As mentioned in the previous article on banking basics, society is too caught up in mainstream ways of thinking that they end up missing better opportunities! The same way you can find better banking and saving opportunities, you can find better products and services in general. What all of these things have in common is research, research, and research. Before you purchase another service or product, check out these research tips below.
Before you purchase another product or service, make sure you research online about the quality and price. This step is highly advised, because it makes a world of difference when comparing your options. When you research on websites like google.com, amazon.com, ePinions.com, Znet.com, Cnet.com, and more, you save yourself time, frustration, and money! Who wouldn’t want to do that? Even sometimes ebay.com has better deals than major retail stores.
If you’re not in your own corner, who will be? Get an idea about the quality of the product and/or service you are seeking and an idea of a roundabout price for it first. A little research never hurt anyone.
A lot of times, we as a nation are unable to look outside mainstream products and services. We tend to end up missing better opportunities for ourselves and our family when we follow the crowd, or “do as we are told”. One of the things that America struggles with is finding a secure bank or “cheap” bank to put our money in. Putting your money in a “safer” and “free” place is to your best interest.
Joining a Credit Union can help avoid outrageous bank fees and limitations of how much money you need to have in your own account. Banks are notorious for finding a reason to nickel and dime you, and most times there are penalties and fees. This, most times, is due to the fact that banks make money off of your money by lending it out to others through loans; how unfair is that?! Sometimes a credit union may be available through your employer, your state, or your school, like Georgia’s Own Credit Union and The Delta Credit Union with Delta Airlines.
Wouldn’t it be nice to hold on to ever cent that you earn instead of handing it over to someone else? Why be charged to save money and earn money? If you follow these steps, you will be on a better track to becoming financially fit!
Everyone, at some point in their life, will have a “rainy day”. For those who are unfamiliar with the phrase, it means a day or time period where one comes across times of unexpected financial troubles. It is always a good idea to save money for times that you cannot foresee from now.
The first step to preparing your rainy day fund is to have a savings plan for emergencies. It’s hard to predict when and where a financial emergency will emerge, and it’s better to be prepared for such occasion. Second, open up a separate account for your rainy day fund. Any spare funds that you receive, whether it’s a tax refunds, raises, a side job, or any extra income, is a good deposit for your newly created account. Third, it’s recommended that you have at least $1,000 to $3,000 in savings, but even if you save $500 it still helps wonders.
Having a rainy day account is very empowering to the soul. It gives you and your family a way out of financial troubles like unemployment for a period of time, or things that need fixing to maintain your life. Saving money also relinquishes stress levels, depression, and anxiety.
Do you have trouble with spending your own money? Just about everyone, whether you’re a single parent or just single, at some point has trouble keeping their finances in check. Today, money can be tight and a very scarce thing. That’s why controlling your spending is the most key thing to those who can’t seem to hold on to their last penny!
Many people have different ways of keeping their finances in check, but not everyone gets to that point of making personal changes to their spending habits. To start managing your finances, first develop a spending plan to avoid overspending. You can do this by making a list of things you need, and afterwards assign a dollar amount to each thing listed. This way you can stick to a stricter plan and be more in control. After you’ve done that, get a few previous bill statements for things that you’ve paid for in the needs category for things like food, clothing, transportation, etc. Once you’ve done that, look at your bank account online for ready access to your funds and statements. This will allow you to match you list to what you have in your account already.
Managing money is more of a necessity nowadays to staying afloat in this economy. If you want to survive and make every penny count, following these steps will surely get you on a healthier financial track. And if you’re lucky, you can squeeze room in for splurges and more elaborate forms of entertainment and treating yourself!
Welcome to the weekend edition of the RichSingleMomma TV Show! Runtime: 30 minutes 29 seconds
Do you have a vision for your life? My guest on the RichSingleMomma TV show is Terri L. Clay. She was a single mom who went through some of the most challenging situations in life. She overcame domestic violence, poverty, and apparent failure.
Today she is a motivational speaker and workshop leader. It is all because she had a vision for her life. Terri teaches women how to create a vision for their lives through Vision Board parties.
