Being a parent isn’t easy and is filled with stressful moments. No matter how busy you are between work and family, always make time for yourself. Even just 15 to 20 minutes a day to get quiet and relax can do wonders for your stress level, mental and physical health. Not only will you feel better, you’ll also be better at the things you take on and more aligned in your relationships.
Focus on overall wellness:
The importance of exercise, eating right and taking care of yourself can’t be said enough, especially for parents who lead busy lives. All of these things have a direct impact on your stress. If you eat right, get plenty of physical activity and just take better care of yourself, your mind and body will thank you. Best of all, you can instill these important values in your kids as they grow up.
Don’t let things fester:
When problems arise, and they will, take them on quickly and effectively. The problem when we procrastinate and put things off is small issues turn into big issues and this drives our stress levels off the charts. Even if you don’t feel like dealing with something, it’s always better to face it and get it over with rather than keep putting it off and allowing it to bother you and raise your stress. For parents, that might mean planning out specific tasks that have to get done each day. Monday might be laundry day. Tuesday could be food prep day. Wednesday cleaning day. And so on.
Focus on proper breathing:
The problem with incorrect breathing is it can make you feel even more stressed and worried than you already are. Improper breathing raises CO2 in the body while reducing oxygen consumption which makes us tired, dizzy and anxious. The correct way to breathe is slowly in through the stomach area, hold for a few seconds, and then slowly exhale through the lips. It might take some practice to get used to, but this is definitely something that will significantly reduce your stress.
Get out of the house:
Right now, many parents are feeling stressed out and overwhelmed during the COVID pandemic because they can’t leave the house. It’s still important to get out each and every day. You can go for a walk, drive around with no destination in mind while you crank up the tunes, visit a friend or family member while practicing social distancing. A change of environment is important to reduce stress.
Get the kids involved:
Many parents are stressed out right now with kids home for summer with nothing to do. Keep your kids busy with educational activities like reading, give them an allowance for taking on chores around the house, and make sure they have enough time play time each day outdoors. Happy and healthy kids will make your life much easier and reduce your levels of stress.
Have something to look forward to:
Having something in the future to move toward and look forward to is important to all of us, especially parents who find themselves stressed. Maybe it’s a vacation or road trip six months from now. You can even have something small to look forward to each day like a television show or family dinner. This puts us in a better frame of mind, reduces stress and keeps the “feel-good” chemicals pumping in the brain.
Get involved in activities that are inspiring to you:
It doesn’t matter what it is, just get involved in any activity that inspires you. When you are feeling inspired and into what you are doing, it’s hard to feel stress. Not only that, but when you are doing something you truly enjoy, your mind is occupied and won’t have time to entertain worry, anxiety and stress.
Focus on the outcomes, not the struggles:
In almost everything we set out to accomplish, there is stress along the way. This is true even of positive forces in our lives. Instead of becoming stressed by the struggles, stay focused on the outcome. For instance, it’s easy to get flustered when trying to explain a math assignment to your kids. But remember how great it feels when it finally clicks for them and the sense of achievement it gives both you and them.
Recognize when you need help:
Every parent deals with a certain amount of stress and that is perfectly normal. But sometimes our stress becomes something bigger indicative of an anxiety disorder or something else. When you’ve tried to face things on your own and you aren’t feeling better, it’s time to get professional help. Parents with an insurmountable of stress are doing themselves and their families a favor by getting help.
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.
Trying to make your money go further? When you’re a single parent, every cent counts. Often, our first instinct is to cut costs, deprive ourselves, and go without in order to spread our money as thinly as possible. However, cutting back can only get us so far. Sometimes, the issue isn’t how we’re using our income — it’s the income itself.
Making more money can feel like a herculean task, but there are some subtle and simple ways to bring in extra cash. Here are some tips to help you boost your income:
The Side Hustle
If you’re already working full time or near-full time, you can consider adding a side hustle to get a little extra cash. When you’re taking care of a little one on your own, it’s important that any extra work you take on is on your terms. That’s why freelance and contract work is such a good fit for single parents. When you work as a freelancer, you set your own schedule, define your own workload, and can pick up or drop work as needed.
However, getting started as a freelancer can be a little tricky. Many people are unsure of what their rates should be, and wind up underselling themselves on the market. Here is the big freelancing secret: You’ll only get the money you fight for. Know your own worth, and don’t be afraid to turn down offers that don’t meet your standards.
Asking for a Raise
If you’ve been at your company for a while and you know you’re making an impact, ask for a raise. There is an art to the raise conversation — your first step should be gathering evidence of your impact on the company. This can be anything from figures showing value added or money saved on a project to feedback you’ve received from superiors saying you’ve done well. If you’ve had a written positive review, be sure to bring that along during the conversation.
Just as with freelancing, it’s important to know your worth and be willing to ask for what you want. The worst you can get is a “no.” That said, you need to be prepared with what a “no” will mean for you. Will you be willing to bargain down to a smaller raise? What if they’re not willing to give you a raise at all? Will that mean you look for different work? There’s no one right answer, but you should consider these questions before you begin the conversation.
