It’s school fundraising season. Moms and dads can relate to this annoying ritual (getting asked to buy cookie dough or wrapping paper at inflated prices.) And how do you say no to your cute neighbor?Stacey Boyd, a former school administrator and mom founder of Savvy Source, a national resource
Stacey Boyd, a former school administrator and mom founder of Savvy Source, a national resource on finding good schools, has 5 key tips:
1. Best to set a budget and pace yourself throughout the year. Don’t blow your budget on the first cutie knocking on your door with candy bars.
2. Consider just making a straight donation with a smile instead of buying the cookie dough you don’t really want — so the fundraiser makes more profit!
3. Remember that this is an opportunity for kids to learn valuable lessons around responsibility, social skills, and money – they’ll remember the way you make them feel!
4. Contribute to fundraisers that you’re personally passionate about to make sure they get the larger share of what you can give
5. Find programs that allow you to give back in a way that’s easy and inline with what you already plan to spend. One powerful way to do that is through sites like Schoola.com Schools, parents and national brands have come together with fantastic savings – and generous school donations of up to 35% each purchase. Go to schoola.com to save and the potential to raise thousands for your school!
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.
Have you noticed that the gas prices are steadily inching up? I have and it seems like I get a new gray hair with every penny increase. In some cases it’s jumped ten to 15 cents overnight. If you have been looking for ways to save money at the pump, here are a few tried and true ideas. My dad, a mechanic, told me about a few of them long ago when I got my first car, but there are a few things I didn’t know. Read these tips and start using them ASAP!
1. Fill up your tank on Wednesday or Thursday before 10 am. Gas prices rise on Thursdays in anticipation of weekend travel. 10 am is when most station owners make their price change for the day. Unless it is an emergency, do not buy gas Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
2. Don’t let your car idle, either when you warm it up or when you are at a standstill. If you’re going to be standing for more than a minute, running your engine wastes more gas than restarting the engine.
3. Buy gas when it’s cooler during the day (like the early morning or at night) to reduce gas evaporation.
4. Remove unnecessary items in your car. Every 250 extra pounds eats up an extra mile per gallon of gas.
5. Avoid the convenient gas station on the side of the highway as you drive home from work which can be up to $.15 more per gallon.
6. Save money with self-service and look for gas stations where paying cash costs the same as using a credit or debit card.
7. Double check the attendant and ensure, if you are paying by cash, that “cash” is noted on the pump. You could lose $.05 a gallon if he mistakenly presses “credit.”
8. Drive less – combine errands, carpool, and plot out the shortest route with a driving website beforehand. It may sound obvious but it is often overlooked.
9. Check for traffic and detours online or on the radio prior to beginning your drive to avoid wasteful backtracking and idling.
10. Keep your windows closed when driving on the highway. Open windows can reduce your gas mileage by as much as 10%. In stop-and-go traffic, open the windows and turn off the air conditioning to save more money.
11. Rent fuel-efficient cars when you travel and research reasonably priced places to buy gas before you leave.
12. Confirm with your mechanic what octane gasoline your car’s engine really needs. Most car engines do not require high octane though the manual will say its “recommended.”
13. Download a Gas App for your phone. If you have a Smartphone, there are plenty of free apps that help you find the cheapest gas near your destination. GasBuddy makes it easy with its free app, and Mapquest has an online finder for gas prices.
14. Buy Discount Gas Gift Cards – Did you know you don’t have to pay full price for a gift card? Sites like GiftCardGranny.com offer a diverse selection of discount gas gift cards from various card vendors.
15. Be loyal to one gas company and get rewarded with its cash-back credit card reward program.
Chris Faulkner is President and Chief Executive Officer Breitling Oil and Gas, (www.BreitlingOilandGas.com), a Dallas-based independent oil and gas exploration and production company.
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.
I have no shame in admitting that some of the most basic responsibilities of a home owner were delegated to my husband when he lived with us.
When he moved out, I was left with a new set of responsibilities, on top of taking care of the kids and daily menial household chores. I knew nothing about the appliances that ran in our home, I only knew how to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Over time, I realized that the appliances are a functioning part of the family. They need “checkups” like my kids. The key is maintenance; it helps keep your robot friends running smoother and longer. Bottom line: I don’t want to call someone to help me fix something. I’d rather take care of what I have and avoid catastrophe.
So here’s my handy list of “maintenance checks.” It’s next to my list of daily chores on the refrigerator. This is not a checklist to perform every day! Just do it when you have some spare time every few months. It may seem boring, but it will help you spend less time and effort worrying about the next hiccup.
