I'm a single mom....whats the best way to save money when you don't make that much to begin with?
100261
Saving is not about Big Numbers. It isn't even about Little Numbers Across A Long Time. It is about Consistent Numbers Across Any Time.\n\nSaving money certainly involves "not buying stuff." But this view is far too narrow. So long as saving is equated with sacrifice it will be an uphill battle to save. Having day-to-day life that is as stress-free as possible is very important. Continual sacrifice and stress-free living clash harshly for many people. Some people focus on changing lifestyle-related choices, sometimes called the "latte factor," as a method for realizing day-to-day savings. I agree that this is good advice for some people, but as a first step it isn't necessarily the most effective. There are other things that can be done, too.\n\n1. Reduce monthly fees. Stop paying banking fees for services you don't use or don't need. Many banks charge monthly "service fees" or "maintenance fees" for checking accounts. If your bank offers "free checking" or "free checking with Direct Deposit" (and you have Direct Deposit) switch your account, or find a bank that does offer "free checking." Even the smallest leak in any plumbing system will eventually collect enough water to fill a bathtub, so to will even the smallest recurring monthly service fee eventually steal one month's rent.\n\n2. Detemine a reasonable monthly budget. It is important to know "where it all goes." Rent, utilities, cell phone, car payment, insurance, groceries. There is no doubt these numbers exist, but most importantly nearly all of them can be known in advance. Some of them can't be known exactly, but they can be estimated. My advice is to estimate unknown amounts not for the sake of accuracy ("The cell phone bill is usually $40.00 per month."), but for the sake of certainty ("The cell phone bill has never been more than $80.00 in any month."). In the beginning of making and using budgets, they work best when costs are overestimated rather than underestimated. It is far less uncomfortable to have "too much" money left at the end of the month than it is to have "too little" left over and bills still to be paid at the end of the month.\n\n3. Begin saving automatically. If your employer offers Direct Deposit, and you can open a "free checking" account (with or without Direct Deposit), use this financial automation to the maximum. Open a second checking account. Then contact your HR department to request that your paychecks be split across your two checking accounts.\n\n4. Separate paying bills from saving and investing. Use your primary account for all monthly expenses: rent, utilities, food, car payments and pet food. This is your "Cash" account. The second checking account is dedicated for saving and investment purposes. You won't draw funds from this "Investment" account to pay bills. That isn't what saving is about. Saving is about having money available to fund medium-term and long-term goals. Things like retirement, paying college tuition or buying a home. The "Investment" account will drive all of your automatic saving and investment mechanisms. Similar to Direct Deposit, schedule Automatic Withdrawals to transfer funds from your "Investment" account into high-yield savings accounts (4.50% or better) and retirement accounts (Traditional and Roth IRAs).\n\nHere is how to implement the above steps.\n\nLook at the ING Direct website. ING has savings accounts with excellent interest rates, with no minimum required balance. In addition look at the Vanguard website. If you don't have an IRA, 401k or any other kind of retirement account Vanguard has the lowest custodial costs ($10.00 per year) and lowest minimum required balances (usually $3,000.00) of any financial services company today.\n\nAccumulating enough money to open an account with Vanguard may
1085440
If you didn't make good money then it is hard to save, but you guys are just being lazy.\n\nPut as much as possible into a 401k-ask your employer.  \n\nEvery single pay day, put a set amount into a saving account, when you get enough saved move it to an investment or a CD or something with a higher interest rate.\n\nDon't spend money on dumb stuff. No one should try and keep up with the jones.\n\nPay off every bill in full every month.  If you can't Don't buy it.\n\nI just don't get how it can be so hard for people.  I only work part time, my husband brings home just over $3000.00 a month. (take home after 401k, health insurance and taxes) My $200.00 a week is for Gas, groceries and eating out Fri and Sat. nites.  We still make ends meet, make our house payment and put money is savings every month and every bill is paid up monthly.  We don't even talk about it, I just do it.  \n\nWe don't want to be poor when we retire, and we still live a good life on what we have.\n\nEvery pay check, walk in the bank and start saving, it's not to tough. \n If you have little to live on, Giv up that 1 pop or coffee or cigs or even that beer so you acan put $5.00 in your savings each week.