Online Work
In today’s digital age, there are a ton of options for people who want to find work online. You can write for a blog, work as a social media manager, create your own online shop; you’re almost only limited by your own imagination. That said, there are potential pitfalls in online income generation. Turn to trustworthy e-commerce resources to make sure you’re on the right track.
Avoid Scams
Be sure to stay savvy along the way to avoid money-making scams. Pyramid schemes and other get-rich-quick methods target single parents because they know they’re a vulnerable population. Be wary of anything that promises instant results, and especially suspicious of any job that you have to pay to do.
We hope this article helps you find ways to bring in some extra money. Supporting a family alone is hard work, and any additional income can make it just a little easier. Here are a few freelance and work from home jobs you might want to consider:
Blog writing can be a lucrative way to build your brand and bring cash in at once.
Companies value Excel experts who can use Visual Basic to automate tasks.
Graphic designers can make a tidy income designing logos and marketing imagery.
Security specialists can perform audits to help companies ensure their data is safe.
Web developers can bring a business’s website to life and make it good-looking.
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.
If you have a baby on the way, congratulations! That’s wonderful news. At the same time, you may have a few concerns about your budget. After all, you’re now responsible for supporting at least one new life.
Few would argue that giving birth is inexpensive. However, you can get your budget under control by simultaneously cutting back in some areas while boosting your income. Here’s how.
Tips for Saving Money
Ah, the lure of those adorable baby outfits and that to-die-for nursery gear. You might feel tempted to break out the credit card, but before you do, remember! Most baby items see limited use.
Do you genuinely need a designer outfit your kiddo will wear once, spit up all over, then outgrow?
1. Shop in Your Closet
Chances are, you have a few items that you can wear even in your third trimester, like maxi dresses. Plus, if you find yourself now working from home, you don’t need as extensive of a maternity wardrobe.
Your baby will throw up all over their shirts, and that’s not all. Why let them defile a $40 set of duds? Plus, they outgrow clothing faster than you can buy them.
If you have a family member or friend with a few hand-me-downs to spare, take advantage.
3. Refinance
Depending on your circumstances, now may be the ideal time to refinance your mortgage. If you wait until you go on maternity leave to apply, your income will likely decrease.
Additionally, your lender might have questions about your future ability to make payments. If you have a partner who also works, you will probably have a more streamlined time winning approval.
4. Click Unsubscribe
Like it or not, you live in a subscription economy, and many people have recurring charges for items they no longer use. One fellow found he paid $40 a month for in-flight WiFi for eight months while he was safely grounded. That amount would pay a monthly utility bill in some areas.
Download an app like Truebill and enter your information. Do you need a subscription to the Tai Chi Move-of-the-Month club any longer, or can you go without to save money?
5. “Upcycle” Your Produce
Things could be worse — the current pandemic could have struck in the dead of winter. Now, however, you don’t have long to wait until planting time. If you live in the south, you could enjoy peak season already.
Learn how to save the seeds from your produce and start seedlings indoors. When they grow large enough, replant them in your garden. This way, your family will always enjoy a supply of fresh vegetables, even when the grocery budget gets tight.
Tips for Increasing Your Income
In addition to cutting your budget, you can increase your income, even during tumultuous times. Here are some ideas.
1. Become a Virtual Assistant
Scores of companies need virtual assistants for handing everything from customer calls to emails. You might manage social media posts or help with bookkeeping tasks.
Sites such as Fiverr allow you to offer your services for sale to the highest bidders.
2. Sell Crafts on Etsy
Are you a crafty mama-to-be? If you have knitted more adorable baby booties than your child could wear by the time they turn 21, why not sell the excess on Etsy?
You can set the price for your wares, and once you establish yourself as a seller, you can do well. You can also search your home for any high-value items like electronics you don’t need or use, and see if you could possibly pawn them for a little extra cash.
3. Teach or Tutor Online
In case you missed it, many schools have shuttered for the rest of the year, and the demand for online teachers is high. If you have a certificate, you can work for a virtual school.
However, even if you lack a credential, you can tutor if you have a bachelor’s degree.
4. Start a YouTube Channel
Do you have a skill you can share? One grandmother recently gained significant stardom when she started a YouTube cooking channel to pass down her recipes.
If you can do yoga, knit like a fiend or make a tutorial on how to build a better birdhouse, you could earn residual income through advertising revenue.
Get Your Budget Under Control Before Baby Arrives
Once your baby arrives, you will have plenty to occupy your mind. In the meantime, get your budget in order so that you feel secure in your family’s finances.
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.
Lost your job during the Coronavirus shutdown? It’s pretty scary but now is the perfect time to learn new skill that is crisis-proof. Here are a list of free classes you can take to upgrade your career skills or start a business that allows you to work from home.
Brit and Co.
If you are a creative who enjoys drawing, painting, and photography you will love the classes featured on Brit+Co. You will learn skills that you can use to become a graphic designer, illustrator, or photographer. These skills will fit into a work from home role or in your own digital marketing business.
