RichSingleMomma.com Top 9 Posts of 2012: The Year of Getting Finances in Order

RichSingleMomma.com Top 9 Posts of 2012: The Year of Getting Finances in Order

RSM Single Mom Money Review2012

This year on RichSingleMomma I tried to focus more on the financial side of single motherhood. It can be ugly sometimes but it doesn’t have to be a permanent state. With planning, budgeting, and a little ingenuity we can turn things around.

Here are the top 9 post on the website. Most relate to money but there are a few other top posts in there too. Click the titles to read the posts.

1. 7 Free Budget Worksheet for Single Moms

This is pretty self explanatory. I highlighted 7 free budget worksheets for single moms to use. Getting your money under control is top priority if you want to see more in the future.

2. 13 Things I Hate About Being a Single Mom

This post has been a the top for a while. Let’s face it, sometimes we hate being single moms but it’s not because of the kids but because of the bad wrap we get in the media, the crazy remarks of family, friends, and stranger too. Check out what makes me the craziest about being a single mom. Don’t judge me 😉

3. Single Mom Advice: How to Make Cash Quickly

A single mom wrote me needing advice about how to get some quick cash. In this post I shared a few ways she could get some quick cash. You might find a few ideas to help you in a crunch.

4. Quick and Easy Ways to Make Extra Money

Another post about making quick money if you have more month at the end of your regularly earned money.

5. 15 Easy Ways to Sell Your Stuff for Cash

Sometimes we have to sell stuff to get cash in hand. This post lists 15 ways you can do that by selling your stuff. Sometimes we have to part with cherished items until we get back on our fee.

6. Ignore Deadbeat Daddies and Bid Farewell to Child Support Dependence

This is one of my favorite posts. I’ve seen it time and time again. Single moms gripe, complain, incarcerate, and malign their baby’s father for not paying child support. Sure it’s hard and it’s unfair, but to live in a state of constant fighting is not the way to get what you need. I am suggesting a better way to get your needs met.

7. Disney On Ice: Dare to Dream aka The Princess Party in Atlanta, GA!

This post is about me and my kids going to the Disney on Ice event. It was fun and a blast to see all the Disney Princesses. We got to see them all again at a recent trip to Disney World too.

8. How to Become Self-Sufficient and Financially Independent as a New Single Mom

This post is a backup post to the Ignore Deadbeat Daddies post. It’s for single moms who are new to the game because they got divorced, their husband passed away, or they were deserted by their boyfriend. The goal is to help them (and you) see that you can become self-sufficient and financially independent even though you are a single mom.

9. Single Mom Budgeting on a Limited Budget

Raising a kid on $12k a year seems impossible, but with a lot of creativity and using the resources around you it can work. This post is about how to budget your money when money is very tight. I did it and you can too!

Well those are the top articles on RichSingleMomma.com. Go read them if you haven’t already and leave a comment if you have already read them. Share them with other single moms you know and come back to see what’s in store for next year. I’m declaring 2013 The Year of Living Fearlessly and Fabulously. I hope you will make that the theme for your 2013 as well.

Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 3

Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 3

In post one of this series on getting to Disney on a Single Mom Budget I shared how I planned in advance to buy the park hopper tickets and book our flight. In part two I shared how I researched and found our hotel at Downtown Disney for about $25 per night. Now I’ll share how we were able to get to the parks and other attractions using Disney Transportation.

Our transportation needs were met through using shuttle buses. When we landed in Orlando we took the Mears shuttle to our hotel in Downtown Disney. I paid for round trip tickets for the both of us. They would pick us up and drop us off at the airport for an affordable price. The driver was friendly and very helpful as well.

When we got to our hotel we found out the Disney Transportation schedule. The good thing about it was the Disney buses came like clockwork. We never had to wait longer than 15 minutes for the bus. Another great thing is the busses took us between the parks as well. So when we left Magic Kingdom we could take the bus to Animal Kingdom. Having the park hopper tickets made it easy to visit the parks we wanted to see.

Tip: If you plan to fly into MCO-Orlando, book a roundtrip shuttle in advance. There are several companies that run from the airport to Disney. I used Mears and could book online. You don’t have to worry about rental cars, parking fees, or navigating through traffic. Use the Disney bus system to get where you want to go.

