Monday, August 29, 2011

Start Work on Wednesday!

I am so excited about finding a full time job so soon after moving to Colorado. It is not the best paying job, but being a single mom makes it where I can not be to picky at first. I am scared about leaving my son. It is not that I do not trust my mom with him, it is that I have not been away from him more than a few hours since he was born.

I keep looking at the positive in it all; the bills can be paid, I will have money to buy him things, and I will have insurance after six months. There are a lot of positives to having a new job, and I am thankful for it. I understand now how hard my mom had to work to take care of us when she was a single mom, and I appreciate it more than she will ever know.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Is it Time to Start Dating?

I have been asking myself this question for a while. My ex and I were together for 6.5 years. We split up then I became pregnant. (I am sure you can figure that out) When I found out I was pregnant he denied the baby. I was devastated and did not want anything to do with men, even though I had a very supportive friend who was there for me.

I have been asked out numerous times by different me, but I have not been ready for that step. My son is now 11 weeks old. I have been talking to someone for a few weeks, but he lives far enough away that I really have not had to make the decision. He is now wanting to take it a little further and I have to ask myself again; Is it time to start dating?

In my opinion I think I may be. I will always love my babies father, no matter what happened between us. I also know that he has moved on and there is not a chance for us to get back together. My biggest concern is letting someone into my sons life that may not stay. I do not want him to lose people like that. I also know that if I never take a chance I will stay single for the rest of my life. I do put myself second to my son, but I think making myself happy will make him happier in the long run.

So am I ready to start dating? I think I may give it a chance and see what happens.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Making the Most out of Online Coupons

There are so many sites that have coupons available. Using these coupons can save a lot of money on our groceries and other products that we purchase for our home. I enjoy using these coupons, but there are sites that you can truly make and save money by using coupons from there site.

I use two different sites that pay me for using there coupons. One of the sites is Mypoints.com. Mypoints.com pays you in point then you can redeem them for gift cards. I have made over $100 in gift cards from Mypoints.com in the last year for doing small tasks like reading emails. I am also close to another $25 giftcard redemption.

Mypoints.com pays me for a lot of things, but my favorite for coupons is Inboxdollars. Inboxdollars pays you .10 for every coupon that you print out and redeem. That means that if you have a .50 coupon you will actually be saving .60. You can save and make a great deal of money on groceries and other household purchases by using a program like this. You can also make money in other ways on Inboxdollars. I have made more than $200 in the last year from the site, and I do not spend a lot of time on the site trying to earn money.

I am sure that there are other sites as well, but these are my favorite two sites to make the most out of your online coupons. If you can actually make money by using online coupons, why not do it. Every little bit of money comes in handy.

EVERY PENNY COUNTS!!
 

Monday, August 22, 2011

Single Mom Seeking Financial Stability

Being a new single mom I am worried about my personal finances, and with the move that we just made I am even more concerned. Financial stability is something that all of us are seeking, but when you have another person that is completely dependent on you there is an even bigger concern. I am working in a good direction for financial stability, but it is going to be a lot of work.


Employment:

I have been putting in applications for numerous opportunities for the last week. I did get a call today for a local bank, and I have an interview tomorrow. I am also going to get my license to work at a local casino. There is a fee for the license, but I feel it is going to be well worth it. I am hoping that I can get both positions and work my but off for the next few months until I can start school. Once I start school I will work at the one that I earn the most money at, and has the best benefits.

It will be well worth it working two jobs for a few months. I will be able to put money up for my son, save money to put the down payment on the house we are leasing to own, and hopefully get a vehicle so I do not have to depend on my sisters ex husband to pay her car note. There are a lot of benefits, but one huge disadvantage. I will be away from my son a lot. I know it is for him, but I will still miss him more than anything.

I am still going to be working online as well. I do not make a lot of money online, but it sure helps with things that I need. I have been able to buy the baby formula and diapers with my earnings. If I can continue to have at least that coming in every month I will be thankful. I will also be trying to work more online so I will be able to have more money to put away and pay bills.

Saving:

I am trying to learn a lot of ways to save money. I am starting to clip coupons again, put up change, cut back on utilities, and buy store brand items. These are only small savings at a time, but they add up. I am living on the saying "A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned". This statement is the truest thing I have ever heard, and I am learning it more and more every day.

Financial Stability:

I know financial stability is something that is very hard to come by, especially for a single mom or dad. I feel that I am working in a good direction though. I will continue to make financial goals, save money, and work as much as I can to have financial stability for my son.  It may take time and hard work but it will be worth it all in the future.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Just Made the Biggest Change of My Life

I finally made a very big change, I moved to Colorado. All during the last week I have been moving my son, sister, mom, 2 nieces, and my nephew across the country. We moved from Dallas, TX to Divide, CO. I was so scared to make this move because we had not saw the house, do not know anyone here, and I do not have a job as of yet. We packed up everything we could in a 26" Pensky truck and a small Uhaul trailer and took the 16 hour journey to our new home, and I love it.

We had a lot of help in Texas from friends that we have became very close with over the last 11 years, but we have had no help here in Divide. It has been my mom, sister, and myself unloading all of this. I am mentally and physically exhausted, but it will be worth it all.

Now I have to start a job search. I have been looking online at a variety of different businesses, but have been unsuccessful. I am going to start driving around looking for some opportunities later in the week, or the beginning of next week. I feel like God has blessed us with the opportunity to make this huge move, and now I will be blessed with a job once I put my all into finding the job.

My son has been such a good boy during this move. He took the ride without to much fussing, and he has napped enough for us to get a lot of the work completed. I am surprised that a two month old baby is being this good, and I feel blessed. I am pushing to make sure that my son is taken care of, and I have made a promise to make sure my son, nieces, and nephew will all be taken care of no matter what is going on.