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Are you raising your kids completely on your own? Handling all the expenses, quality time and discipline issues or academic concerns all alone? We understand that there is nothing easy about being a single adult responsible for each and every aspect of a kids’ life. Usually, families lead by single parent is statically poorer as compare to the families with partners. No surprising factor there!! After all, it automatically becomes much tougher, than you actually think, to manage a home and taking care of kids. Though, there is a little advantage too for being single parent and that when you have to make money decisions, you don’t have to bicker with a partner. Apart from this, being a single parent and budgeting things and life for better can be a long slog.
However, if you wish to save a sizable chunk of money this year and want to use it for things like: A vacation, paying off your credit cards, an emergency fund, your child’s education, and much more. No need to be worried, just relax!! To make your task of raising kids solo, 24/7, we have listed down some workable and most efficient tips to manage your life and tap into your inner strength as a single parent:
Financial Independence is an achievement being single parent
It’s great if you are co-parenting with ex-spouse, it can be better for child, yourself and the other parent because kids will have a respect-level for him/her. But, make it sure that you won’t stop focusing on your career and work when other partner is fulfilling the kids’ responsibility, you need to be strong and independent for yourself and your kids’ future. If the other partner is interested in sharing expenses than cultivate a relationship with him/her that is more organized as compare to when you were married.
Arguably, playing the role of single parent is full of protecting your family’s financial future and responsibilities, and you can handle all this when you start addressing your personal finances. So, any day, its best not to expect anything from any one and never think of depending on anyone, not even on the other parent of kids.
Edit the Grocery Cart – Single Mom Saving
The first thing is: Try to avoid taking kids under age of 10-12 with you while doing grocery shopping, they are not mature enough to understand the financial circumstances and you will end up buying too much. The second thing is: Once you are done with grocery shopping, stick to the list you made. We know its damn difficult but it will work for your single parent money saving goals, so before heading towards checkout or billing station, put back 3-4 items from your cart. We bet, you will easily find items that can be send back to the shelf because they aren’t necessity of life and you will end up saving $5 to $10 every time without even using the coupon codes.
Get Advantage of Online Shopping
This new age of shopping is all about saving better with online sales, coupon codes, and saving deals. Whether you are finding ways to save better on women or kids fashion or some special coupon codes for kids clothing, online resources such as ClothingRIC.com, Retailmenot.com are good enough to entertain you at its best without letting you cross the limit of your shopping budget. Before making purchase for anything, it’s better to compare prices online and get to the place that offers quality and affordable price. Especially, when you have teen age girls, they get bit excited to get styled and stay trendy, don’t let them compromise their wishes and let them shop from online places that are offer discounts on teens’ fashion.
Nowadays, it’s easy and convenient to learn ways for saving better on kids clothing, so make most of it and make sure that you try all the tips and tricks to save on your and kids’ clothing and styling.
Savings Account – Single Parent Savings
It’s undoubtedly the first and foremost step you should take towards your money saving target being single parent, it’s the key to saving money without even stressing out. For instance, if $200 has been transferred automatically from your current account into the savings one every month, you will definitely save a handful amount at the end of each year without making budget. If not $200 per month, it’s not a problem, go setting a small amount, such as: $25. This little amount per month will add up to $300 into your saving account per year. And remember, every penny counts, it literally!
Plan Your Meals, Double and Freeze – Single Mom Budget Planning
Planning ahead will help you staying out of the mess that is created at the very start of the day when you start asking kids and yourself that what to cook? On the other hand, the planning regarding every meal will help you saving better on groceries. For instance, plan to have chicken salad in lunch right after the day you cook a whole chicken roaster. In this way, you will get an extra meal out of one purchase. This will make you stay healthy and save better.
However, there is another practical way to save better on food is to double your favorite recipes and freeze the extra batch. It’s best to follow cook-once-eat-twice approach; this will let you purchase larger quantities of cook-able products like, meat that is on sale and other items. It will also be a life-saver, if some guests will come to your place and you have nothing but the freeze eatable to serve them or you are tired after work and in no mood to prepare food.
Last but not the least, put yourself first sometimes!! Taking care of you isn’t selfish. The true selfishness would be if you are always and only putting yourself first in every way. But, once in a while or on weekly basis doing something for some hours for yourself will not make you bad or worst, but a better person and more enthusiastic towards your responsibilities and loving for kids. And, when you to decide to do something for yourself, pay attention to how you feel after. Many chances are, you’ll return to your home and kids with more enthusiasm, energy, appreciation than if you’d never taken a “ME TIME” break to begin with.