Summary

  • When I went to Disney World with my daughter in 2004 I was able to get some good deals and have a really great time. But while I was there I looked at the luxury hotels and wished I had saved a little more money to splurge.
  • The trip was virtually worry and stress-free though. I didn’t have to worry about driving because we flew. I didn’t have to worry about transportation because the bus picked us up from the airport and we had shuttle service to the parks.
  • I got multi-day passes at a discount at the military installation where I worked so we could visit the parks as often as we wanted to. Food was no problem because my daughter ate free and I didn’t eat much anyway. In short it was a very good trip because I was able to pay for all the things I wanted.
  • But if I had saved for a year or two the trip would have been even better. So save up your pennies, make extra money by selling stuff you don’t need, do freelance work, and look for discounts. You can have the trip of a lifetime because you planned for it in advance.
  • Another tip is to pay for things over time. Buy the plane ticket months in advance when you have the money.
  • Reserve the room and send the money when you have the right amount.
  • Simply take each element of the trip and pay as you go so by the time the day comes you will have very little to worry about financially except spending money.

Prioritize Your Life and Money

Money is always an issue whether you have enough of it or not enough of it. But when you worry about money and less about your life and family, you begin to lose focus of what is really important. During the Christmas and holiday seasons, it is important to prioritize. It brings a warm and loving sense of joy and relief to your life. To help bring your focus back to the more important priorities, take a look at the following tips.

Step one towards prioritizing your life is to worry less about money and focus more on living and loving life. When you allow issues to loom over your head, especially financial issues, it distracts you from happiness. Step two is to not allow money stress to strangle you.  Losing your kids and your life are the worst things you could allow to happen because of financial stress. Step three is to believe you can start over. Believing in you goes back to the previous article “As You Think, Your Money Will Be”. Learning to love your life and the trials and tribulations that you have come along and will go through is step number four. Learning to accept your life and know you are in control can do wonders to your happiness level. The last step, number 5, is to spend time and energy with your kids before they grow up. They will remember the good times you have spent together than the financial issues.

Money issues will always be present somehow, but sacrificing your life and family are not worth the issues. Put more energy into things that have more long lasting value like memories instead of health problems; it will be worth it.

Gratitude Is Big

During this holiday season (or rather any time of the year), it is important to give thanks and be grateful what we do have and what is to come. To be financially fit, it is important to give gratitude in order to receive more. As we take some time to remember those of less fortune, remind yourself of the things that you should be grateful for.

Don’t forget to pay your bills, preferably on time. The services that you pay for in exchange for money are living essentials for your daily life. Remember that you are being grateful of having the benefit to use services that the city provides, to have a phone, finance a car, and much more. When you are more grateful for things, it changes your attitude about your bills. It causes you to remember that you could be homeless and jobless or one of the other.

Bills are a blessing that allow you to pay your dues on necessary services like the lights, water, gas, and a car for example. To be grateful during the holiday season and throughout the year, it is also good to donate if possible to those of less fortunate. Even though finances may be tough and the economy even tougher, don’t forget to give thanks.

Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 3

Disney on a Single Mom Budget, Part 2

In part 1 of the Disney on a Single Mom Budget post I shared how I took my daughter to Disney World on a pretty tight budget. I bought the tickets first at a discount and purchased the plan tickets well in advance to get a discount. In this post I share how I got our hotel for around $25 per night.

After I bought the airline tickets I began looking for hotels that were either on the Disney property or close to it. I didn’t want to worry about getting to the parks and I didn’t want to rent a car and have to pay for parking.

Research is the Key to Getting the Best Deals

I researched hotels that were outside of Disney first. They were cheaper but I felt it would be too much of a hassle to get into the park each day. I decided I wanted to say on Disney property so I researched their cheapests resorts. They were still way out of my budget even though it would be easy to get around the parks. I just couldn’t swing it.

Use Bidding Sites to Find Good Deals

But I got a tip from MouseSavers.com and a couple of forums to check out the hotels in Downtown Disney. They weren’t technically Disney-owned properties but they were serviced by the Disney shuttle system. I put on my thinking cap and researched all the hotels in Downtown Disney then I went to Hotwire.com to see if I could find a nice hotel that was in my budget. I found one that worked but before I booked it I did even more research.

I went to BetterBidding.com and checked the forum for bids that were won. They describe the property a person is considering and reveal the name of the hotel. I found out the name of the property I had my eye on and went to the website. It was the Holiday Inn resort hotel. They had good ratings, was in Downtown Disney, and kids could eat for free. Score!!!! I booked the hotel for three nights at $25 per night.

It was a pretty decent hotel. Not necessarily top of the line but it was good for us. My daughter ate for free at breakfast and dinner and we ate at the park for lunch.

Tip: Book your hotel through Hotwire or other travel bidding site if your money is tight. You can find out what the property is at BetterBidding.com or similar site. You may find a 3-5 star hotel for rock bottom prices.

In the next part I’ll share how I got around Disney for free!