380480
Yes there is..It's called wellfare help..sounds awful i know..but this is about supporting your 3 kids till things get better in your life..and it will..it's just going to take some time...trust me the wellfare office understands the struggles of single parents and by u going down there to apply for the things that u are having trouble to make ends with...they will help u...so long as u are 100 percent honest with them...Number one..if u don't have medical insurance to cover the kids...u will get it right away..since u are a family of 4.(not including this guy)and u make 40 thousand or less u can get it..including foodstamps..(just untill things get better).U can also apply for public housing..sure that sounds awful..but there are alot of places that are decent as hell and u wouldn't ever know that the landlord allows section 8 people.(section 8 means the landlord gets there rent period no questions ask cause the state pays him u pay him just a little maybe only 100 to 200 a month only set back is u are on a waiting list..but it goes quick in the spring time..u can also get help with heat the list is endless..all u need to show them is all the kids Social security numbers,yours as well..proof of paycheckstub from your job and copys of all your bills that u pay.like car insurance gas bill electric bill ect ect..u will be flabbergasted on all the areas that the wellfare dept can help u with...Remember this is your tax money that is helping u so why not make it work for your kids\nthere is also a place called the YWCA not YMCA(thats for men)they help with apartments furniture childcare ect ect..i know u ask for financial help here..instead of getting a check to cover your bills..all that i mention above they personaly pay your bills for u..if u ever want to talk more to me please feel free to contact me through my name...Good luck sweety u can do it..and get rid of the abusive so called boyfriend u don't need this right now..u and your kids come first and nothing else..PERIOD
275612
Learn how to save money and you'll be ok. Take a deep breath ... and let it out - you're free!
1060805
She could earn it by babysitting or getting a paper route or something. Maybe a bake sale, or get some friends to help do a car wash. $150 isn't really that bad... you can do it. Good luck!
982576
get a savings account with someone else (like a parent or spouse, depending on your age) and put some money in it every time you get paid. make sure that it is a savings account that requires both peoples signature to withdrawl money. this is what I did when I wanted to save money and it worked great!
238744
You need to put yourself on a budget! Budgets are the only way to save money. Look at your income, look at your expeditures. There's not much of a difference, is there? It's really easy to start a budget. Write down the things you need to buy, as opposed to things you want to buy. Arrange these things into categories, i.e., groceries, gas, insurance, cell phone bills, utilities, rent, etc... Pick a reasonable amount of money that you will spend each month on each categorie. For example: groceries $150, gas $60, cell phone bill $50. Don't leave anything out, and don't spend more than what you said you will spend. If you go over in a category, you must take from another. If you decide that you will spend $45 dollars on your cell phone bill, but the bill is $50, you'll have to lower your budget for another category by $5, just for that month.\n\nLook at what you have left. Let's say you made $5,000 one month and budgeted your necessary items at $4,500. You have $500 dollars left that you can blow on anything, but you haven't saved any money yet. You need to decide how much you're going to save. I would suggest all of it. But you can budget in things like going to the movies and buying CDs. Save what you have left. WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN! get a ledger book and write everything down. after a while you're savings will be phenominal!
