5 Year Plan

I have really been thinking about my life in a broader aspect since my son was born. I use to try to plan my life a couple of months at a time, but never made any detailed future plans. I am now looking to my future because it will affect his future. This 5 year plan can make a difference in both of our lives. I have not put everything down yet, but some of the things in my plan are; returning to school, starting a small business, planning for his education, planning vacations for him and I, and I am sure there will be even more once I sit down and begin to make these plans.

I do know that things can change and this 5 year plan is not going to be completely set in stone. This will be a guide for our life. It gives me goals to push for and make sure that I do everything in my power to reach these goals. I know 5 years is a long time, but we have to have something to look forward to. Planning is a very big part of all of our lives, and I think a 5 year plan is great for all of us.

Money Saving Coupons and Free Samples of Baby Products

Since the day I had found out I was pregnant I made sure to find as many ways to save money on baby products that I possibly could. There are actually quite a few places that you can go to online to find coupons and get free samples of baby products in the mail.

The first thing that I highly recommend is going to manufacturers web sites to see what they have to offer. I received coupons or samples from Enfamil, Similac, Parents Choice,  Pampers, Huggies, and quite a few other sites by simply going to there site and signing up for there group or just requesting samples. This has saved me the largest amount of money on my baby products.

I also use sites like inboxdollars and Mypoints to print money saving coupons for baby products. With both of these sites you can also make a few cents when you use the coupons. Both of the sites are easy to use. I have saved and made quite a bit by using both of the sites.

Of course you can also check your local papers to find coupons for baby products. Some times you can find small inserts that are completely focused on baby products.  

The Great People I Have Came Across in Colorado

 ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR THE POSITIVE THINGS IN LIFE, AND AVOID FOCUSING ON THE NEGATIVE THINGS THAT YOU CAN NOT CHANGE!

I have been in Colorado close to three months now, and I have met a lot of great people. These people have been a blessing to my family and I. We are living off of my income, so we are having a few problems financially. We have talked to a few different people and they have helped beyond my belief. One place has donated food, clothing and even diapers to help my family. A local church and a friend that we have met donated firewood to us to help get us through the winter. The local health clinic gave me an application to get the kids toys for Christmas, and got me and my son approved for medicaid. The Social Services Department has even sent me to a variety of different places to get food and other items that we may need. I have also found another place that offers trade classes for single moms to help them advance there career.

With all of these places we have been able to get through a lot of hard times. We are still struggling, but the help we have found in Colorado has gotten us through so many things. I truly feel like God sent us here for a reason and we have met some of the best people. I have even met great people at my job. One of the ladies drove 10 miles out of her way to come and give us a boost when my sisters truck broke down. I have never met such nice and helpful people in my life.

With all fo the financial issues I am still looking for a second job, and hopefully find one soon. I am beyond grateful for the people here and if any of them read this I truly thank you for everything you have done to help my family and I get through these hard times.

Assistance in Colorado

I have only been in Colorado for a little over a month now, and I love it. We have had a lot of financial hardships since we moved due to my sisters ex husband not paying his child support, so we have had to find places that can help. There is a local health clinic in Divide that is helping a lot. They help with medicaid, food stamps, medical expenses, dental, and other very helpful information. I am sure that this is not just here in Divide. If you are trying to find assistance in Colorado you should check with your local health department or WIC office to see what you can find. Both have helped me a lot. I am getting free female exams, birth control, testing for STD's (which I was not concerned about), and other services at the WIC office. It does not hurt to ask for help sometimes. Check out some of your local service if you are looking for assistance in Colorado.

Single Moms Needs advice if Anyone Can Help

A few months ago I posted about another single mom needing help. The single mom was my sister and I am now trying to take care of her kids as well as my son. My sister and mom both live with me, but they are disabled and fighting for there disability. We all moved to Colorado with a plan and the plan would have worked if her husband would have continued paying child support. Instead of wanting us to succeed he has told everyone back in Texas that he wants us to fail completely, so he quit paying the child support. He wants us to lose our home,  refuses to help with the kids clothes or school, he has even quit paying for the vehicle,.  so we will be losing the vehicle before long and everything is falling on my shoulders.

