by Lorraine Nyc

Created on: September 30, 2008

There are literally tons of ways to save money as a single parent. I have been a single parent since my son was a year old and have found many handy things that help me to save money and even earn some.

Winter is coming and we are all concerned about the heating bills. This is one reason I enjoy having a wood burner. Not only does it save me money, but I get exercise in the winter that I normally wouldn't get. Another benefit is that it educates my son. It's hard for kids to understand that a parent has to work more to pay more bills. They really don't have a concept of that. But, my son can clearly see why if we don't cut wood and bring it in we will get cold. It's a lot easier for him to understand that than it is for him to understand me working overtime to pay the gas bill. Also, don't forget to sign up for Project Safe. It's a nationwide program that pays a portion of your heating bills. It's also pretty hard to NOT qualify, so why not try it. It also ensures that your heat cannot get turned off until March if you fall behind.

We also make a lot of homemade foods. Yes, dinner at McDonalds is pretty cheap, but not filling and very unhealthy, so you end up eating again later anyhow. If you make your food from scratch, you can decide what goes in it and cut corners as need be. We also freeze small portions in case we want a snack later. It also works out cheaper to buy foods in bulk, so go ahead. You can always make a meal and freeze it so no food goes to waste.

Try mystery shopping. A lot of parents rent movies for entertainment and I know that Blockbusters does monthly "shops". They reimburse you for renting a movie and you also get paid for your time. There are even mystery shopping jobs you can do right online. The best way to start is to go to Mystery Shopping Provider Association. It gives you a list of legit companies looking for shoppers.

Buy a vent valve for your dryer. In the winter you can use your heat from your dryer while not polluting the air in your home.

If you smoke, roll your own. Instead of spending $30 a week, you will spend $10..and yes, you can buy filtered tubes.

Join Freecycle.org , it's a great place to list and swap items at no cost to you. You can join any county or city that they have listed. People list things they want to get rid of as well as what they are looking for. Everything posted is free. I have literally seen tons of clothes for kids as well as toys listed on here. In fact, I even got my babysitter a better bike than

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