I have been teaching English for about 100 years. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from teaching face-to-face, online, in classrooms, cafés, living rooms, and quiet corners of my house while my child loudly ignores my pleas for five minutes of peace — it’s this:
Good teaching does not have to be expensive.
Now that you’ve sighed with relief, let me explain myself.
Some teachers (bless them) have cupboards full of laminated flashcards, glossy textbooks, colour-coded storage units, and neatly organised props. And that is wonderful — I love that for them.
Read more: How To Get Awesome EFL Teaching Materials On A Budget
But for many of us, especially those teaching abroad, freelancing online, or working in low-resource settings, the reality can look a little different.
Sometimes it’s just you, a half-working marker (and why are they always half-working?!), 30 students, and a prayer. But that doesn’t mean you can’t plan and deliver brilliant lessons.
Some of the most creative, engaging lessons come from being resourceful — making something out of very little.
So today, I’m getting into budget-friendly lesson planning ideas using what you already have, free ESL lesson planning resources, and what you can create yourself.
Read more: Creating Your Own Materials For The TEFL Classroom
DIY teaching materials: make low-cost, creative, personalised resources
One of the simplest ways to find cheap lesson planning ideas is to look at the ordinary things around you. Everyday items make excellent teaching and learning materials because they are authentic — they reflect the language students encounter in real life.
Read more: DIY EFL Materials Websites
Many of the best classroom materials I’ve used were made from:
- Cardboard and packaging: cereal boxes, wrappers
- Printed materials: old newspapers, leaflets, flyers, travel timetables, takeaway menus, postcards, magazine cut-outs, receipts
- Reusable writing materials: scrap paper, old notebooks
There’s something strangely satisfying about turning scraps into teaching tools. You don’t need a laminator or a degree in design to create fantastic resources. You can create:
- Flashcards for vocabulary
- Picture prompts for storytelling or speaking
- Grammar charts for reference
- Matching cards for games
- Sorting activities for parts of speech, categories, or functions
Ways to use materials to build entire lessons:
- Menus: Role plays about ordering food, giving opinions, recommending dishes, or politely complaining
- Newspaper headlines: Prediction tasks, discussions, scanning practice, or vocabulary hunts
- Receipts: Teaching numbers, shopping language, past simple, or functional questions
- Cereal boxes and packaging: Describing products, comparing items, reading for detail, and practising persuasive language (“Why should I buy this one?”) — every TEFL teacher knows, deep down, that cereal boxes are the true unsung heroes of the ESL classroom!
Read more: Authentic Materials: How To Find Them And How To Use Them
DIY hacks for budget lesson planning
Now, this is where the humble biscuit packet truly earns its place in the TEFL hall of fame.
DIY lesson hack #1: biscuit packets
I once taught a full lesson on comparative language with low-level learners using nothing but biscuit packets. Granted, I had to eat quite a few biscuits in preparation — taking one for the team! But by the end of it, I had five empty packets and a complete lesson plan.
Read more: How To Use Authentic Materials With Lower Level Learners
Students worked in pairs, examining the packets and comparing them because they were already familiar with the biscuits — they could easily discuss flavour, size, price, packaging, and personal preferences:
- This biscuit is sweeter than that one.
- This one is cheaper.
- That one tastes better.
And voilà, a full, engaging lesson crafted entirely from biscuit packets and a huge dose of enthusiasm.
Students love real objects: they’re colourful, tactile, surprising, and instantly relatable.
Sometimes, when you pull a biscuit packet out of your bag, they look at you like you are about to reveal something significant. Never underestimate the power of an empty biscuit packet — it might just be your next great speaking activity.
When you create your own materials, you can tailor them to your students’ needs, and not what a textbook thinks they need. Plus, handmade resources often stick in students’ minds because they are unique and personal.
Read more: 7 Reasons You Should Make Your Own EFL Worksheets
DIY lesson hack #2: cartoon strips
Another favourite low-cost success involved a newspaper cartoon strip. I blotted out all the words and asked my students to predict what the characters were saying.
This simple activity sparked incredible engagement and flowed perfectly into a lesson on direct and indirect speech. Students were so absorbed in creating their own dialogues that I couldn’t help but wonder if I should hire them as my official cartoon scriptwriters!
It’s a perfect example of how a tiny bit of creativity — and a free newspaper — can turn into a memorable, effective, and fun lesson.