1. Air Filters
Change these according to the kind of air filter you use. Keep in mind, there are alot of different types. If it’s high-efficiency, do it 4 times per year.
2. Dishwasher
Check the seals.
Check for dirt. Lift the float up and clean it out. You can find the float at the front or back of the dishwasher. If there is any debris that restricts its movement, it can cause a leak.
3. Garbage Disposal
Grind ice for a few seconds to sharpen the blades.
Grind citrus peels to keep the disposal smelling fresh and germ-free.
4. Refrigerator
Dust the coils behind the fridge. When they accumulate dust it’s harder for the coils to keep the fridge cool, costing you more money.
Clean the drip pan underneath the fridge. Simply pull it out and rinse it with soapy water.
Clean the gaskets. Those are the things that keep the doors closed and sealed.
5. Washer/Dryer
Wash your washer. This might sound redundant, but it actually has to be cleaned. Try using vinegar or lemon juice and then running it on the hottest cycle.
Clean your dryer vent, located behind your dryer. These things get backed up with dust and causes the dryer to stop working. The interior vent is behind the dryer; undo it and vacuum the vent, the hose, and the back of the dryer. Then go outside and detach the exterior vent from your house and give it a thorough vacuuming.
Hi, I’m Marie Ortiz. I am a blogger, DIY enthusiast, and mother of two beautiful girls. . I am always working on new ways for my girls to develop and learn, and I love to share all of my discoveries along the way. We enjoy working on DIY projects as a family, and they are turning into avid crafters. When I’m not perusing the Internet for inspiration, you can find me at my local farmers’ market or looking for new adventures. You can check me out at www.DIYMother.org.
Sometimes the words single mom and struggle seems to mean the same thing. It’s hard to say one without thinking about the other. Everyday I read/hear about single moms who are struggling to make ends meet. I have been there and know how hard it is to look my kids in the face, knowing there is no money in the bank, no food in the cabinets, and no gas in the car. I know what it’s like to have the lights turned off and bill collectors calling. You may be facing this now, so I really want you to read the story below. A single mom sent this powerful testimony to me and wanted me to share it with you. What do you do when you are a struggling single mom? Pray…
God’s hand on a single mother…Karen’s Story
I will never forget Saturday morning January 12, 2013. I woke up with no money in my pocket, my bank accounts were negative and my fridge was so empty you could hear the echo if I stuck my head in it. I was on day 6 of reading my bible for 90 days and could feel the strength of God on the inside of me growing but the outside seemed hopeless.
I decided months ago that just paying my tithe every pay period wasn’t cutting it so I signed up for a program at my church called “Money Wise”. A part of this program is to have you meet up with the director so she can ask you some questions and pray to see which one of the many volunteer counselors she would be able to match you up with.
Well this Saturday my counselor was coming to meet me to discuss my finances which were just a mess. We sat down for 2 hours as I displayed the part of the bible that says “ my people perish for a lack of knowledge” because I didn’t know anything. All I knew was that I was in so much debt all built from being a single mother and not trusting God . You see, I was a survivor and never living or experiencing God as my Jehovah Jirah but today that was about to change.
That morning I woke up and prompted by a vision I went downstairs to explain to my children how the money I made came in and out of the house by demonstrating with monopoly money. They seemed to understand so we moved on to have some family time when my daughter said, “mommy what’s for breakfast?” I literally had nothing but a can of corn. Thank God she loves corn because that day that is what she ate a can of buttered corn, while me and my oldest ate nothing and my two youngest went to ask one of their friends for a package of noodles.
I told my kids that I was not being a good manager over the 90% that God was letting me keep and that the bible says if you’re not a good manager of the little, even the little would be taken. So I told them from this day they had one of two choices either get on the bandwagon with me to serve God by surrendering or get out. By their silence I believe everyone chose to get on the bandwagon with me. My oldest son said a simple prayer, “ God we don’t have anything, we need something, take care of us. Thank you. Amen. We continued on our day reading the bible, praying and just praising God we had forgot that we didn’t have dinner that night.
As I said earlier my counselor was coming over to discuss money management. She showed up and for 2 hours we discussed, planned, budgeted, set goals and I repented for my lack of knowledge, faith and no seeing God as my source. As we finished praying and my counselor was about to leave, she said to me, “We don’t normally do this but I am feeling led by the Lord to ask you how much gas do you have in your car? I said it is on “E” only enough to make it to the highway to pull over and wait for the local roadside assistance to give me a gallon of gas.
