Top Free Streaming Channels for 2023

In 2011, we decided to cut the cable out of our lives. We were spending far too much money on our cable service. We had 400 channels and only watched 10. We were also spending most of our time watching YouTube creators or free movies. At that time, streaming was just really kicking off and our options were limited.

With more and more people switching to streaming, there are now a ton of options. Unfortunately, you can end up spending just as much on multiple streaming channels as you did on your cable. If you are trying to lower your home entertainment bill, stay within budget, and still have variety here are some of the top free streaming channels to consider for your 2023 budget.

Tubi

Tubi is a free streaming services offering movies, TV series, and even an extensive kids section. There are several reasons I decided to use Tubi, other than the free price tag. We wanted a streaming service that had a kids option. Most services do, but we were trying to avoid certain programs for our son. We found that Tubi had the most extensive free library for kids and the options made it easy to find the right shows for him and avoid the others. 

One thing to know about me is that I love true crime documentaries and Tubi had me covered. There documentary section is extensive and, in my opinion, one of the best available for free. Tubi does not require a credit card, is free to use and to sign up (signing up also gives you the ability to save your progress), and it can be streamed on your phone or other device. 

Freevee

For free movies, Freevee can't be beat. Freevee is formerly IMDB movies and is now the free movie streaming service of Amazon. This streaming app can be downloaded to your phone, tablet, PS4, and many other devices. There are a ton of family movies, which is one of the reasons we downloaded it and use it. In fact, it is our go to app for family movie and game night. Freevee also has classic TV, like Bewitched as well as an extensive TV series section. If you are into horror movies, check out there library. It is a great mix of new movies and cult classics. Another key reason to have Freevee is their Live News broadcasts. Fox News, for example, is live on Freevee. This is ideal if you want to keep up with the latest news without having to pay for a specific service. 

Pluto

Pluto is an outstanding free alternative to traditional cable. In fact, if you look at how Pluto is set up, it looks nearly identical to the major cable companies format around the country. Pluto has over 400 channels ranging from movies to specific TV series. Hell's Kitchen, Mountain Men, and other well known series even have their own channels that stream the shows 24 hours a day. Pluto also offers an outstanding selection of news channels including the BBC, Skynews, Fox, and CNN. 

By combining these three free streaming services you can stay updated on local and world news, stream free movies, and watch some of your favorite TV shows. All of these options are yours without spending a dime or sacrificing your entertainment. 

Frugal Cooking Series: Taveran Stew

 

After the pandemic, we all experienced the sticker shock COVID left in its wake. You may be wondering how you will prepare a healthy meal for your family and still manage to stay in budget. One way to go is with canned food. Not only will you be able to feed yourself, you will feel satisfied, and you will be able to begin a stockpile without going off your budget.

Ingredients

1 can of cream of chicken or mushroom soup

1 can of whole potatoes

1 can of mixed vegetables

Milk

Seasonings (I used paprika, salt, and pepper)

Cooking Pot

Directions

Open all three cans of food.

Drain the vegetables and the potatoes.

Empty the 3 cans into a cooking pot.

Place pot over high heat.

Add one can of whole milk.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium low. 

Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Add cheese or bacon bits (optional)

Serve with toast or french bread.

This meal serves 3-4 people. You can garnish it any way you would like or at meat and vegetables to your taste.

4 Full Homeschool Curriculum Options You Can Get For Free

Our "Kiddo" during Language Arts

When I started my path as a homeschool educator five years ago, I didn't even know there was such a thing as "free" curriculum. To me, free curriculum meant that someone gifted it to me or handed it down to me. I spent the next few years buying the least expensive options I could only to find that most of the program did not work and I was unable to sell any of the remaining program. I bought resources that I thought would work, only to find that my son didn't do well with that learning style. 

Last year I had a breakthrough. Well, a breakthrough isn't exactly true. I had a crying jag at nearly midnight one night from the frustration and opened my laptop. My plan was to play around with my Pinterest board until I was so tired I couldn't stand it. What happened was, I began finding free homeschool resources. Some were hits and a lot were misses. Some were supplements, some were apps, and often there was a hidden fee to them. Finally, I found 4 options that were full curriculum and free (okay, you have to print some stuff, but all in all the downloads were inclusive and free). 

To save you the hunting and the guess work, I'm putting all four here, with links. I'm also going to review them and let you know what you are getting upfront. The pros and cons. The good, the bad, and the often time ugly. Full disclosure. No sugar coating. 

So, if you are ready to see if one of these free programs is for you, keep reading.

Miniature Masterminds

Miniature Masterminds is at the top of my list for a very good reason. It includes literally everything. There is no guess work to this program. They cover Pre-K through 2nd grade currently, and it is truly a complete curriculum. Though you can supplement if you would like, no books are necessary. Everything is explained, the printouts include the worksheets, and there is room for your student to do any writing or other work on the printouts. One of the key benefits that stuck out to me when I first saw this site was the lesson plans! Yes, not only do you get the curriculum you also get a detailed lesson plan for each subject and grade. You literally print it out, follow the lesson plan, and you are good to go.