Get certified to manage social media. With a certification from Hubspot you will be ahead of the curve in your company. You can leverage these skills into a new role or turn it into a Virtual Assistant or Social Media Management agency.
You get a free month to learn any skill in any category over at LinkedIn Learning. From programming to digital marketing and Microsoft certification prep to technical writing. There is something for everyone. All courses are rated for beginner to advanced so you are never in over your head.
Skillshare is giving you two free months to learn something new. You can focus on fun topics like cooking or art or upgrade your skills when you learn how to manage social media, start your own business, or invest money. The options are limitless.
Access 2000 free online courses from 140 leading institutions worldwide. Gain new skills and earn a certificate of completion. Join today for free.
Edx offers free classes from Colleges and Universities around the country – edx.org
Six classes help you move from survival mode to thriving through your single mom journey. Get the Single Mom Survival and Success Kit – https://richsinglemomma.vipmembervault.com/products/courses
A Decision to Change Your Life Forever
Getting through a crisis take a lot of mental and emotional energy. It can have a negative affect on your life if you let it, but you have options (free ones) to help you move past the mental and emotional turmoil. You can turn what looks like defeat into victory by making the decision to take a class that will change your life for you and your kids.
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.
Do you only find moths in your wallet at the end of each month? While it’s true that societal factors play a role, you do have some control over your budget. Chances are, you can find multiple places to pare.
When you grow tired of feeling short on cash, give the following nine tips a try. Many of these strategies will save you money and also reduce your carbon footprint. Here’s how to get started!
1. Use Fewer Paper Products
As the Coronavirus rages on, paper products are in short supply. What better time to reduce your carbon footprint by decreasing their use? You’ll wash your hands after you wipe, so cut down on the number of sheets you take off the roll each time. You can also find bidet attachments for your toilet that allow you to rinse, decreasing the need for tissue exponentially.
Instead of using paper towels to clean your counter-tops, invest in rags. You can even cut up old T-shirts to use as substitutes. Consider using a hankie instead of tissues. After all, you’ll be practicing social distancing and using sanitizer.
2. Reheat Leftovers
When you enjoy a delicious meal, what do you do with the scraps? You can save a small fortune by pretending you’re on the hit Food Network show “Chopped” and reusing your leftovers. You can even reheat foods like ribs by wrapping them in foil and heating them slowly at 250 degrees.
Get creative with veggies. You can transform leftover crudités into a comforting soup that will warm you on chilly days. Rice or potatoes can form a base for a bowl-style entree — so toss in some corn and leftover fried chicken for a KFC-like experience.
3. Sign Up for Rewards
Does your local grocery store offer rewards? If so, you’re dinging your wallet every time you shop if you don’t sign up for one.
You can earn digital coupons on the products you purchase the most — without clipping Sunday circulars. Some shops also award points and other free prizes on your birthday or anniversary.
4. Round Up Your Purchases
Does your bank or credit union enable you to round up your everyday debit card purchases to pad your savings or investments? If not, why not sign up for an Acorns account so that you can invest money painlessly?
If you spend $1.50 on an order of french fries, the app will automatically round up the extra $.50 and add it to your investment account. This way, you can earn stock through micro-purchases, even if you can’t afford to sell out for shares.
5. Save Your Change
Your spare change can add up relatively quickly, so if you don’t have a piggy bank, invest in one today. Do you have little ones at home? You can use coin savings banks to teach them valuable money lessons from a young age.
6. Improve Your Credit Score
If your credit isn’t the best, you could pay thousands of dollars more in loans and credit card fees. You can order a free credit report from all the major bureaus once per year.
Take advantage of this and review these carefully. Dispute any discrepancies with the bureaus, or consider hiring a credit repair company.
7. Reduce Your Water Use
If you shower every day, you can use several gallons of water, particularly if you like to soak for a while. Instead, set an egg timer for no more than five minutes.
If you do this every time you shower — maybe allowing yourself one luxurious bath per week — you should save money on your utilities. If you don’t have low-flow toilets and faucets, install them when you upgrade.
8. Change Your Lighting
Compact fluorescent lighting uses 25% to 80% less electricity than traditional incandescent lighting. If you haven’t swapped out your bulbs yet — maybe because you still have some left from a long-ago Costco run — make an effort to do so. Changing your lights can save you cash.
Also, consider taking down the heavy blinds and using natural light to illuminate your abode whenever possible. That way, you don’t have to use electricity at all, and you may boost your mood by looking at natural scenes. Window film enables you to see outside while keeping miscreants from peeking in at your china collection.
9. Brew Coffee at Home
Finally, if you have a long-standing coffee shop habit, now is the ideal time to start brewing your morning joe at home. If you buy 14 cups or more a week, you could save $70 every month by going homemade.
Plus, you can experiment with adding herbs like cinnamon and turmeric to your beans. These can provide additional health benefits, as well as a burst of flavor.
Save Money in These Obvious-But-Overlooked Ways
You don’t have to go hungry at the end of every month. Use these tips to keep a few more bucks in your wallet today!
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...