My family is not a burden to me and I would give anything for them. Those kids did not ask to be in this situation and I am going to do what I can to make it all work. I am currently working a full time job and looking for another one until the child support office can garnish his wadges. I am getting overwhelmed with everything and need some advice from anyone who can help.

Questions:

Is there anyone in Colorado that may help with a vehicle?
I write online and do other things, but is there somewhere that pays a good income?
Who would as ask to see about assistance with rent?

Situation:

Applying for state assistance this week.
Currently earn $1200 a month, bills without car or kids school expenses are more than $2000.

This is just a small breakdown of what is going on around me at the moment. If anyone knows any way of getting help please let me know. I am not one to ask for help, but these kids need help and I do not know what to do until I can get a second or even a third job. These kids all deserve to know that things are taken care of, and I want to give them that security.

Adjusting to Working Full Time and Being a Full Time Single Mommy

Wow things are so different this week. It is my first week to return to work full time and try to still be a full time mommy to my son. I am working evenings so I am missing putting him to bed, but I get up with him early in the morning to make sure that he has his mommy time. My family took him to an Indian festival in a town near hear yesterday and they got a lot of pictures of him with the Indians and even wolves. I know I am going to miss a lot of these things as he gets older. I know that I have to make sure he is taken care of, and no one else is going to do it. I am blessed with my Mom, she has been taking care of him for me while I work and I appreciate it more than she can ever imagine. Life is a struggle at the moment with working, being a single mommy, trying to make sure my sisters kids are taken care of, and making sure everything else in our lives is OK. These struggles will get easier and hopefully eventually go away once I get everything together.

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.

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.

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!!
 

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.

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.

Getting Adjusted and Making Changes

I have now been a mommy for almost 7 weeks, and I am adjusting pretty well. I have had a few problems like the baby in the hospital, not being able to work, and now moving to Colorado. I have my son in a good routine and he is actually a great baby. He doesn't cry a lot and he sleeps through the night. He has been a big blessing in my life.

Now my big concern is trying to take care of him financially. My family and I are moving to Colorado on the 13th of August, and I am going to be responsible for my son as well as everyone else. My mom and sister is not able to work, and my sister has three beautiful children that I want to make sure are cared for. I am hoping I can find a job fairly quick when we get to Colorado. I have been putting my application in everywhere, and will put in even more once I get up there. Our rent is paid in full up until October 5th, so that gives me a little time to get a couple of paychecks, but not much time to find a job.

BIG CHANGES COMING:

We have all got to make big changes with this move. The first thing that is the biggest is to save money everywhere that we can. I have learned that every penny counts, and I am getting the family into doing the same thing. Money is going to be the biggest factor in this move, and I have to find ways to get more coming in and keeping as much in the home as I possibly can.

The kids have to adjust to making new friends and a new school, which is something that they are not looking forward to. My sisters kids are 8, 11, and 12 and they have lived in the same home since the oldest one was 2. This is a big adjustment for all of them. The reason that all of them are coming is that there dad left my sister after 20 years together, and he is not supporting them in any way. He is supposed to pay child support, but has already gotten behind on that.

I am going to have to adjust to being away from my baby a lot. I have gotten used to being here when he wakes up, eats, bathes, and goes to sleep so missing any part of that is going to be hard. I have to think about his future though. If I can not get financially stable now, then it is going to affect his future. I want him to have much more than I did when I was growing up.

My entire family is going to have a lot of problems adjusting, but this move is for the best. We will be moving away from the people that has had the biggest negative effect in our lives, and having a new beginning. I know that it is in Gods hands, and it will all work out if we make sure that we work hard on making it happen.

I am Officially a Mommy

My son Torrie, was born on June 10th, via cesarean. He was a big boy, 9 pounds .08oz and 21 inches long. It is indescribable how I felt the first time I saw him, heard him cry, and hold him. I have never felt so much love for someone. Having him has given me a great purpose in life, and that is making sure he is always cared for no matter what. I will make sacrifices in life to give him everything that he needs, and hopefully I will be able to give him things that are just wants as well.