Pros:

Lesson Plans are Included.

Math, Reading, Language Arts, Science, History, Art, and Health are all covered.

You can choose what you use and leave the rest.

No books are required. 

It is 100% free. All you have to do is download what you want and print it out.

All of the printouts are clearly labeled in the top corners with the subject, the week, and the day of the week the page corresponds to. There is no guessing. 

Cons:

The program only goes to 2nd grade. At this time there is no program for 3rd grade and higher.

You do need an attendance method of some kind. (See my blog "Affordable Attendance Tracking Options" for some ideas.)

You have a lot to print out. (If you need a printing option that is affordable, check out my "Affordable Printing Options for Homeschoolers" post for ideas.)

Discovery K-12

Discovery K-12 is really hard to beat when it comes to free curriculum. They cover Kindergarten to 12th grade. You don't have to print out everything and you are notified when there is something you need to print. Most of the work can be done on a tablet or laptop. You don't have to buy additional books. It really is an all in one curriculum option and may be ideal if you have children from various age levels and grade levels. 

Pros:

Covers grades K-12

No books needed.

Reduced printing than other programs

Everything is mapped out by day and by subject.

They offer a weekly STEM project for each grade level.

They stick to the normal school year.

Lesson plans are mapped out for you and can be viewed ahead of time to prepare you for what's coming up.

Cons:

No transcripts, attendance records, or report cards are offered. You need to either do this on your own or pay $99 for the parent upgrade package each year.

Login issues during 2020

Long wait times for passwords and customer service response. (This did not start being a problem until 2020 during COVID, so be patient as this may be due to the increase in interest in this option.)

Connections Academy

Connections Academy is a virtual public school option. It is free. All of the books and most of the supplies are provided. This is the closest thing to a traditional public school option at home that you are likely to get. Your child does need to be on a routine with this option as there are classes they must attend online. They will have a teacher, weekly classes, and daily work. You will need a webcam, headset with microphone, and a computer for your child to use. 

Pros:  

Is a public option and operates a like lot your public school in your area. This is ideal for students who do well in a public school environment.

Everything is included and books are e-books or shipped to you.

Classes are chosen based on age and ability.

IEP's are accepted if necessary.

All paperwork, attendance, report cards, and transcripts are included.

You have a teacher to check in with. You act as a teacher assistant to ensure your child is on track.

There are group field trips and extracurricular activities and clubs.

Cons:

It doesn't work for everyone.

There is no flexibility with what you can teach and how you teach it.

They stay with a standard school year. If your child falls behind and misses a class, they must make it up and the absence can count against them. 

Easy Peasy

Easy Peasy is a well known free curriculum that ranges from K-12. They offer printables, links, and resources that are all free. This is an ideal choice if you want something that has a Christian faith based, is free, and can be done on a tablet or laptop.

Pros:

Ranges from K-12

Everything is included along with resources. 

You can choose to use your tablet or laptop.

You can print out items as needed. 

They are faith based so you can find Bible related homeschool curriculum alongside the rest of the curriculum.

They are well known, so finding a social media support group is fairly easy.

Cons:

May be difficult to follow and figure out at first.

Christian faith based which could be an issue for Jewish (like us), Muslim, or non-Christian families. 

Attendance is something you have to handle as you see fit.

**I am not an affiliate with any of these curriculum options. All links are direct links**

5 Ways to Create a Frugal Homeschool Kindergarten Curriculum

Let's face it. The cost of homeschool can be high. Some of the pre-packaged programs can cost $400 or more and still require supplies or printing. This leaves many of us wondering how we can homeschool our kids without breaking the budget and still give them the best education possible.

Take the regular educational needs for your child. Now, add in the need for a curriculum that worked with our son's Autism, hearing loss, and sensory issues (instead of working against them). Needless to say, when we started our homeschool journey we were left with a laundry list of needs and a larger list of dollar signs.

Through the trials and tribulations we found a few ways to get the homeschool curriculum we wanted, that would work with our child's needs, and that would come in under budget.

Here are the 5 ways we found to create a frugal homeschool kindergarten curriculum that keeps our child engaged and teaches him what he needs to learn.


Settle on a Theme

Our homeschool is year round. We decided the theme for kindergarten would be the alphabet through the year. Two weeks on each letter. By choosing the theme we were able to set up the lesson plans based on that theme easily. We knew the basic concept for each two week segment. By simply choosing a theme, we were able to rule out a lot of curriculum that would not have been useful or would have not fit into our plans. 

You can choose any theme you want. Just make sure the theme will get you through the 180 days of school, or the time frame you have for your school year.  Keep in mind you will need readers, activities, and work activities that go along with your theme while still keeping your child engaged.

Used and Vintage 

When we decided to go with the alphabet through the year theme, we realized quickly this could be a costly option. One day while looking for curriculum, I found a set of vintage/used Little Golden Books that were listed as ABC Encyclopedia. They were readers for each letter of the alphabet. They were perfect!

