Manage Your Money With Less Stress

Manage Your Money With Less Stress

by | Apr 5, 2012

It’s no secret that, while beautiful, raising a family can be a financial nightmare. From mortgage payments and utility bills to food costs and school supplies, sometimes the money you owe can far exceed the money you earn. Plus, with the possibility of unforeseen charges draining your savings always looming, maintaining a solid budget and remaining debt free can feel a bit too daunting.

While bringing in a secondary income helps pad your pockets, there are also a number of ways you can save on expenses that will help you both manage your money with a little less stress and allow you to put a little extra away in the bank. For example, what you spend on school supplies doesn’t necessarily have to run in the hundreds. In addition to finding sales, a great way to save on costs on required items for young students is by shopping at discount shops or dollar retailers, such as Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, or Dollar General. At these stores, you can find generic or store-brand versions of the basics like notebooks, writing instruments, and glue for $1 each, and still walk away with quality products. If your budget is particularly tight, check around the house for good condition items that your children can reuse and look into local non-profits with programs that issue free supplies and other necessities to low-income families.

Of course, living in the Internet age also means you may have to shop for laptops or other electronics for your school-bound children, and those costs can run higher than you’d like. In this case, many online retailers like Amazon.com and NewEgg.com offer great discounts on new and refurbished electronics that can cost far less than chain stores. Additionally, look into economic laptops, like the Toshiba Satellite Series. These types of durable laptops offer all the fundamentals your child would need for school, like the latest word processing software and a respectable amount of memory, while not putting that big of a dent in your wallet.

Knowing how to spend less and save more is an essential and valuable tool in raising a family, one that you can pass on to your children when they are ready to start their own. That financial freedom starts with the little things, like using Internet research and comparison tools, which will help you find the best discounts for your budget. Many sites offer, for example, auto insurance comparison tools, that search rates from multiple vendors in seconds. This can help you save money, so you can spend more on your children’s clothes and school supplies.

If you follow these guidelines, you can keep a bit more of your hard earned cash every month so you can pay down debt and save for the family vacation of your dreams.

10 Stress Relief Tips for Financially Strapped Single Moms

by | Oct 26, 2011

A while ago I did an informal survey to find out the top stressors for single moms. Money was at the top of the list.

It’s no wonder because, let’s face it, most single moms do not make enough to meet all the bills, clothe, feed, and entertain the household.

In that survey 89% of respondents said they don’t have enough money. They also said the child support they receive is not enough to even purchase milk.

So, if your purse or checking account is a little light these days, you’ll want to take steps to reduce your financial hardship and relieve your stress.

There’s nothing more stressful than feeling like you can’t make ends meet.  Here are some tips to help alleviate your stress.

1.  Be realistic about your problem.  Many people use avoidance to manage their money.  Sometimes it’s scary to see what the real deal about our accounts. Have you ever had those days when you needed to buy groceries and was scared the card was going to be declined because there was not enough money in your account.

The problem with this is that you continue to have the same problems over and over.  Every time you have to pay a bill, you end up feeling the same stress over and over.  While you may have moments of freedom from care, deep down you’ll always be worried about money.

2.  Track your spending.  Part of getting real about your situation is to track how much money you spend.  When you really see how much you have going out, you’re bound to find some places where you can make different choices that are more financially sound. Check out online financial tools like Mint.com and SmartPig.com to track your expenses. Another way is to review your online bank account daily or at least 3-4 times per week.

3.  Trim expenses.  Look for as many ways to trim expenses as possible.  For some people that means letting go of their early morning coffee shop trip.  For others it may mean to eliminate cable service.  There are many luxuries we tend to think of as necessities.  You need to get rid of any expenditures that are luxuries when you really can’t afford them. While you are trimming your expenses look for alternatives like making your own coffee at home or subscribing to a cheap DVD service.

4.  Focus on free activities.  If you look around, you’re bound to find things you can do in your community that are free or very inexpensive.  This is a great way to save money on entertainment while still being able to relax and enjoy down time. Check your local newspaper online for activities or subscribe to local blogs that report on local happenings.

5.  Look for ways to increase income.  Sometimes just making a little more money can relieve your budget a lot.  Try working seasonal, part-time, or temporary jobs to bring in a little extra money.  Internet marketing also provides a way to work from home with flexible hours. Do a survey of your skills and begin offering them to make extra money. Tell your friends and families about your service.

6.  Focus on the family.  Life can be even more stressful when parents feel like they’re the only ones with the responsibility to deal with family finances.  While you don’t need to burden your children with financial fears, you do need to teach them how to manage money.  Let them be part of household financial decisions.

7.  Improve job skills.  When you need more income in your household, it may be time to improve your job skills.  Workshops and certifications can help you to land a better, higher-paying job. There are many free and low cost online places to learn new or upgrade your skills. Check out Lynda.com for a low cost online learning solution.