To make sure he is taken care of for the next few weeks of maternity leave I have shifted my focus to working more online. I am getting into a schedule of working when I can, and trying to get more work accomplished in a short amount of time. Before now my online income was not a necessity, but it is now. I can not work for another five weeks, so I have got to have a continuing income to make sure he has the things he needs.

I have to give it to single moms everywhere, it is not easy. I have help from friends and family, but it is still hard trying to get used to taking care of your child, and not letting yourself go. I am less than two weeks into being a single mom, and it is hard, but so worth it.

I am Blessed in so Many Ways!

I am due in three weeks, and have been worried about taking maternity leave for a while. Next weekend will be my last weekend to work, if I make it that long :). Since my hours had been cut back I have had to get into my savings account to pay bills, and now only have $50 in it. It was scaring me so much.

I have learned that prayers can be answered. I have received everything that I need for the baby as gifts; car seat, baby bed, stroller, pack n play, nursing pads, clothing (up to 9 months worth), and diapers. I am sure I will need a few other things after I bring him home, but this is a great start. I am expecting a $50 coupon for CVS by the end of the week. I will use it on a few other items that I know I will need.

In addition to all of the great items that I have received I have also had another blessing. As some of you know I write online for a variety of sites to make a little extra money. One of those sites decided to purchase the rights to all of my articles that I had published. I will be receiving $350 for two months. It just so happens that the two months that I will be paid from the site is the two months I am taking maternity leave, that God for this blessing. This money will cover my necessities through maternity leave. I live with my family, so I am not having to pay a lot of extra bills during this time.

With the money from selling my article rights, doing misc online work, gifts from friends, my purchasing items well in advance, and the support from my family I have been blessed enough that I will not be a complete stressed out new single mommy. I am thankful for everything! Thank you God!

Financial Planning for Expecting Single Moms

I have been trying even harder to get my finances together since I learned about being pregnant. Now that I only have a few weeks for the new baby, I have been focusing even more on the financial future of my baby and I. The one thing that I know for sure is planning is one of the best things you can do for your financial future. Your finances are even more important if you are expecting to be a single mom. These are some things that I have learned about financial planning for a single mom.

Maternity Leave:

One of my biggest current financial concerns has got to be maternity leave. Since I am bringing in the only income, how is it possible to take maternity leave? It is possible if you plan in advance, but you may not be able to take as much time as you would like.

The first thing you should do is talk to your employer about your options. Some companies do offer a short term disability program, or you can use your paid time off that you have coming from the company. Your boss can tell you everything you need to know, if he doesn't know contact your human resources department.

I do not have the benefits of having any paid time off. I started working with the company two weeks before I found out I was pregnant, and we are a small franchise operation so there were no other options either. I had to make financial plans for me, without the help of another income or paid time off. I still have not given up, I have a decent plan that will help me get through a few weeks, just not as long as I would have hoped.

Two to four weeks of maternity leave is going to be all I can do. The reason I had to shorten my leave is due to my reduced hours at work. I have been having a few problems with the pregnancy, so my hours were cut dramatically. If I had not started planning early, I would not have had the money to reduce my hours at work.

This is was what I did:

Financially Preparing for Maternity Leave When Single

Budgeting:

If you are a new mom you may not have had to budget much before, but being a single mom means watching every bit of money that is coming in and out of your home. I think the biggest part of financial planning is your budget. Your budget should include everything that comes in and out, be sure to include even the smallest amounts.

You will want to find every way possible to save money around your home. There are so many ways that you can save money, and you need to incorporate as many money saving options into your life that you can. There are a lot of free resources available to single moms online that can help you budget.

Helpful Articles for Single Moms Trying to Budget:

Financial Tips for Expecting Single Mothers

20 Ways to Save Money on a New Baby


How to Avoid Overspending at the Supermarket

How to Save Money by Stocking Your Pantry Properly


How to be an Organized Coupon Shopper

50 Real Ways to Save Money in Your Home 



Making More Money:

Single moms have a lot of concerns about there finances, and making the money is what is important. Every single moms situations is fairly different, but we can all take advice from each other. There are things that you can do to make more money.

