Budgeting is Essential for a Single Mothers Success

Today many women are struggling with debt and it's even harder if you are a single mother trying to support your family. According to the Census Bureau single mothers far outweigh single fathers. In 2003 there was a total of 2,260,000 one parent family groups maintained by the father and 10,142,000 one parent family groups maintained by the mother. This is also why many single mothers find themselves diving into debt.

So if you are one of those single mothers struggling to get by, you are not alone. Whether you are going through a divorce or the father is absent most single mothers face the burden of supporting themselves and their children all on one income.

Did you know that only fifteen percent of women going through a divorce are awarded any form of court-ordered spousal support? Unfortunately, thirty-four percent of those women never receive what is due to them. Less than half of the women who claim child support ever receive the full amount. As well, within the first year of divorce a women's average standard of living falls forty-five percent while a man's will grow fifteen percent.

So as a single mother it is important to steer clear of debt, which is where SingleMotherResources gives you a variety of things you can do to prevent yourself from further debt. Budgeting is a key factor in helping so many people get out of debt and stay out of debt. The core of budgeting is for you as a single mother to see your monthly spending needs and habits.

The purpose of a budget allows you to track your personal cash flow. Your personal cash flow is how much money comes in and how much goes out. Adding up your monthly income is easy, but totaling up all your expenses takes a little bit of work. First, you'll want to collect all your bills, your credit card statements, your checkbook register and all receipts including anything you buy with cash.

If you haven't been keeping good records, you may have to get a receipt of every dollar you spend for a month before you put together an accurate budget. Track you expenses by making entries in a notebook or learn how to in Microsoft Excel.

Now divide your spending into fixed costs and variable costs. Your fixed costs will include such things as mortgage payments, rent or loan payments. Your variable costs will include such things as clothing, food and entertainment. Now that you know how to budget, you need to learn how to stick to one.

Once you are managing your spending, you can easily decide which costs as a single mother you can cut and which you cannot. In most cases as soon as you see how much you are spending on your morning latte and breakfast item, you will be motivated to cut back. Stay motivated by setting goals.

Single Mother Resources is a great guide to get single mothers back on their feet and enjoying life. Before you know it, you'll be debt free and be able to spend more time with your children opposed to dealing with the harassing phone calls from creditors and collection agencies!

Kathryn Spencer specializes in single mother financial aid issues and has long authored educational and support pieces for women and single mothers. Kathryn is a contributing author and editor to a variety of international and domestic web sites, and free newsletters. Kathryn lives in the southeastern United States with her two children Dylan and Kalie.

In The News:

---

First Checking Account ? When is it Time?

We all know that money doesn't grow on trees, but we all need it to survive. The use of cash will only go so far in life, as you can't send it through... Read More

What is ChexSystems?

Commonly referred to as the first of the three major "Check Systems" in the U.S., Chex Systems is an association of financial institutions that network together in order to develop a database that... Read More

Budgeting: A Tough Love Way to Handle Your Household Budget

Developing and living by a household budget is by far the best way to get your expenses under control which, in turn, can mean a much less stressful life.However, many families find it... Read More

Resources to Help You Learn About and Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

There is a new bill that is being passes, it is a very weak bill but if passed, it will prohibit using a social security number for identification purposes. This bill should take... Read More

Top 10 Ways Managing Your Money Is Just Like Riding a Bike

An avid cyclist and bike racing fan, I sit transfixed during the many hours of Tour de France coverage every July when the race rolls around. This year, during some of the less-than-scintillating... Read More

Budgeting is Essential for a Single Mothers Success

Today many women are struggling with debt and it's even harder if you are a single mother trying to support your family. According to the Census Bureau single mothers far outweigh single fathers.... Read More

Financing Collectibles for Fun and Profit

With the advent of the internet and especially auction services like those provided by Yahoo and E-bay, serious collectors have much larger arenas in which to buy and sell their wares. This provides... Read More

Saving Dimes Can Go a Long Way

On the other hand, there are those people who are saving dimes and every other cent. Perhaps its because they hate the clutter of change but want to get rid of it instead... Read More

