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.