We have family that is helping us out or we wouldn't be able to do it since DH owns his own business and the economy sucks. However since both Bear and Wolf need me at home we would have made it work no matter what it took. Money is not necessary to happiness. I know, I work with a budget for a family of four that would probably make most people's hearts stop...
We started "officially" homeschooling this past fall and I was terrified. We go through an Independent Study Program because there was NO way I was about to go it alone. Now I think I could, but I love having access to the program's resources and teacher, as well as the social aspects of it.
I think the best advice I could give is if you are worried about missing something or whether your are providing enough of a challenge, stop worrying about it. Your kid(s) will let you know if you are and 99% of the time you are probably on the right track anyway.
For example I was worried that Wolf was actually getting enough "school" each day (honestly we do almost nothing it seems). His teacher sat down with me and we wrote out everything educational that Wolf does each day (leapster, computer stuff, martial arts, cubscouts, certain TV shows, reading, etc... as well as official school type stuff). It was really eye opening. Needless to say I stopped worrying about that aspect. I'm still looking for another to get paranoid about! LOL