1133674
Make a deal with yourself to save a certain percentage of your money.  Think through things that you want to buy. Don't just buy on impulse.  Use coupons at stores and compare prices at different stores before buying something so you can buy it cheaper.  Have self-discipline.   =)
294414
Maybe try cutting back on "non-necessities", ie: eating out, start bringing your lunch to work. Ask a co-worker that lives near by to start car-pooling to save on gas prices. Cut coupons! Just last month I saved $15 with my coupons, the money you save, you could apply to your gas tank in your vehicle. Also, since your wife is pregnant, apply for the WIC(women,infant,children) program. That will save you money each month on your grocery bill, because you will get milk,cheese,juice,beans,tuna. You can sign up at your local Department of human services office.\n\nGood luck to you and your wife, and congratulation on the new baby!!! :)
1543
I was able to make $1500 over last summer by doing odd jobs around the neighborhood, i just put up a flier and was able to dog-sit, kid-sit, clean pools, mow lawns, pull weeds and help people move, fix computers.\n\nand remember by saving the money and spending it wisely you can get something you really want, or depending how old you are you may want to save for a car or college.\n\nAs long as you want to make money you can find a way. Theres always someone that need help.
120827
Work at a restaurant as a waitress.  You will work for minimum wage but you will make cash tips and being sute or nice reall helps.  Making $1,000 is no big deal even if you are younger.\n\nThe other thing you can do is get six or seven cute friends and run a weekend car wash to raise funds for each of you.  Simply dvivide each weeks proceeds weekly.  Keep it up until you've raised enough money.  Sorry this won't work if you are in a cold state though sorry.  You'll have to wait for Spring.\n\nYou can run a clean up project and collect cans, newspapers and plastics.  You could then turn them into a recycling plant and make some cash that way as well.\n\nGet creative you can earn your money and have a great trip.  Be careful and keep it legal.\n\nGood luck.
895149
I have a family of 5 as well.  I have a 7 month old, a 2 year old and a 5 year old.  We spend about $100-150 a week on groceries.  How much are you spending?  I always make sure that my family has enough to eat and snack on!  But, we buy generic or cheap and easy meals.  Have you ever thought of buying a box of bisquick and following the recipes on the back?  Or making some goulosh (meat, tomato sauce and macaroni ) ?  Is your baby still on formula?  Do you have a WIC program for your state?  You should consider that - they pay for the formula!  It's a true life saver!
938189
Figure out how much you make each month - take home, not gross. Figure out how much you owe each month. How much is left over? That is what you live on and/or SAVE and/or use to pay off high interest loans, credit cards, etc. If there is no money left over then you need to get better paying job or a second job.\n \nDon't spend more than you earn. Don't use credit cards unless you can pay off the balance each month. Clip and use food coupons. Ask yourself if you will be terribly inconvenienced if you don't buy *whatever*. Keep your car tires inflated so you don't waste gas. Carpool. No impulse buying. Go to the library and read books on bugeting and saving money.
548404
i shop from this website online that brings things like cleaning products, snacks for my child.etc to my doorstep that save time and money but whatever i can not get from there i go to wal mart. if you shop on a budget you would spend like under$200 a month if you need some help or advice shivettarussell@yahoo.com
8376
You can make more money or spend less money.  Maybe spending less money is a more realistic option.\n\nTrack ALL your expenses for a couple of months, see where and how you are spending your money.\nMake a budget and make some tough cuts (like canceling your cell phone or cable tv or eliminating a daily cup of coffee from Starbucks).  You'll be amazed how much you can start saving for a new car when you make a budget and stick to it.\nDon't forget, when you get a car you will have to a pay for gasoline and insurance on top of the monthly car payment.
499878
Well I have 4 kids and I'm a single mother. I can not work at the moment because I can not find proper child care for the two children that don't attend school.( I would love to be working) But here is the deal, Me and my kids are living in a small 2br, 1 ba home, you could donate about $2,500.00 to us so that we can pay the down payment on a new and bigger home. Charity I guess you could say, but I would consider it to be a blessing. Ty   latovat@yahoo.com
749494
Spend $100 on something you want/need.\nSpend another $100 on something stupid (go crazy with this one...once in a lifetime thing)\n\nSave the rest.  Put it up somewhere like you didn't even have it until some time comes along when you really really need money.