save money

I’ve been at this for a while now – this single mom thing – and the reason why I have some extra cash now for savings plans and all of that fun stuff is thanks to the thrifty measures I took during that first year just to survive.

Some of these call for new habits and slight changes in lifestyle and I’m sure many of you are doing everything on this list already, but just in case you aren’t, here are my best money saving tips:

1. Cancel your cable.

If you’re reading this, you probably have high-speed internet. I haven’t had a television in two years now so I’ve been forced to seek out all of my favorite TV shows online. At first the pickings were slim. But Hulu.com is adding TV shows to their roster faster than you can say Hulu. Find the Office, Heroes, Ghost Hunters, Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show and the Colbert Report there and all of your other favorites are probably on the network’s website.

Worried about the kids and their nasty little TV habits?

Rent DVDs from the library or buy episodes on iTunes for $1.99 a piece. Better yet, find DVDs at garage sales and used children’s toy stores for less than $5.00 each. If you can’t live without it, renew your cable after you’ve cancelled and you’ll probably get a discounted sign up fee for the first three months. So what’s the harm in trying? Read more on why I think you should kill your TV here.

Savings = $60 – $100 (depending on your cable package)

2. Take your lunch to work.

Every day, no matter what. If you really need to convince yourself to do this, go through your checking account or debit card account and add up all of those little meals. You will be amazed at how the total. And besides, not eating out will cut the pounds too.

Savings = $70.00 – $200.00 a month (depending on how much you eat out). [click to continue…]

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The newspaper headlines aren’t improving.

We are in trouble.

It seems every day a friend tells me they have or may get laid off. And last night I got an e-mail from one of you, a single mother, who rather than taking on a second job is considering moving in with her boyfriend to save money.

Maybe we can all get some ideas from each other, practical money saving or job saving ideas for single moms… how are we going to do this? Morgan, Modern Single Momma – who as we speak is on a plane to see her Man in Moseley (now Kentucky) – went so far as to skip a salon wax for an at home Brazilian. OUCH.

Aside from groceries, some entertainment and clothes for Benjamin I’ve stopped spending money all together.

I know, that’s like the worst thing I can do for the economy, but I’ll leave all of that good faith spending to the two-income married couples thank you very much.

Any ideas? I know Barack Obama has a few – but, as he’s said himself, it’s not going to be easy. And while they’re all trying to figure this out in Washington I think we all need to hunker down and brace ourselves – i.e. save, save, save.

And would you consider getting a roommate – a manperson or maybe a friend – to help you pay the bills?

For more of my worrisome banter read Apolcalypse Now? in which I ask if any of you feel like you need a man to help out or if any of you want to start a single parent commune with me.