Budget is always a big deal in our home. How do you meet your families needs ( and occasional wants or treats) on a tight single Mama budget? Here are just a few bits of wisdom that I have received from other Single Mamas, along with what we do in our home, to stretch our budget. ~ Needs vs. Wants. On our refrigerator we have a dry erase board where we keep a list of things to pick up next time I go to the store. This list is split into 2 parts. The top part is " Things We Need" & the bottom part is " Things We Want". Let the kids help with this! You may be surprised what each person considers a need verses a want. One day I wrote paper towels on the "need list". I came back later and one of my sweet kidos had moved it to the " things we want list" explaining that we could use the dish towels and save the money. Go kids! ~ Set rules for treats. I know...I know... RULES! But seriously its better then crying over split milk ( or in my case something you buy that you cant return). This goes for both when you are treating the kids and when you are treating yourself. Personally I find it easier to stay on track when the kids are with me, its those few days that they are gone where loneliness can take over and the mindset of " I deserve it" sets in. Make a list of treats for the kids and treats for yourself along with what each splurge will cost. ~Know the cost. As Single Mama's we are the sole provider. Its up to us to manage our money wisely. Maybe you get child support, maybe you don't. Maybe you work one job, maybe you work several to make ends meet. Either way its important to that you know what things cost! You cant budget if you don't dive into what your spending and see where your money is going or needs to go. You need to know what each monthly bill will cost along with what few other things you might need such as cleaning supplies & toiletries. ~Use your friends. As Single Mamas it can be to easy to get off track financially, after all there is usually no one to hold us accountable. Find someone! I have 2-3 friends that I regularly send my monthly budget to. These are amazing ladies who I trust & do not have to be ashamed to show them how much or how little I make. They are great trusted friends who will : #1- Check my math. Been there and made that addition/subtraction mistake one to many times before. Thankful for the friends who will take 5 minutes and double check my figures! #2- Get a sneak peek at my expenses. A fresh set of eyes might see savings where maybe you don't! #3- Keep me accountable. They know what you make, and what you spend so they can encourage you to stay on budget or help you decide on a big ticket purchase. I'm posting a copy of the PDF I use to help keep my family on budget. I'm very artsy and have a hard time concentrating on plain white paper with no color so I looked online and found a free download of a "Pretty Budget" that suits my visual, organizational and financial needs. Enjoy!
More Single Mama's Stretching the Budget ....
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AuthorI'm a single mama of 2 great kidos seeking and searching for Gods will in our lives :) Archives
December 2017
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