The first thing you may consider is getting a better education. The government is offering great grants and financial aid to help single moms get there education, so why shouldn't we take advantage of it. There is so many different options for schools that you can be a mom and go back to school. Some schools will even help you find child care assistance if you need it.

Another option is to find a better job, ask for a raise, or find a second job. This is hard for single moms to do at times, be we have to do what we have to do. This is a good option for people that have help with childcare. You do not want to work a second job just to cover childcare expenses.

Find ways to make money from home. Making money from home is a lot easier today than it was a few years ago. There is so many different opportunities such as; direct sales, freelance writing, recycling, surveys, other freelance work, and you can even find actual jobs from home that pay fairly well. This is my favorite option for making more money, because I will be able to spend more time with my baby. I will still have to work, but the extra income does help.

Helpful Sites for Making More Money:


Ways to Make Money From Home Fast, or Over Time


How to Successfully Make Money Online

My at Home Income Blog

How to Decide on a Direct Sales Company

How to Earn Money as a Stay at Home Mom



Plan for Yours and Your Child's Future:

Today is not the only important time for you or your child. As a single parent you are the one who has to plan your child's financial future as well as your own. There will be things that you need money put up for such as; school, medical, emergencies, and other things that may come up in the future. Short term and long term future planning is something that you have to consider.

You can begin your future planning by opening a savings account that is strictly for your financial future planning. Set an amount that you will put into this account every month, and continue to do this on a regular basis. It does not matter if it is only a very small amount, that is why you start now instead of when the baby gets older.

Look into different savings options that are available for you and your child. Talking to a financial adviser at your bank or local investment firm would be a great way to learn about your different options. Most of these options are for a longer term investment, so be sure you have the money that you can put away without touching it.

The above is some simple things that all expecting single moms can do to begin financial planning for there future, as well as there new babies. It does not go into details on every thing that is an option for us, but it is a great way to begin financial planning.

More Free Baby Samples

I have found even more free samples and coupons for single mommies. This is a link to each one that I have found. I will post more when I find ones that I think people will enjoy.

Members Mark Formula Samples

Parent's Choice Formula Samples

Free Similac Diaper Bag

Free Miracle Whip Sample

Free Sample of Goodnites

Free Beechnut Starter Kit

Free Tasters Choice Sample

These are a few great samples that I thought others may like. An easy way for you to receive free samples of formula, diapers, and more is to go to the manufacturers web sites and sign up to be a member. Most of the sites will send great samples and money saving coupons.

Worried About Being a Good Mommie

The last couple of nights I have been worried about how I am going to do at being a mommy. I ask myself questions like; How am I going to support my child? How am I going to explain his father to him? How hard is it going to be to work, go to school, and be able to spend time with my baby?, and many more questions. I know that I am going to make mistakes, all moms do. I am just hoping that I can get it all together without letting my boy down.

I think it may just be the first time mommy jitters, and being single does not help. I am so thankful for the support of my mom through all of this, she has helped me so much. I am going to take everything that she has shown me through the years, and take care of my baby the best way I can. I can't say I know what I am going to do, but I know I have been shown how to be the best mom by a very special woman. My mom made mistakes, but she was still great.

Everything happens for a reason, and I honestly believe that my baby is a blessing from God. He is the reason that I am pregnant, and he will guide me to do what is rite.

Mypoints

I have been a member of Mypoints since September of 2011. I have to say that is is a great site to earn gift cards on. I redeemed my first 1650 points for a $10 gift card to Walmart, I earned these points within a couple of months. I decided to redeem this before I really looked into the points, and what they had to offer. I am now about to cash in a 7100 points for a $50 gift card to CVS. I'm sure you can see that letting the points add up, and looking at different cards available, can get you more money for your work. There is a lot of different retailers that you can get gift cards from

How to Earn Points on Mypoints:

-Shopping
-Web Searches
-Reading Emails
-Watching short videos
-Taking Surveys
-Signing up for offers

Most of the earning opportunities is things that you do online anyways, and you can get rewarded for your efforts. I spend an average of two minutes a day earning on Mypoints, so I think it is well worth it. I also do not shop online very often, so I lose out on earning the shopping points. For those who shop online, your points will add up much quicker. I think it is a great opportunity for a single mom to make a little extra for the time she spends online.

