Last month when my daughter and I visited NYC we knew we wanted to see all the traditional sights. With only three days there I knew it could get pretty expensive and confusing to navigate everything. We didn’t have a personal tour guide to take us through all the places on the map.
Fortunately I was able to get an NYC pass from Smart Destinations Explorer Pass that allowed us the see most of the major attractions during our three days.
The Empire State Building at Night
We went to the Empire State Building the first night (you can see our blurry pictures below) with the pass. All we had to do was show our pass and they gave us the tickets. It was a beautiful summer night with perfect temperatures. It was definitely windy up there though and man was it packed with people.
One of the attendants asked where we were from and when we told him that we were from Atlanta, he told us that Usher had been there earlier. I suppose that was his way to make a connection. Our male companion was convinced he was flirting, LOL! Probably so, but I appreciated his friendliness.
The next day we decided to really tour the city so we headed to the ticket office for the City Sights tour. We got our tickets and it was explained that we had 24 hours to use it.
The way it worked is we would board the tour bus that would take up through either uptown or mid/downtown Manhattan depending on which tour we wanted. We could hop on and hop off at different attractions. When we got off we could walk around and tour until our heart’s content then get back on anther bus at the designed bus stop.
Our Tour Destinations
The tour bus was uncovered so we were able to see everything from our seats on top. We took the mid/downtown tour with a bonus Brooklyn tour. Our bus took us all through midtown where we saw Macy’s, the Flat Iron building (were parts of Spiderman were filmed), through the fashion district, China town, and much more.
We also went through Brooklyn and downtown by Battery Park and the waterfront. I don’t think I would have every seen that much of NYC if we had tried to tour a different way.
Since it was mid summer it was very hot so we were glad to have water, sunglasses, and a breeze. Each bus had tour guides that talked about each section we were passing. Most were very knowledgeable and made the tour a very good experience. We used earphones we received when we boarded the bus to listen to the tour guide if we wanted to.
The Guides
We had three different guides for the day. The first was a young man who shared a lot of trivia, talked from a memorized script it seemed, but was well versed as well as multi-lingual.
Our second guide was more freestyle as we toured Brooklyn. She was energetic and such a trooper through the heat. She was also a compassionate person allowing stranded tourist to ride on our bus even though we were full.
Our last tour guide was boring and spoke in such a monotone voice we gave up trying to listen, much less understand her. She seemed ready to be done with it and basically kicked us off the bus at the last stop.
Wrapping Up the Tour
We spent about six hours on the tour in all but it was time well spent because of all we saw. I got some of my better photos of the city on the tour. My daughter and I both agreed that anyone visiting NYC should do the City Sights tour to get a well-rounded experience.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
My back to school shopping and planning are a little different from the run of the mill activities of other moms those time of year. My kids are home schooled so I don’t go through the regular routine of doing back-to-school shopping where I frantically run around trying to get everything on the teacher’s list. I used to do it and it was very stressful. These days I go at my own pace and purchase what I want. I have specific things I want my kids to learn this year but it’s not a regimented structure like you find in most classrooms. In essence we Un-school meaning my kids learn through what naturally interest them. I provide a little guidance and make things available to them to explore but I don’t plan their days or make them sit and finish endless assignments.
Modified Back to School Shopping
With that being said I do my shopping based on my loose plan for the year. I still need the standard supplies like paper, pens, and other stuff but I also keep in mind the things we will do that will give my kids a rich learning experience. This includes trips to the museum or out of town, access to great content online, testing fees for my high school daughter, learning tools (aka toys) for my son’s projects just to name a few.
Sample Curriculum
Here is a sample of his curriculum for this semester. He’s pretty excited about it.
Funding My Back to School Shopping
Despite my lose education program and somewhat simple back to school list I still want to keep things affordable. This year I’m using the BlueBird card to fund my shopping. I got my card a few weeks ago and loaded it with money to keep my spending in check. I used the mobile app to load money from my regular bank account. The process was pretty simple as noted in my screenshots below.
