Single Mom Money Tip #1

Single Mom Money Tip #1

by | Nov 3, 2015

 

When I was a kid I learned how to create a budget. The reason I learned was because it was a part of my school work. I was homeschooled and was baking cakes and making money selling them. I was off to a good start.

Later on I was on the church finance team, balanced the budget on my job at city hall and for several other jobs. I learned what I know about budgets from all those experiences. It came in handy when I became a mom and had to make my money stretch on one income. I know you can relate.

It’s my pleasure to share what I know with you. I created the Single Mom Budget Sanity worksheet to help make creating a budget easier.

This is not your typical budget worksheet. This is a worksheet that practically does the work for you. All you do is enter your net income into the worksheet and it does the rest for you.

Download the worksheet here.

 

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Don’t forget to join the 6-Day Side Hustle Challenge so you can increase your income and have a lot more money to pay with in the worksheet ;-).

Get Paid Great Money to be a Dog Sitter

Get Paid Great Money to be a Dog Sitter

by | Jun 10, 2015

Make extra money as a dog sitter with Rover.com. If you love dogs you can make money as a dog sitter in your home or theirs. Rated positively by Yelp and the Animal Humane society

Earn  $2,000-$5,000/month

From the website:
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  • Great Income Rover sitters earn $25-$60 per night for each dog they watch, and can easily earn $2,000-$5,000/month. Plus, we’ll handle all the billing and payments for you.
  • You’re in Control You set your schedule. You choose your rates. Watch dogs in your home or in your client’s home–whichever you prefer.
  • Tools for Success Launch your dog-sitting business. Rover gives you the tools to succeed and advertises to continually bring in new clients.
  • Support We’ve got your back. Every stay booked through Rover includes complimentary premium insurance, and the Rover support team is always ready to help.
  • Adorable Dogs Getting paid to play with dogs? Yes, please! Many Rover sitters left stressful careers to become dog sitters. Earn money doing what you love.

 

Single Mom Makes a Living Dog Sitting

Read about a single mom who is making ends meet from dog sitting: http://www.twincities.com/turningpoint/ci_27929051/turning-point-minneapolis-single-mom-gets-her-life

Earn even more by offering dog training, dog treats, dog outfits, and healthy dog recipes. This side business has great potential of becoming a full-time opportunity. You will be able to make your own schedule, be there for the kids, and enjoy the work you do every single day!

http://ratracerebellion.com

[Video] How Single Moms Can Make Money Online

by | Jul 21, 2014

Watch this video if you are curious about how to make money online with surveys, focus groups, and more. Feel free to ask me your questions about working from home or making money online. No question is dumb (just as long as it’s relevant). I’m happy to help 🙂
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Places to find make money online or work at home opportunities:
http://ratracerebellion.com
http://wahm.com
http://amylynn.org
http://wahmmomrevolution.com

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Connect with me on:

Instagram – http://instagram.com/samanthagregory
Twitter – http://twitter.com/samanthagregory
Facebook – http://facebook.com/samanthagregorywrites

5 Simple Ways to Stockpile Cash Before Tax Time

5 Simple Ways to Stockpile Cash Before Tax Time

by | Mar 28, 2013

Jar of MoneyBY CATEY HILL

While you’re probably imaging the flat-screen TV or Caribbean vacay you’ll take with that tax refund, the reality is that many of us won’t get anything from the IRS. Even worse: We might owe money.

That’s why it’s important to build up a little cushion of cash now: It can mean the difference between repaying the IRS and them hounding you for cash for months to come (ick!). Here are five things you can do to easily build up a stash of cash in time for tax time.

1. Don’t overpay for gas
It’s tempting just to get gas from the station near you, but that’s often not the cheapest. Instead, use the GasBuddy app to find the least expensive gas in your area. You can sometimes save 20 cents or more per gallon this way, which can mean big savings!

2. Ditch costly impulse buys
You know the drill: You go into a store knowing you just need a few little things, but somehow end up busting your budget. To prevent that from happening, practice the five-second rule: Before you put anything in your basket or cart, wait five seconds, during which time you’ll ask yourself “do I really need this?”.Most of the time the answer is no, so move on to what you do need.

3. Sell your stuff smartly
With a site like UltraPawn.com, you can safely and easily sell stuff like old jewelry and electronics. They’ll send you money for the items within 24 hours. Now that’s quick cash!

4. Go green
To keep from overspending, “go green,” which, in this case, means only taking cash with you when you leave the house — no credit and debit cards allowed. It’s impossible to overspend when you can’t access more money!

5. Pick up a side gig
No one likes to think about extra work, but to earn cash fast, consider picking up a side gig like landscaping, babysitting or house cleaning in your spare time. You can use a site TaskRabbit.com to find these gigs, or tap into your Facebook or LinkedIn network to ask people if they need help with little tasks.

