This year on RichSingleMomma I tried to focus more on the financial side of single motherhood. It can be ugly sometimes but it doesn’t have to be a permanent state. With planning, budgeting, and a little ingenuity we can turn things around.
Here are the top 9 post on the website. Most relate to money but there are a few other top posts in there too. Click the titles to read the posts.
This is pretty self explanatory. I highlighted 7 free budget worksheets for single moms to use. Getting your money under control is top priority if you want to see more in the future.
This post has been a the top for a while. Let’s face it, sometimes we hate being single moms but it’s not because of the kids but because of the bad wrap we get in the media, the crazy remarks of family, friends, and stranger too. Check out what makes me the craziest about being a single mom. Don’t judge me 😉
A single mom wrote me needing advice about how to get some quick cash. In this post I shared a few ways she could get some quick cash. You might find a few ideas to help you in a crunch.
Sometimes we have to sell stuff to get cash in hand. This post lists 15 ways you can do that by selling your stuff. Sometimes we have to part with cherished items until we get back on our fee.
This is one of my favorite posts. I’ve seen it time and time again. Single moms gripe, complain, incarcerate, and malign their baby’s father for not paying child support. Sure it’s hard and it’s unfair, but to live in a state of constant fighting is not the way to get what you need. I am suggesting a better way to get your needs met.
This post is about me and my kids going to the Disney on Ice event. It was fun and a blast to see all the Disney Princesses. We got to see them all again at a recent trip to Disney World too.
This post is a backup post to the Ignore Deadbeat Daddies post. It’s for single moms who are new to the game because they got divorced, their husband passed away, or they were deserted by their boyfriend. The goal is to help them (and you) see that you can become self-sufficient and financially independent even though you are a single mom.
Raising a kid on $12k a year seems impossible, but with a lot of creativity and using the resources around you it can work. This post is about how to budget your money when money is very tight. I did it and you can too!
Well those are the top articles on RichSingleMomma.com. Go read them if you haven’t already and leave a comment if you have already read them. Share them with other single moms you know and come back to see what’s in store for next year. I’m declaring 2013 The Year of Living Fearlessly and Fabulously. I hope you will make that the theme for your 2013 as well.
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.
We ate at a couple nice places on the beach and one place in town. We heard good things about the restaurant across the parking lot of our resort called The River City Cafe. It was packed everyday and we soon found out why. The food was phenomenal! My daughter had a burger that was absolutely crazy good. It was called the OMG Burger Platter.
This burger had two patties topped with two fried eggs, hickory smoked bacon (we got it without the bacon), swiss and cheddar, lots of mayo, lettuce, tomato and fried onion strings, stuffed between two grilled cheese sandwiches (The bun couldn’t handle it!), served with a pile of fries, two giant fried onion rings and slaw.
Here is a video of my daughter’s description and delight over this concoction.
We also ate at a Chinese Buffet in town. The food was good but the service was questionable.
We got smoothies and fries (don’t ask) at a little place on the beach. We sat on the deck and ate while enjoying the ocean view.
The little eating place across the street served breakfast so we ate there one morning. They were nice people and made us feel welcomed.
We couldn’t leave without picking up a couple of souvenir t-shirts for me and my daughter. My son found a toy he had to have and I found a necklace I liked. It was cheap and proved so because I broke after wearing it twice :-(.
We didn’t get to try Bubba’s Fish Shack but we couldn’t resist taking a picture.
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.
Our beach time was fun. It was so nice to be near the water and hear the roar. As you can see from the pictures, the kids had more fun playing in the sand than in the ocean.
One thing I didn’t like was the jellyfish that floated in the water. They gave me the heeby-jeebies…(insert shivers). They were all on the beach every morning and we could see them while playing in the water. I’m not sure why there were so close to the shore but I didn’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling from them.
Miniature Golf Fun and Friendly Competition
What would a trip be without a little fun? We went to the Adventure Falls miniature golf course that was on the main strip. The kids and I love this game and the friendly competition.
There were two courses to choose from. So we chose the least crowded one to begin our competition. I got a couple of holes in one and I think each of the kids got one as well. That sent up simultaneous cheers and boos.
The guy running the place was super friendly. He told us about and up and coming singer from Myrtle Beach that lives in Atlanta now. She is kind of young but is recording (probably finished now) a new album. Too bad I can’t remember her name…
Overall the trip was fun. I will definitely go back again in a few years. I think next year we will try either The Outter Banks in North Carolina or Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Both are reasonable distances from Atlanta and by then my daughter will know how to drive and can help lighten that load.
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 am finally getting around to posting photos from my trip to Myrtle Beach back in April. The kids and I visited because we really wanted to go to the beach that was close to home. It had to be economical and fun so I set out to find a great place for Spring Break 2012.
Looking for Great Travel Deals
I am a deal/discount queen when it comes to travel. I do not believe in paying full price for accommodations, rentals, or airfare so I will scour the web for the best deal. So I checked out Hotwire.com and BetterBidding.com to find a hotel or resort on the beach. That was my criteria. Anywhere we stayed had to be walking distance to the beach.
Bidding on a hotel can be nerve-wracking if you don’t know what to do. The prices look so tempting but I learned through a lot of research to look for clues into the kind of hotel I’d be getting.
Setting My Criteria for the Perfect Spring Break Destination
So my criteria was for a hotel, preferably a resort, on the beach. I also had to have wi-fi, a balcony, double beds, and cheap but quality eats in the hotel or nearby.