She said, “follow me”, and we went to the gas station where she put gas in my car. She then proceeded to tell me to follow her to the store and there she made me go up and down every aisle picking up the things I needed and wanted in multiples of two. By the time we got to the register I had two carts full of groceries!!!!! God is good but he didn’t stop there…
I went home, put those bags on the table, and me and my children took a moment and said, “Thank you God”. I asked each one of my children how they felt and one by one they expressed how amazing it was to see God’s hand move first hand. We had tacos and pizza that night and the only reason we had pizza was because it wouldn’t fit in our fridge.
Sunday came and we did our normal routine went to church, volunteered, and enjoyed the day as a family when I received a call from my counselor again asking me to meet her at a nearby Starbucks. Once I got there she handed me an orange envelope with my name on the front of it inside of the envelope was 200.00 of gas cards and 200.00 of groceries cards… Are you serious God!!! Ephesians 3:20 says God will do exceedingly and abundantly more than you can ever think of or ever ask. And God still was not finished.
On the outside of the envelope were the words “electric”, “water”, and “lease”. It meant that I would not have to worry about my electric bill that was behind a month, my water bill that was behind a month and my rent for next month would be paid as well.
God is good!! Awesome, amazing and he loves us. Here I am a single mother of 5 children, 4 that actually are home with me, one income that is being garnished at 35% for an upside down car note because I had to buy from a “buy here ,pay here” place. I had to just throw my hands up and say God I surrender. The moment I did God said, “thank you for moving out of my position”, and did the unthinkable.
I don’t know where you are as a single mother but I know it can be frustrating and embarrassing at times but trust me God wants to do things for us if we would only surrender and let him. It was so hard for me to throw up my hands up, but I am so thankful that I finally did and thank God because that was my last can of corn.
I am excited to finish in my journey of the money wise program to see how God is going to move on all of these debts and my one crave that I am asking God for daily is to get rid of this horrible car note that I got myself in to do the unthinkable again and have this $10,963.45 balance removed from my life.
Thank you God for looking down on a single mother and being faithful!!
Do you believe in the power of prayer? How has it helped you during the times you struggled the most? Talk about it in the comments below.
Kids who learn about finance management early in life are more likely to be financially responsible as adults. Young children might not need to know about mutual funds and mortgages, but they are smart enough to start learning about the value of money. Teaching your child about the importance of saving money and working hard to get it will give him a solid foundation for making the right financial decisions in the future. Kids learn best when they have no idea that they are learning, so it’s important to come up with fun ways to teach them about serious subjects like finance. Depending on your child’s age and interests, there are a few effective and exciting ideas you can try to get him interested in learning the basics of money management.
Since it’s a little too early for your child to keep track of savings at your bank’s local branch, get him started with a piggy bank. To a child, a piggy bank is essentially the same thing as a savings account. Encouraging a child how to use one is a great way to teach him how banks work and why saving money is important. Ask your child to put some of the money he earns into the piggy bank instead of spending it. After he collects a good amount, take him to the toy or candy store for a reward. Let him pick out whatever he wants to buy because he earned it. It’s a good idea to give your child some extra money as an interest on his savings. It’s an easy way to teach your kid that saving pays off in the long run and leads to better rewards than spending a little money at a time on smaller things.
Make sure that you are giving your child money for a job well done and not just to fill up his piggy bank. Have your child do light household chores to teach him the value of money. It’s important to show young kids that every little bit of money requires hard work. You can have your child clean his room or help you out in the kitchen. Give him age-appropriate tasks that won’t be too overwhelming. Make sure that your child connects the work he is doing with money by giving him a small payment immediately after he is done. Try to use change, so it’s easier for your kid to put a portion of his reward into the piggy bank. Older children can get money in bills as long as you use small denominations.
It’s important to let your child spend a little money after he earns it instead of putting everything into the piggy bank to keep him interested in making more. If you are teaching your child finance management, chances are that he is old enough to count. Spend some time counting money together, and come up with financial goals. Setting objectives will give your kid a chance to practice both math and financial responsibility. Most importantly, always set a good example by taking control of your own finances and slowly teaching your child how to make the right financial decisions as he gets older.
Naomi Esterly believes that it’s never too early to teach kids the value of money. In this guest post she provides practical lessons on how to get them started with finance management. These are the very same things she’s taught her kids and she hopes that you’d find it useful too. When she’s not penny-pinching she is a freelance writer.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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/
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...
On the outside of the envelope were the words “electric”, “water”, and “lease”. It meant that I would not have to worry about my electric bill that was behind a month, my water bill that was behind a month and my rent for next month would be paid as well.