 

Catey Hill, Personal Finance Writer and Author of Shoo, Jimmy Choo! -A Modern Woman’s Guide to Spending Less, and Saving More

The Most Important Skill You Can Learn Today to Raise Your Income by 50% (or more)

The Most Important Skill You Can Learn Today to Raise Your Income by 50% (or more)

by | Mar 12, 2013

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Learn to code. Learn to read and write code. Learn to use this medium to be creative. Increase your income. Be extraordinary.

I have been in IT or information technology for about 20 years. I started out in high school with a DOS-based computer learning how to type. I learned basic office application software at that time and was hooked on all things computers.

Maybe the reason I excelled is because I was not intimidated by this new technology. I was always the first one to tackle a new software program at my jobs. I created the first database for the county boat registration process where I worked, using a new software program. My manager had it installed and told me to learn it and create the database. It helped that I learned how to do it in college even after I had a C-average in my college classes, so you don’t have to be an A student, just be willing to take what you learned and apply it to a new project.

From those humble days in front of a green or orange on black computer screen to today where I am an IT consultant, my income has steadily increased. I can take care of my family. I can take vacations. I don’t have to rely on child support or be frustrated if it doesn’t arrive on time (or fail to come). I’ve been able to use my skills to earn a great salary and I’ll earn much more in the next two years because I am learning how to code mobile apps.

A Woman Who Can Code Can Write Her Own Paycheck

Show me a woman who can code or at minimum manipulate more advanced computer programs and I’ll show you a woman who can write her own paycheck.

Why am I such a huge advocate for coding and learning about technology? Because it’s the future and the future is now.

The Mistake Single Moms (and Most Financially Struggling Women) Make

I hear single moms talk about struggling to pay bills, buy food and clothes for their kids, desire a better neighborhood to raise their kids in but they don’t know how. They are stuck in low paying jobs, barely reaching lower middle class status. They have to get second jobs and struggle to find child care.

The sad part is most are clueless about how to get to the next level financially. Going back to school to become a nurse or secretary is just jumping from one misery to another unless you truly love taking care of the sick or being someone’s whipping girl.

The Reason Programmers and Computer Professionals Don’t Struggle Financially

Programmers and high tech people don’t struggle like this, because what they do is crucial to the world. If your job is crucial to the world you get paid well.

The Key to Raising Your Salary and Quality of Life

The key to raising your quality of life and salary is to get into some field of information technology. The time in school can be less than 18 months and you can come out with a certification that will command $50k at a minimum.

As a single mom you cannot always find a job you love or follow your bliss. Bliss won’t feed the kids unless you are an extraordinary marketer and can sale your dream.

How to Make Learning a Computer Programming Language or Specialized Software Worthwhile

But you can learn a computer program or become an expert at manipulating advanced computer systems. You can couple your passion for healthcare with health IT. You can marry your love of children and learn how to write software programs for kids. There are hundreds of ways to use programming with the things you love to do.

Start Small and Simple

So what are you waiting for? What is your excuse for not making a decision to learn how to code or learn complex computer software? Think your brain can’t handle it? Think it’s boring? You will never know until you try it!

To get you started visit Code.org to learn how to create a simple, but fun program. It can be a web-based program, a web page, or an app. Start small, read as much as you can, try it out and don’t be afraid to break something. You can’t possibly bring down an entire computer system because you are not a computer genius yet Winking smile.

How to Get Whatever You Want: Barter

How to Get Whatever You Want: Barter

by | Jan 22, 2013

To get what you want, sometimes it costs money. But other times money is non-existent or limited. Sometimes we deserve to get something we want or have earned. Being creative can be a helpful tool to obtain what you have been yearning for. Follow these following steps to get yourself on the creative path!

The first step towards your creative path is to look past money and to release negative thoughts and tension. When you relax about whatever money crunch you are in, it allows you to think clearly.

The next step is to get creative and discover other ways to get what you want, especially without using your money. Sometimes bartering can be a useful tool in getting what you want. It was, after all, the first form of exchange for goods and items centuries ago. This brings us to step number three, which is to barter with people, moms, businesses, and etc to get what you want. Bartering is still practiced, and at times, it can be a preferred form of payment. Step four is to open up your creative mind and

This brings us to step number three, which is to barter with people, moms, businesses, and etc to get what you want. Bartering is still practiced, and at times, it can be a preferred form of payment.

Step four is to open up your creative mind and eyes and think of ways to get what you want without being trapped in the “not enough money” syndrome.

True needs are the bare essentials for existence like food and shelter, but sometimes obtaining these essentials is hard without enough money. Sometimes to get something you have to give something, which in the end allows everybody to win. Just like in the previous articles, giving something away can come back tenfold.