8.  Live within your means. Many people live in homes that are too expensive with car payments they really can’t afford.  It may be time for you to downsize to a less expensive lifestyle in order to save yourself financially.

9.  Focus on your health.  When finances are stressful, other areas of your life tend to go along.  In times of financial stress continue to eat healthy foods and get regular exercise.  This will help to reduce stress and keep you healthy.

10.  Improve relaxation.  If your mind is busy with the stress of financial problems, it helps to take a few moments each day to get centered.  Meditation for just a few minutes each day can help you to feel better.  You can also try stretching your body to release tension.

It’s easy to be stressed about money. Hopefully you found a few tips above to begin changing this in your life.

I admit I still feel stressed sometimes about money. It can be habit forming, but it’s important for my health and peace of mind to find other ways to cope.

To recap: How to Beat Financial Stress for Single Moms

How do you handle financial stress? Which tip speaks to you?

 

Single Mom Stress Management 101: Chocolate and Movies

by | May 10, 2011

I’m one of those ultra independent, over-achieving women who regularly experience overwhelm.

I find ways to compensate, like eating chocolate or vegging out on movies for hours at a time. It’s my dad’s fault I am this way (and partly my mom’s too). They taught me (overtly and covertly) that I have to be self-reliant and take care of things myself so I won’t be disappointed in other people.

Let me tell you, that’s a sucky way to live. Unfortunately, this has been so ingrained in my life, it’s like a part of my DNA.

Being an independent do-it-yourself-er has had it’s advantages. I’ve taken risks in life that others may not feel comfortable in taking. I’ve accomplished things and been successful.

But the overwhelm still comes and I still veg out on movies or overdose on chocolate.

I retreat to my bedroom too and sometimes forget that my kids may want to see me more than just at dinner time.

With so many roles pulling at me and so many things I “have” to do, I just check out and leave it for another day. If it’s not life threatening, then it can wait until tomorrow.

Independence and overachieving is fine for a 20-something single, no kids woman.

But as a 40ish woman with two kids I’m learning it’s healthier (and wiser) to be more interdependent and average (did I really say that?) if I want to see my kids grow up and get married.

It’s a challenge to change, but at this point change in necessary…

Single Mom Health: Feeling Stressed? Can’t Sleep?

by | Dec 5, 2008

I came across Morning Mom’s blog and she had a question about insomnia. I was able to answer here question about what to use to get some sleep because I’ve been there. As single moms we have so much to think about and worry about. Our minds start to race, especially in highly stressful times so sleep becomes illusive. We may fall asleep but can’t stay asleep or sleep just won’t come at all.

To get to sleep I do several things as listed below. Give them a try if you are ever facing insomnia. They will likely help. They are non-habit forming and have been used for centuries.

Lavender
I suggest that you get some lavender. It can be lavender essential oil, lotion, and candles. I use this when I have insomnia and it works well without poisoning my body with medication.

Valerian Root
I’ve also use Valerian herb. It comes in capsule form and though it doesn’t smell great it also helps you relax enough to fall asleep. For more information about this herb

With these two natural remedies you will be sleeping like a baby.

Writing
The most important thing is to find out why your mind is racing. You probably already know but it is helpful to really focus your mind on it then WRITE it down.

Writing does wonders. It empties your mind because as long as the thoughts are running rampant in your head you will never get rest. Do what is called stream of consciousness writing. Just write until you can’t write another word. After you are done you will be exhausted and able to rest.

Stress Management for Single Moms

by | Sep 12, 2008

Are you stressing? I know as a single mom stress often creeps on me and lingers for longer than I want it to. It gets so bad at times that I just want to crawl under my covers and never come out. When I was younger I handled stress better, meaning it did not take such a physical toll on my body. These days it’s a different story.

Lately when I get stressed I get insomnia. I either go right off to sleep then wake up at 3am or have trouble falling asleep then waking up at 2am. My mind rolls on endlessly about all the things I have to do or problems that are happening at the time.

The other physical effects of stress for me are loss of appetite, stomach ache, and if it’s really serious I completely miss my monthly cycle. Some would cheer over that last symptom, but it’s not fun (especially if you’re not active if you know what I mean). A couple years ago my doctor announced that I was pre-menopausal or had prematurely entered menopause. I was having all the symptoms of a woman going through “the change”.

So I’ve had to find ways to cope that don’t involve drugs. I tend to be pretty health conscious and am always looking for a natural alternative. There are several things I do to relieve the stress but the most effective thing I do is incorporate lavender in my life. Some of you may have seen the baby wash commercials a while back that claim to soothe your baby to sleep. Well let me tell you that it works for adults too. Since I have been using lavender I fall asleep and stay asleep. I feel rested and much better.

You can read more about it on my Squidoo lens. When you finish reading it please rate it and leave a comment. If you’d like to know more about the other natural alternatives I use let me know so we can get you to a peaceful place.