I am a single mom struggling to make ends meet. What can I do to help my situation?

Posted on Friday, December 5th, 2014 by Ziva Beck No Comments Comments

It is not easy to be a single parent but there are several things you can do.

When money is in short supply, having a budget and living within your means becomes critical. You start by writing down all of your expenses. Some expenses are easy to figure out like rent and utilities and others are more difficult. To get a complete picture, it is best to write down all expenses for several months.

Next, you review your expenses and find creative ways to cut them to fit your budget.

Housing expenses are a big part of a family budget. One of the oldest and proven ways to significantly reduce housing expenses is by sharing. If you can find someone in similar situation like your own, you can rent an apartment together and share the cost of rent and utilities. This solution can cut your housing expenses by half.

Food is another big budget item. You can learn to cook healthy and inexpensive meals. Soups are an excellent option. If you google “inexpensive dinner recipes”, there are many websites that offer recipes. For example, Better Home and Gardens have a selection of healthy dinners under $3 per serving.  The Prudent Homemaker writes about how to eat on 40 cents per day.

At the same time, take a close look at your earnings and see what you can do to increase them. You might consider getting new skills that can lead to a higher pay, getting a part time job, starting a part time business, offering services like babysitting or driving, etc.

Lastly, creating a support system of family and friends will help you navigate through the rough waters of single parenthood.

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