They were in like new condition and $35 with shipping. We had our readers, the information in them is not outdated, and they would give us small topics for each letter for the entire year.

Use Your Library

You will have other books you want to use to supplement your main readers. To cut costs, check with your library. Why? Many libraries have updated their system to offer not only books in the library, but also E-books. This can give you a much wider range of books that can be read on a tablet, phone, or online through Kindle or other reading program.

Go Totally Digital

If you don't want to create your own curriculum, consider going with a digital curriculum package or bundle. The digital curriculums out there range from $50 per unit (such as Good and the Beautiful Language Arts unit) to $300 or more for full year curriculum options. These options usually do not require further books, supplies, or purchases of any kind. Some may require a book purchase while others require supplies only. This can give you everything you need, especially if you are following a specific program like Abeka.

Use Apps

The final way to help save money is to use apps when and where you can. The Kindle reading app is free and you can pay monthly for Kindle Unlimited for your books and readers. Jumpstart Academy and ABC Mouse offer app based curriculum and have report options to show progress and grades. These apps can cut your costs down significantly.


Are you already using some of these options? Which ones have you found that work best for you? Is there another way that you keep your homeschool budget low? Let me know in the comments.

Cook with Me: No Milk Custard Pie

No Milk Custard Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust (your own or store bought)
• 2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of granulated white sugar
• 3 medium eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 3 TBSP of white flour
• 1 cup of BOILING water

Preparation

1. Prepare the pie crust by placing it in the pie dish and allowing the crust to sit in the fridge to chill.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
3. Bring butter to room temperature
4. Cream together the eggs, sugar, and butter.
5. Slowly add the flour and the salt and blend in until you get a smooth consistency.
6. Slowly pour in the boiling water, a tablespoon at a time. Make sure to do this slowly and mix slowly as you do. DO NOT pour in the water all at once or you will cook the eggs!
7. Pour the mixture (it will be VERY watery) into your crust.
8. Cover the crust on the pie with foil or a crust ring.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for at least 40 minutes.
10. Remove the crust ring or foil and use an egg wash to cover the crust. Finish baking for 5 more minutes.
11. Allow the pie to cool to room temperature. You can serve it at this temperature or you can cool overnight and allow the custard to set further.

Recipe Box: Sunshine Wake-Up Cleansing Juice

Sunshine Wake-Up Cleansing Juice

Ready in 10 minutes

Serves 1 person

Helps with weight loss, cravings, and cleansing. Can be ingested daily.  

Ingredients

• 4 Cuties Oranges
• 3 Large Carrots
• 1 Large (fist size) Apple
• 1 Cup White Seedless Grapes
• 1 Small (pinky nail) slice of fresh Ginger

Preparation

1. Slice and chop fruit to fit into a blender or juicer.
2. Run all fruits and vegetables through the juicer.
3. Mix the juice gently with a spoon.

Tips

Juice the carrots first and the grapes last. It will help to blend the juice a bit easier as it goes into the glass.

Do this juice daily and fresh. It does loose it's kick if you mix it for the week or even a few days ahead of time.

Add a liquid vitamin to boost the mix even more.  

The Recipe Box: Cast Iron Pizza

One of our budget cuts was eating out and that meant no more delivery or carry out pizza. At first we were buying pizza from the store, but that can cost as much as $8 or more depending on the brand. We have tried Aldi, and they have great pizza, but sometimes our local store selection just hasn't been great.

While browsing through my Facebook threads the other day, I came across a deep dish pizza recipe in a cast iron cooking group. I did have to make a few changes to it, because let's face it letting dough rise for 15 hours before using it is just a bit much. After the changes, we arrived at the most amazing deep dish pizza and it costs very little to make.

What You'll Need:

A cast iron skillet
Oil (any kind will do but I used the Soy/Olive mix from Dollar Tree)
Pizza Dough (if you don't have a recipe, try my Homestead Yeast Dough recipe. It makes 2 pizzas.)
Sauce (one jar of Prego will cover 4 pizzas!)
Cheese
Toppings of Your Choice

How to do it:

This couldn't be easier. Just take your pizza dough and place it in an oiled cast iron skillet. Set your oven to 425. Let the dough rise while your oven preheats. When the oven is ready, put as much or as little sauce as you want on the pizza. Spread the sauce and add cheese and your toppings.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.


Freezer cooking note:  This recipe is perfect for freezer cooking or for once a month cooking. I usually have our toppings ready to go and freeze the dough. That way we can add the toppings we want instead of having to choose from an already done pizza. It takes just a few minutes to add the topping so it's not really a time crunch issue.

To freeze the dough just separate it out, let it rise, then place in a floured freezer bag. Take it out the morning of pizza day and let it thaw. Bake as per instructions.

Frugal note:  Try to buy your flour and yeast at Aldi. It works great and saves a ton of money. Get your toppings at Dollar Tree (for pepperoni) or make your toppings ahead by using unflavored shredded chicken, sausage, bacon, or any topping you'd like.