I chat with Terri about her life, her struggles, and her triumphs as a single mom. She shares a heartbreaking secret that should have crushed her, but she grew stronger instead.
Terri is the author of From Fab to Fierce. It is her biography and motivational tool to help you reach your dreams. You can find the book on Amazon.com right now.
Listen to this amazing conversation and leave a comment below. Did you do a vision board this year? Have you ever done one before? Did you see the dreams become a reality?
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.
So you are upset and angry that your ex is not paying child support. It happens, but you are probably a bigger part of the problem than he is. I’ll explain how this is true shortly.
I just learned about a Facebook page/group that is focused on exposing deadbeat dads. I will not link to it here because I am not interested in adding fuel to the fire. The amount of venom on that page is enough to kill an entire city. But it’s pointless because the women just make themselves look bad.
Haven’t we learned the lessons from seeing Usher’s ex-wife? She went for his jugular and still lost the kids. Contrast this to Katie Holmes who handled her business in private and came out on top with a fat child support settlement. Tom Cruise’s annual $400k payment is nothing to sneeze at; yet women are showing their fangs over $400 a month. I’m not sitting in judgement but simply cry out for a little common sense!
Ladies have you stopped to consider that fighting for child support is a lost cause? Who really wins in a fight? How many single moms have really won by fighting their child’s father for money? How many children have lost a great mom in the process because she’s angry all the time?
Here are 6 reasons why fighting for child support is a lost cause:
1. You will be the only idiot screaming like a banshee
Do you really want to be one of those women who spends all her time being angry at and trying to make your baby daddy’s life miserable? Those women are crazy and you will look like them when you put your stuff out there about how he isn’t paying child support. The reality is you are no longer in control of your own life when you behave this way. You place your will in his hands and give him control (on a silver platter) each time you use energy to be angry with him.
2. He will grow resentful and you will still get nothing
Men are delicate creatures with fragile egos. They do not respond well to threats and embarrassment. Back them up into a corner and they come out swinging or resort to passive-aggressive behavior. He will do the exact opposite of what you want him to do no matter how much he loves his kids.
3. Breaking him down makes you look bad to any future man you want to date
This is something most women aren’t thinking about. I’m talking about extreme behavior here. Calling him names, dragging him to court time and time again, bad-mouthing him to the entire world is something that will follow you. Do you think a real man will want to be with you after he hears about how you treated the father of your child(ren)? He will think you will do the same thing to him and run in the other direction.
4. You never get to the root of the problem…
… your failure to choose a good man; the deadbeat is a reflection of your character and bad choices. This is a biggie…it’s tough to look yourself in the mirror and see who you really are. The reality is the people in our lives are a reflection of ourselves. So if you are only see how low-down and dirty he is, consider you might be seeing those characteristics in your own life. We only recognize drama if we have drama. In the same way we only recognize a low-down dirty man if we are that kind of woman. Like the kids say…It takes one to know one.
5. The kids always get the raw deal…their dad is gone physically and you are gone emotionally
Finally, the people who are truly hurt by all of this are the kids. They didn’t ask to come into this world. They are innocent and have to deal with your mess. They have to deal with your bad choice in a father for them and now you are making them live in a negative emotionally environment. At some point you have to grow up, put on your big girl panties, and take responsibility for the choices you made.
What’s the Child Support Solution?
The million dollar question is how do you get child support from a deadbeat dad. You don’t get child support from someone you label deadbeat. You only get child support from a man you believe is a decent person who has a vested interest in your child’s well being. You get child support through rational discussion, negotiation, and compromise.
If you happen to be dealing with a truly disinterested guy, you find a way to move on. You forgive yourself for getting involved with him in the first place and you turn your attention to the child you have to raise.
It’s hard and it feels like he owes you something for taking part in making a human life. Unfortunately, he doesn’t owe you anything but he is depriving himself of the opportunity to help raise and support a beautiful child.
Now it’s your turn. Do you think I’m wrong? Explain your answer. How has fighting for child support benefited you? Do you know anyone who has won child support and ultimately ended up happy?
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...