Weather Giving Me the Blues

The last few days I have had no motivation to get anything accomplished. It has been raining and cold, but it should be in the high 70's tomorrow. Got to love the Texas weather. I think it is the pregnancy and the weather mixed that has me feeling so drained. Even though I am not very motivated, I have to get things accomplished. I am going to work a couple of hours on my online work, and then get to cleaning. I have a lot to get to in the next couple of months before my little boy is ready to come out, well anywhere from 6-10 weeks. I am ready for him to be here. I know that my responsibilities will be so much bigger, but it will be well worth it.

Single Mommy Budgeting

I have always thought that budgeting was essential to everyone, but becoming a single mommy has made it even more important. Before I only had my needs to worry about now I have to think about the baby food, diapers, clothing, medical, and the babies future in addition to my expenses. Budgeting and finding ways to save money is more important than I had ever thought before.


Some Things to Help a Single Mommy Make a Budget, and Save Money:

1. Know exactly what is coming in to your home
       To begin a good budget you need to know where all of your money is coming from and how much it is. This could be child support, employment, side income, government help, etc. The only thing I would not include is BONUS money that may or may not come in.

2. Know All of Your Expenses
       Take time to write down your expenses for ever month. Some of these expenses may vary from month to month, but keep the amount as accurate as you can. In addition to your household bills you should include miscellaneous expenses such as; gas, fast food purchases, drink purchases, entertainment, etc. You can get an idea about your average spending by keeping track of all of your spending for a month. If you have items that you have to pay yearly you should divide that amount by 12, and put up that amount each year. This will help you avoid having to come up with one large lump sum.

3.Prepare Yourself For The Unexpected
      There is always going to be something unexpected come up, and we should try to be prepared for those situations. These unexpected things could be anything from car problems, to your child needing $10 for a school. Putting money away is important for everyone, but I am noticing that single parents have a lot of things come up. Preparing for the unexpected can be done by simply putting up a few dollars a month into a savings account or hid at home. Most place I read that you need at least six months of expenses put away, but most people cannot afford to do that. If you are one of those people, every small amount put up is helpful.


4. Cut Your Expenses to Save Money
         Now that you know what money is coming in, and what money is going out, you will be able to see what expenses can be cut out of your budget. Sometimes it takes us to be very critical of ourselves to cut things that we think we need. Begin by reducing your everyday spending on items that you can do without, then work your way up to the big items. There are many ways to cut your expenses, you just have to really decide that you want to stick to your budget and save money.

5. Live Within Your Means
        I see so many single parents trying to keep up with people that they know that have two incomes, most of us are not able to do that. Move if you can't afford you living arrangements, avoid big ticket purchases that you may not be able to pay for later, and avoid running up any debt that you may never pay off. This will help you a lot in the future, and you may be able to do a lot more once you get all of your finances in order.

This is just the basics of making a single mommy budget. Take these steps, and run with them. I was always worried about my future, but the kids future is so much more important than I had ever thought. Kids are expensive too, but worth every penny.



Helpful Articles:

How to Live Within Your Means


How to Save Money on Household Purchases


50 Real Ways to Save Money in Your Home

Save Money When You are Expecting
        

Surviving (and Thriving) as a Single Mom

Since I have learned that I was pregnant, my thought process has changed completely. I don't know if getting pregnant at a younger age would have effected me in such a way. I am worried only about making sure that my son (Torrie) is taken care of. I am not worried about dating, going out, or much else other than him. I just want to have a plan for him and I. I honestly believe I think about it a little to much at times :).

I know I am not alone in this, there are many women in today's world that are single moms. I read a lot of articles and blogs about what other single moms do, and they have helped a lot. I found one article that I found inspiring, it is Surviving (and Thriving) as a single Mom. The article is not long, but it had a few things that just inspired me. The biggest thing was focusing on short term, rather than trying to make a plan for everything NOW.