Read more: Essential Teaching Materials For A TEFL Teacher
Make the most of free online TEFL resources
If you’re teaching on a budget, the internet is your best friend. There is a wide range of high-quality, reliable, free TEFL resources that can save you time, money, and stress.
A few of my favourites are:
- tefl.net: A treasure trove of free TEFL lesson plans, printable worksheets, warmers, games, and activity ideas.
- ThoughtCo (ESL section): Clear, concise explanations of grammar and vocabulary topics, plus teaching ideas for every level.
- Breaking News English: A great way to introduce current events into the classroom. Lessons are available at multiple levels with readings, listening activities, vocabulary work, and discussion tasks.
- TeachingEnglish – British Council: One of the most reliable sources for free, well-organised, teacher-tested material.
- The TEFL Academy: Our blogs and resources on our site offer practical tips — all free! They’re also great if you’re stuck or just need a burst of fresh inspiration.
Read more: Top Resources For Teaching English Online
The best thing about using cost-free TEFL resources is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time you plan. You can adapt, customise, and blend ideas to create English lessons that suit your learners without spending a cent. It’s also a time-saving tool that saves you money in the long run.
Teaching on a budget does not mean teaching with less; it means teaching smarter.
Engaging speaking and listening activities that need zero props
This is one of my absolute favourite areas to teach in, especially when I’m training new teachers. I always tell them:
A confident TEFL teacher can walk into a classroom with nothing but a marker and still deliver an excellent lesson — it’s not about materials; it’s about communication.
Some of the most powerful, memorable listening and speaking activities require absolutely nothing but your voice and your imagination, such as:
- Role plays
- Debates
- Story circles
- Movement activities
- Listening-without-audio tasks
Read more: 5 Real-World Speaking Activities For The EFL Classroom
For example, one really successful activity focused on modals for giving advice, such as ‘should’ and ‘ought to’.
I wrote a problem on the board and gave the first student a piece of A4 paper: My husband snores and I cannot sleep. Starting at one end of the class, each student wrote one line of advice.
By the end of the task, we had a mountain of suggestions, ranging from the practical (“Buy earplugs”) to the imaginative (“Play whale sounds to drown out the noise”).
This activity really engaged the students while focusing on the target language. Plus, it doubled as a good laugh for me — and I walked away with some really sound advice (pun fully intended). The best part is that it required nothing more than paper and a sense of humour.
In many cases, the absence of materials forces more creativity, spontaneity, and genuine communication — which is exactly what language learning is about.
Read more: Private ESL Lessons: How To Build Up English Teaching Resources
Build a supportive TEFL community: share resources and save money
If you take only one thing from this article, let it be this:
You do not have to do everything alone. One of the most cost-effective (and morale-boosting) resources you can invest in is community.
Connecting with other TEFL teachers means:
- Swapping worksheets
- Sharing lesson ideas
- Borrowing materials
- Asking questions
- Getting emotional support on tough days
- Giving support on good days
Not only does this save time and money — it reminds you that you are part of something bigger.
Sometimes community means someone handing you a stack of old worksheets and saying, “Here, I thought these might help.” And suddenly, your next week of teaching is half-planned.
Read more: How To Find Your Community As A TEFL Teacher
Final thoughts: creativity over cost
If you’re a teacher trying to balance lesson planning with family life, online work, long commutes, and new countries, classrooms, and learners — please remember this:
Your value is not measured in how much money you spend on teaching resources.
Great teaching comes from imagination, flexibility, understanding your learners, communication, confidence, and the ability to see potential in ordinary things.
You don’t need shiny props or expensive subscriptions; you simply need the willingness to try, adapt, and be creative.
As I said, even a biscuit packet can become a brilliant lesson — and honestly, that is part of the magic of TEFL.
Want more ideas?
For free resources, lesson ideas, and practical teaching tips, visit: www.theteflacademy.com
It’s packed with inspiration for teachers who want to keep lessons engaging, effective, and easy on the wallet.
Happy (budget-friendly) teaching!
Listen to Luan and Mairead chatting about hwo to plan ESL lessons on a budget on the TEFL Unlocked podcast!
Author Bio
Her love for the English language led her into the classroom. After gaining experience at the top language schools in Cape Town, she went on to become the Head Teacher of a well-known English institution. This is where she discovered and practised her passion for teacher training. She now runs the TEFL courses for The TEFL Academy in Cape Town and continues to teach second language learners – both in the classroom and online.
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Luan Dreyden's story →
United States
US
January 9, 2026
