[Video] How to Ignore Your Baby Daddy

by | Jun 30, 2012

 

A few months ago I wrote an article about how to ignore your baby’s daddy and forget about child support. It’s a hot topic in terms of ignoring the father on one hand, but who can ignore child support.

The video below goes into more detail about why it’s good for your mental and emotional health to let the baby daddy drama go and move on with your life. Check it out and let me know what you think.

How to Keep Banking Fees Down

How to Keep Banking Fees Down

by | Jun 28, 2012

I’m not a big fan of banks but if you use them you may be frustrated with the bank fees. With planning, you can sidestep some of
the more costly fees and penalties. The FDIC offers the following examples:

  • With credit cards, try to pay the card balance in full each month to avoid interest charges. If you can’t pay in full every month, send in as much as possible to keep interest costs to a minimum. “Think twice before accepting an offer from your credit card issuer to skip a payment,” said Luke W. Reynolds, Chief of the FDIC’s Community Affairs Outreach Section. “It’s likely that interest will still be charged, so you’ll actually be paying morein interest because you’ll carry a higher balance on your card for a longer period of time.”In addition, pay your credit card bill on time. One reason is to avoid late fees. Another is that late payments can damage your credit record. If repeated, they could even trigger interest rate increases on your credit cards and loans.
  • With your checking account, avoid fees for insufficient funds and bounced checks. “Record every deposit and withdrawal in your checkbook — especially remember your debit card purchases and ATM withdrawals,” said Reynolds. “It is important to know how much money you have in your account so you won’t overdraw your balance.”Your bank may offer various “overdraft protection” services for your checking account, but be aware that these come with their own costs. Reynolds added that one of the least expensive options could be to ask your bank to cover insufficient funds by automatically transferring money from your savings account.
  • At the ATM, limit or avoid “surcharges” (access fees) by using your own bank’s machines or those owned by institutions that don’t charge fees to non-customers. If you definitely need cash when you’re out of town or otherwise not near an ATM owned by your bank, consider getting cash back when you use a debit card to make a purchase at a supermarket or another merchant.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for a break. Bounce a check or send in a late payment for the first time ever? Think the fees for your mortgage application are a bit steep? Depending on the circumstances, your bank might be willing to reduce or waive a fee or penalty, especially if you’ve been a good customer and don’t have a history as a “repeat offender.”

Financial Assistance During Hard Times

by | Jun 24, 2012

Guest post by Sarah Palmer of www.SingleMothersFinancialHelp.com. You can check out her articles here for information on housing, grants and other forms of financial assistance for single mothers.

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Are your debts adding up? Do you find yourself struggling to pay your bills?

Did you know that you may be eligible to get financial assistance from either the Government or private organizations? Depending on what area you needed help with, certain Government departments and organizations are able to help you.

Housing Assistance Programs

If you are having trouble paying your mortgage repayments or covering your rent, you can apply for some form of housing help. Below are some common places you can find some form of housing assistance:

  1. 1.     HUD (Housing and Urban Development)                 

This is the Governments major program which helps out millions of low income families who are in need of housing assistance. The HUD provides many different ways for such people in need to get clean and safe housing.

If you are needing rental assistance, the HUD has affordable apartments for low-income families. They also have the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8 Housing), where you find your own place to live and use the voucher to pay for all or part of the rent.

If you are looking for help purchasing a home, the HUD also works with lenders to get loans for people who would not normally qualify for a mortgage. This guarantee makes it possible for the lender to loan to someone who is considered a poor risk, because the government will pay a portion of the loan if the borrower defaults.

  1. 2.     CoAbode

This organization has the ‘Mom-matching’ program. This program matches single mothers up with other single mothers who want to share accommodation, raise their children together and also save money through shared living expenses.

  1. 3.     Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity is another fantastic organization. They help build homes through volunteer labour and cash donations for people who are in need. They also lend no-profit, no-interest mortgage loans to some families.