All single moms can get through the tough times. My mom did it with 4 kids, so I know I can do it with one. I have to enjoy the fact that I am going to be a mom, then plan on what I want to do for our future. He will always be the most important thing to me, so I know I will do everything I can to make sure he is taken care of.

Kids Clothing Swap

Clothing is a big part of most parents budgets, next to food of course. There is a lot of different options for saving money on clothes. I found one site that is Thredup. Thredup is a clothing swap site for parents. From what I can see you pay the shipping for the box,plus $5 for the box.  There is also ways to make money on the site, but I did not look into that option. I just thought it was something that other moms may like to look into to save money, or make money.

I found this about the site

"Pick a box of clothing posted on the site by a ThredUP parent and for just $5 plus shipping -- each box contains about 15 items -- it's sent directly to your home. We just ask that you post and send a box for every one you receive. About 1,000 boxes are shipped each week; 92% are rated three or four stars out of four. Each box is unique, so if you want the one with Gymboree and Crewcuts, you better move fast."

Preparing for a New Baby

I have helped my sister raise her three kids, but it is so much different trying to prepare for my own to come into this world. It is even more difficult knowing that the father doesn't want anything to do with his son. Trying to prepare for financial issues, emotional issues, and whatever issues may come up is difficult. I am so glad that I have a positive attitude, or I would probably be worse off.

Preparing for the newborn to come home:

I have read so many different articles about what you may need for the baby, but I believe that your list will vary somewhat from other moms. It will depend on where you live, and your living environment. I did find two sites that have printable lists to help a new mommy keep up with what they are getting for there baby. I like lists, so I use them as much as possible.

New Baby Checklist

Free Newborn Baby Checklists

Preparing financially:

All of us have worries about being financially prepared for our baby. We will probably never be completely prepared, but there is steps that we all can take to get ready.

Just a few to start:
-Start Saving as soon as you find out you are expecting
-Find every way possible to cut costs around your home
-Be sure to have a baby shower for gifts
-Accept second hand items from friends and family
-Keep receipts for everything so it can be returned if you can't use it
-Sign up for all of the free samples that you can find

Financially Preparing for Maternity Leave When Single

Need Help With Food?

Food is one thing that I believe all parents worry about having for there children and themselves. There are a lot of different ways to get help with food.  You can check with local churches about food banks. Quite a few in my area help with food, and some even help with utility bills. Apply for food stamps at you local health and human services department. People do not want you or your family to go hungry, so ask for help if you need to. Do not ever be ashamed to ask for help if you need it, just don't take advantage of peoples kindness either.

One great place to get discounted food is Angel Food Ministries. They offer different packages for individuals and families at a discounted price. They also accept food stamps. To find out more information about the ministries please visit there site Angel Food Ministries.

If you are able to get food stamps, do not be scared to still cut prices on the food that you purchase. You can still use coupons for all of the food that you purchase with the food stamps, and you can price match just as if you were paying with your debit card. If you are given the opportunity to get help with food stamps, why not stretch them out just like you do your own money.

A Few Samples to Begin With

Since I have discovered I was pregnant I have began looking for free samples everywhere that I could. I have found a few and and here are some that you may enjoy. I will try to put updated of free samples as often as I can, because I know they are one of the most helpful things you can find.


Free Yoplait Yogurt

Free Procter and Gable Samples (Changes monthly)


Similac Samples and Coupons

Enfamil Samples and Coupons

Arm & Hammer Advanced White Sample

The New Single Mommy Blog

I am a 31 year old soon to be first time mommy, and single. I was with the father of my child for 6 years, but things have not worked out very well. I will be doing this on my own. The only help I have is my mom and sister, and I am very thankful for them. I work part time for minimum wage, so I do not make a lot of money. My baby boy is due June 9th, and I am mentally ready but not quite financially ready. I do have a few hundred dollars put away, but as of now I will only be able to take 4 weeks of maternity leave if I do not have to use that money for other bills before the baby is due.

I have been blogging about things from working online and personal finance, but I wanted to share my mommy experience with others. In this blog I will share things about saving money on child and mommy, websites that I think others may find helpful, product reviews, and much much more. This will be a great ways for me to share my experience, help others, and hopefully make a little extra money to care for my child.