I found a couple of resorts within my price range on Hotwire but before I reserved it I went to BetterBidding.com to look at the forums. People who have bid on rooms reveal the name of the hotel in these forums. It is based on the state and city you are planning to visit. I found out the resort could be one of two places. I Googled the hotel and decided I could live with it. I placed my bid over at Hotwire and moved ahead with my plans.
Getting to Myrtle Beach
The kids and I packed up and drove to Myrtle Beach. We traveled for about five hours and were so happy to see the ocean! Our resort, Surfside Beach Resort wasn’t exactly luxurious but it was nice enough for our purpose. We were right on the beach, the rooms had double bed, there was wi-fi (though spotty), there was a balcony, and there were places to eat nearby.
The Surfside Beach Community
The area of Myrtle Beach where we stayed was called Surfside Beach. It is a sleepy little town lined with beach houses facing the ocean. It was nice, quiet and clean. Along the ocean were only two or three hotels. There was the Holiday Inn resort and our resort.
Surfside is known for it’s determination to keep the towering commercial hotels out and maintain a cozy family atmosphere. We could see the larger hotels in the distance but were happy to not be caught in the spring break traffic and noise that was probably overwhelming that part of Myrtle Beach.
Getting in “Me Time”
I got up early to watch the sunrise and walk on the beach for a little “me time” on the first morning. The kids slept in and enjoyed the break from school. The weather was warm but more on the cool side the first couple of days. Eventually the sun came out to heat things up and we got to go on the beach and enjoy the waves. We finally got to the ocean.
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.
Yesterday the kids and I travelled with the church youth group about an hour north of Atlanta to visit Amnicola Falls State Park in Georgia. It was a beautiful day with crisp clear skies and changing leaves.
The intention was to go hiking up to the falls but it was getting too late and by the time we started out it would have been dark on the way back.
So we ate, had fun playing around and talking. The boys tossed the ball around and we finally headed back.
The MoonShine Festival
On the way we ran into what looked like a fair in the town of Dawsonville. We had to detour several miles to get to the falls. The traffic was horrible because of the event happening in that town. Turns out it was the annual Moonshine Festival. Yep, it is apparently very popular in that neck of the woods.
The question of the day was, “Do people still make moonshine?”. Could be true. I do know there are people who make beer in their homes. It’s quite a hobby for some people. Definitely a good way to save money on beer if you drink it often
It looked like one of the highlights of the festival was classic cars. We saw some really beautiful ones as we took our detour and went past the festival. There were hundreds of them, from old Packards, T-Models, and convertibles.
Daylight Savings Time Ending Soon
In my neck of the woods it feels like winter has already arrived. It’s been in the 30s these last couple of nights and frost was on the ground in the morning.
I’m not ready for this and hopefully the schizophrenic Georgia weather will kick in and we will be back to the upper 70s and low 80s.
Daylight savings time will be over in early November this year. I have mixed feelings about DST and the change to lengthen it. It just drags things out and my body’s clock gets all confused.
Daylight savings time end on November 6, 2011.
How do you prepare for the time change? Does it take you a long time to get used to it?
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.
Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream was a rockin’ Princess Party!
I have been watching the Disney classic princesses since I was a little girl and watching the modern princesses since my daughter was a toddler over 12 years ago. To see them all at this ice show was amazing on Wednesday night at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA! The show runs October 12-16, 2011.
It’s not hard to say who my favorite princess was, but I’ll wait to tell you that until almost the end of this post.
Disney on Ice Pre-Party
I took my kids (thanks to Sue Rodman at Fieldtrips with Sue) to the pre-party activities; otherwise known as the press conference and meet and greet. We got to talk to a couple of the stars and learn about their life behind the scenes and on the ice. They were very friendly and happy to talk to us about life on the road for 10 months out of the year.
Disney on Ice Cast are Community-Minded
I learned that the Disney on Ice cast are not so crazy about eating out because the food ends up tasting all the same. I’m sure they would love a home cooked meal from Karen over at In the Kitchen with KP!
Despite the small inconveniences, they are very community-minded as they explained when I asked them how they handle holidays away from home. They explained they may use the time to feed the homeless at a soup kitchen, give away their well-read books to the Salvation Army, or participate in a food drive much like me and my friends Amy over at Atlanta with Kid and Mandi at Cumming Local are planning next month.
Pictures and Activities with the Disney on Ice Cast
My daughter and I had the chance to take a picture with Rapunzel and Flynn from the movie Tangled. I really love that movie! Disney always surprises me with how well they make movies.
The kids got to color and make their own crowns while we waited for the show to begin. Even my son got in on the crown-making action. He is very proud of it as you can see below.
The Show Began with The Princess and the Frog
We got to our seats and waited to enjoy the show. It was cold so I’m glad we all wore our jackets. At one point my son pulled his hood over his head. Of course with it being Disney on Ice and all, it was bound to be cold.
The show started and the magic began with the story of Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. I really wish we could have taken a picture with her and Naveen but we didn’t. Inspite of that, we still had a really great time seeing all the familiar stories and watching the acrobatics on the ice.
Cinderella and Rapunzel take Center Ice
There were three princess stories including the Princess and the Frog, Cinderella, and Rapunzel. The show lasted for about two hours and all the kids had a blast! There seemed to be a princess takeover with all the little girls dressed as their favorite princess.
Classic Disney Characters and the Disney Princesses
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Pluto hosted the show and was a part of the finale where all the Disney Princesses came out to party. We saw Ariel, Mulan, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and all the ones that were in the main show.
Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream was a memorable event. The next day my son thanked me for taking him and his sister to see the show. I think he’s got his eye on being a Disney Prince. He certainly has all the makings of becoming one!
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...
