, I
don't want to, like, I'm not trying to make it sound like it's not important,
but it's just a piece of what we do. Like, there's so much more to
it. Especially today with kids being exposed to so many things so young
(23:59):
now that my kids are getting. My oldest is going to be 10 next month.
And she, you know, seeing kids her age and the things that they see and
the things that they're saying, and you're just like, this is, this is not to
shelter them, but this is why we do this. Because she's not old enough to
see these things. She's not, you know, to protect her childhood in a way. All
of their childhoods, in a way. So it's. Yeah. And just
fostering those relationships with family and having. Not being exhausted all the
(24:22):
time and not. Yeah, it's been all around. I
love it. Well, Emily, you're saying a lot of the things that I say all
the time to homeschool families that are thinking about it like, you can do this.
There is always this fear of, can I afford it? What sacrifices
need to be made. And what's funny about it is we are talking about
sacrifices, we're talking about budget things, but the truth is they just don't know
(24:44):
yet. It's not a sacrifice. The rewards are way better than the things
that you lose. Right? Yes. So true. So it is true. You might have to
cook your meals at home and you might have to consider having an older
car. You might have to consider not getting a brand new house
and making the kids share a bedroom, that kind of thing. Um,
so. But they're all really temporary things. And when
(25:06):
you talk about the eternal impact on raising your children and
instilling in them that biblical worldview. Well done,
Mama. I am so, so blessed to hear your story. I think
I. I opened with it. I said, you know, I really consider the homeschool
families doing the work the heroes of the story. And you really are one of
our heroes. So thank you for joining us today and
(25:28):
sharing a little bit of your practical advice. And it really is
a. The blessed life, right? Yes, absolutely. Thank
you so much for joining us today. The Colorado Homeschool
Podcast is a ministry of Christian Home Educators of Colorado. We
have been motivating parents to disciple the next generation by
embracing home disciples that is Christ centered, parent directed,
(25:51):
and free from government control. We invite you to join us in this mission.
If you want to support homeschooling in Colorado, go to
CHEC.org donate in the meantime, share this with
your friends and make sure you subscribe. That really helps us. Thank
you.
(26:11):
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