While many single parents do not have the luxury of having big budget alimony and child support payments to make ends meet, there are ways to take the sting out of keeping within a tight budget. My first bit of advice is to live within your means. Don't get sucked up into the easy money that credit cards seem to allow you to have. Easy credit is the financial downfall for many people, whether a single parent or not. It would be nice to have that beautiful dress or expensive coat that looks so nice on you, but do you need it? Can you wait until it is 50- 75% off? Or can you buy a nice substitute at a second hand shop or thrift store?
There are many ways to trim everyday costs and spend your money within a budget that you set up. The following are tips on how a single person can budget:
* First make a budget and stick to it. Save as much money as you can for a rainy day or something special. Write down all the expenses you need to pay for and compare it with money coming in. See the areas that you can cut back on and do it.
* Energy and utilities can be cut back by using less. Be energy efficient. There are many websites that can tell you how to use less energy and cut back on utility bills. If you have a cell phone, don't have a land phone too. Carry the basic features to save money.
* If you need financial assistance and are eligible, don't hesitate to get some help. Most states even have free health insurance for children whose parents are uninsured. Get it.
* Exchange babysitting times with other parents or join a baby-sitting co-op. One time you baby-sit for someone and then they will baby-sit for you. If you are in a co-op, you get points for babysitting a certain amount of time for a certain amount of kids. The points then can be used to have another parent baby-sit for your children when you need it. This way you don't have to pay, you use your time instead.
* Eat healthy meals that are low in meat and high in complex carbohydrates. Beans and rice are very healthy for you and are cheap to make. Feed your kids lots of vegetables and fruits that are in season. Buy minimally processed frozen and canned goods on sale and that have no additives or salt added. You don't want anything that can hurt your or your children's bodies in your food. Stay away from pre-made and processed foods, they are expensive and usually are full of additives, preservatives, salt, and fats. All are unhealthy for the family. Don't buy junk food either, as they are high priced and full of empty unhealthy calories. Make popcorn and cookies from scratch. Make soda from favorite fruit juices and store brand club soda.
* You will save quite a bit of money making your own cleaners. Use white vinegar, baking soda, a tiny bit of dishwashing liquid and borax to make great cleaning agents that work better and are not harmful to the environment than the expensive cleaners you buy in the stores. You can also make dishwasher soaps and laundry soaps cheaper using these items too. Go online to find recipes that work.
* Wash your hair with baking soda once or twice a week, it adds shine and cleans out the shampoo build-up in your hair. It is good to use on the children too. Carefully rinse your hair with a mix of water and cider vinegar to add shine to your hair. But keep it out of your eyes as it will sting. The vinegary smell goes away when your hair dries. It is also great for the health of your scalp. And it is cheap.
* Take recycling seriously. Don't buy new, buy used. Ask family and friends if they have any of the items you need or want and don't use themselves. Go to yard sales and swap meets and buy only what is needed. Swap clothes and toys with others. Most children grow out of their clothes before the clothes usefulness is over. Hand me downs are a great thing for families.
* Make good use of your library to borrow family friendly movies, magazines and books for your kids and yourself to watch and read. Use the high speed computers at the library for extensive research or use. Swap books, DVDs, and magazines with other families too.
* Most of television is too racy for kids. Enlist a friend who has TiVo to record educational or family friendly programs for you instead of paying for costly cable or satellite television. Use cheap dial-up Internet service instead of high speed. Again if you need high speed go to the library or use a friend's or family member's high speed.
* Do not despair if you have outstanding credit card bills. Pay off the lowest ones first while just paying the minimum on the higher balanced ones. Then when one is paid off, start on the next one until it is paid off and so on. If you are like many people, you will have several credit cards. You may be able to consolidate your outstanding balances into one card and pay it off. Do not use the cards for anything but a true emergency during the payoff time.
Make sure you live within your means and save for a rainy day. With a little ingenuity, you can cut costs to stay within your budget. Being a single parent is hard, but not a burden. Enjoy spending time with your kids at free or low cost events in your community instead of going on expensive vacations. Enjoy life as it is and be a good role model for your kids and live good with less.