There are three ways to load money to the card including: mailing a check, scanning a check, connecting to a checking or savings account, or connecting to a debit card. I chose to scan a check and use a debit card.
Scanning a check was the initial way I added money. It took about 5 days for it to clear/appear. The process was pretty painless but if you want money instantly added it’s best to use another method like from a debit card connection. There is a $2 fee to add money if you use this method.
You can also reload the card at Walmart. I haven’t tried that yet but it is an option.
So with my card loaded I can shop for the things I need. It’s also helpful to see a running tab of things I bought so I can budget for next semester or next year.
Adding Money to Bluebird Card
Open the mobile app and click Add Funds then follow the directions
Click the funding source you want to use
To connect your Debit Card enter your card number and expiration date then click Next
Give your Debit Card a name
Adding funds by check
Enter your checking information
Enter the amount you want to add
Scan your filled out check (not shown for privacy reasons)
Your funds will be added to your Bluebird account in 5-7 business days.
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
One of my biggest fears when my children were young was that someone would try to take them away from me. Whether it was their father, the state, my parents, or anyone who thought they could do a better job than me.
I’m learning that this is the fear of many single mothers because they have either been threatened or they suppose they are not good enough mothers. I thought I was not an adequate provider or nurturer for a long time so I was driven to put myself in a better position financially. It was tough to feel this pressure because it added to the stress I was already feeling, which contributed to deeper depression.
A Light Bulb Moment for Me
One day I realized that no one can take care of my kids like I can. They can’t know what is best for them because I trust myself to raise them with love, nurture, and wisdom. It became clear that many people who judged me for being a single mom thought they could do a better job because they had more money, a so-called more stable environment, or a house with two adults in it.
Believing a Lie Lead to Self-Doubt and Depression
I bought into the lie that I was inadequate because I didn’t do things the traditional way. I didn’t regiment my kid’s lives by keeping them on a strict schedule. I didn’t have the neatest apartment. I didn’t attend all the PTA meetings or wasn’t a room parent. I compared myself to people who seemed to have it all together and tried to live up to their standards.
Unfortunately I dug a deep hole of self-doubt and low self-esteem. I forgot about all the good things I did for my kids like shower them with hugs and kisses, apologize when I was grumpy so they would see I was human, sit and talk with them about their little issues, teach them how to choose their own clothes and shoes instead of doing everything for them, and make them feel important. I did so many things right but I was focused on all the wrong things others pointed out about my life as a single mother.
Points Missed for Being an Awesome Mother
They didn’t see that I was working and going to school full-time. They failed to see how I helped others with things they simply didn’t know how to do. They couldn’t see me being creative with meals or shopping on the limited income I had. They could not see me pouring positive thoughts into my children’s lives or understand the struggle I had to put them first when my ex targeted them for abuse.
Standing My Ground and Fighting Judgment for Being a Single Mom
Today if anyone dared judge me for being a single mother I’d laugh in their face. If anyone attempted to take them from me they would have a mama bear to contend with. My kids would fight tooth and nail to stay with me because they know that with mom, there is love, acceptance, and security.
What to do if Someone Threatens to Take Your Kids
If you are struggling with someone who is questioning your value as parent, challenge them to do what you do 24/7. Stand your ground against the controlling behavior and emotional abuse they are subjecting you to, because that is what it boils down to.
If someone is threatening to take you to court be sure to document everything they say and do as well as how you have been the best parent possible for your children. Stay above negativity and act as a mature woman would. You have the power to fight against threats if you will only believe you can.
If you’ve made mistakes in the past acknowledge them, ask forgiveness if appropriate, and forgive yourself. You are a different person now so don’t let anyone throw your past in your face. Everyone deserves a second chance and you have the ability to reinvent your life so you and your children can thrive and not just survive.
Have you ever been threatened over child custody? How did you handle it? What advice would you give to other moms?
Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.
Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.
She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.
Hi! Welcome to RichSingleMomma.com. I started this website almost a decade ago because I couldn't find any blogs back then that helped single moms with money. I was having some success in that area so I decided to share what I knew about side hustles, making extra money, and managing money. Read more...Â