 

Financial Assistance

Occasionally everyday life doesn’t always go according to plan and people need some of help along the way. Some families need help just to make ends meet – money for paying bills, or putting food on the table. Below are some organizations which can help with that:

  1. TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

Formally known as welfare, TANF helps out millions of people in financial need through cash payments. The best part about this form of help is that you aren’t restricted to how you spend the money and so any money you receive can be used towards anywhere you need it most. Eligibility is primarily based on a person’s income, children at home and various other factors. So best to do your research before you apply. It is worth noting you’re only entitled to this form of assistance for a maximum of 5 years. This is because welfare is meant to help families on a temporary basis, instead of them getting reliant upon these kinds of payments.

  1. 2.     Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Formally known as food stamps, SNAP is a great government initiative helping out millions of people put healthy food on the table. The SNAP program focuses on providing healthy food for people who would otherwise not have been able to afford it.

If you are eligible for this program, you will receive an EBT card, similar to a credit card, to be used at the checkout of grocery stores. Credits will be added to your card, so that when you purchase select items, they will be ‘paid for’ through the SNAP credits. Unhealthy items, such as alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, foods hot at the point of sale, cannot be purchased with this card. Non-food items, vitamins or medicines and pet foods also cannot be used with this card.

  1. 3.     WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

WIC is another organization that helps low income families place healthy food on their tables. Just like SNAP, WIC give vouchers which can be used to gain access to food items that families would’ve otherwise had to purchase.

So, these are just some of the places you can get help if you need it. The important thing to note is that help is out there, you just need to know where and how to find it.

If you would like more information on any of these topics or about grants for single mothers, be sure to check out this site: www.singlemothersfinancialhelp.com/

Why Mom’s are Choosing Online Universities

Why Mom’s are Choosing Online Universities

by | Jun 20, 2012

Having a college degree is imperative in today’s competitive job market. Online universities are the most popular way that many people choose to further their education today. Programs offered by online universities are similar to those offered by traditional universities, and job opportunities increase for those with college degrees.

Convenience Is A Reason For Popularity Of Online Universities 

One reason cited that moms today choose online universities over traditional school settings is the convenience offered by completing coursework online. When children are small, Mom’s find it difficult to complete college level coursework. Studying online allows moms the flexibility to complete their work when it’s convenient.

When children are napping or otherwise occupied, moms can do as much course work as they’re able to do. Course work can be started and picked up again later if necessary depending on interruptions that occur in a busy household. The structure is much more relaxed when moms are able to take advantage of the programs offered by online universities.

Mom’s Can Earn A First Degree Or Post-Graduate Degree Online 

Online universities are tremendously popular for moms that wish to earn their degree, or continue education that was already started before they became moms. Attending a traditional school is practically out of the question for many moms because of issues like finding childcare, transportation, and other concerns. Earning a college degree at home in ones own time and at ones own pace is increasingly how moms are choosing to approach their education.

Sanford Brown is a popular online university offering many attractive career options for busy moms. Moms find that they can earn their degree from home more easily than in a traditional school. When moms choose to go back to work, they’re better prepared to successfully enter or re-enter the workforce if they’ve been able to earn an online degree.

Online Degrees Lead To A Brighter Employment Outlook 

The programs offered by online universities are very popular and many programs lead to degrees with bright employment outlooks and futures. Moms can study for careers in lucrative Medical, Business, Criminal Justice or many other challenging fields making this another big attraction of earning a degree through online universities.

Possessing a college degree gives prospective job applicants a definite advantage when searching for careers in today’s competitive job market. Earning that degree online is convenient for Mom’s and offers flexibility not available in traditional college settings.

[Video] Fear or Faith to Keep Moving Forward

by | Jun 19, 2012

Just like the title says, when life sucks keep moving forward. Samantha shares a word of encouragement and her experience with fear, stagnation, and what seems like dead end roads. It’s all for a purpose and part of the journey to your true self.