Introduction to Australian Superannuation

Australians, in general, constitute some of the worst savers in the world. Current estimates suggest that, on average, Australians save just 4% of their income. This is less than half of the 11%... Read More

10 Tips To Save Money When Dining Out

Here are some tips that can help you save money when dining out. Keep in mind that these tips are intended to help you save money when dining out at a restaurant type... Read More

How You Feel Affects How You Shop & How Much You Spend

Have you ever stopped to think about how your "mood" affects the way you shop, not to mention the amount you spend? Think about it.If you want to save a lot of money,... Read More

Do You Know What Tomorrow Will Bring?

I've been sharing the following idea with people for a few years now, and realized recently that I had never written specifically about it. So here it is:"I cannot predict the future."That may... Read More

Ways to Save Energy and Slash Electricity Bills

1. Lighting & Light Bulbs Install low energy light bulbs in rooms you use regularly ? they last up to 15 times longer than a normal light bulb and provide the same... Read More

How to Balance Your Checkbook ? Get a Calculator and Pencil and You are Ready To Go!

Despite how easy it is to balance a checkbook, very few people take the time to do it and the few who do, don't always do it the right way. If you write... Read More

The Good and the Bad of Money Management

Good money management needn't be difficult. In fact, there a number of easy steps recommended by most financial professionals to help manage your finances better.Pay your bills on time to avoid late fees.Don't... Read More

Photo Checks ? A Great Alternative in Checking

It's the little things in life that make it interesting. Everyday life can be so boring at times. To make the ordinary extraordinary takes time to explore and to discover. Fortunately, there are... Read More

Save Money on your Clothing Budget. Tame the Closet Monster!

Reducing the clothing budget was a serious challenge for me. Two pre-teen girls and a teenage girl certainly didn't make life any easier. My son wasn't much of a challenge. Thank goodness, he's... Read More

Should You Borrow From Your 401(k) Account?

If you have a 401(k) account, it can be very tempting to borrow from your account especially when your balance is very high and a loan could easily pay off existing debt, fund... Read More

Money Matters: Strengthen Your Marriage by Putting Finances in Order

Did you know that 43% of all married couples argue over money issues, making it the major reason couples fight? If you and your spouse handle money differently, now is the time to... Read More

Whats The Truth Behind Your Finances?

Between 15 - 20% of people in our country (UK) own there own businesses. This statistic is on the rise thanks to the incredible invention of the Internet. The staggering truth is that... Read More

Retirement Income Needs---Less Than You Think?

It is widely written that you need 75% of your present income to maintain your present life-style in retirement. If you make 100 thousand now, figure 75 thousand in retirement.Fifty thousand now, figure... Read More

Kundalini Lessons - Money

I've been going through and interesting growth period lately that I thought I'd share, as some of the lessons were pretty profound (at least for me).I've written before about my awakening and the... Read More

The Benefits of Banking Online

How many drawers did you have to look through to find a bank statement the last time you needed one? Chances are you did not lay your hands on it as readily as... Read More

College Expenses: Seven Ways to Save on an Education

Many people graduate from college owing thousands of dollars in student loans. It isn't uncommon for students to graduate owing $30,000 to $40,000. For people that get married shortly after graduation that means... Read More

Save Your Money, Dont Give to Charity Scammers

**If it's Spam, it's a Scam!- If it sounds too good, if it shows up in your bulk folder or your spam folder - don't touch it, just delete it**Check out the charity-... Read More

10 Quick And Cheap Ways To Cut Your Heating Bill

When you received an energy (heating) bill last winter, were you afraid to open it? Granted that we have a home with a lot of really big windows, but we saw energy bills... Read More

Risky Business: You May Not be as Daring as You Think

I thought I was through with exams when I finished college. Then my financial adviser (a.k.a. stockbroker) had me take a test to measure my tolerance for risk. He said, there were no... Read More

Make or Break Your Retirement!

The Prudential has dubbed those who refuse to leave home as "kippers" or "kids in parents' pockets eroding retirement savings". Recent research concludes 6.8m over-18s live with their parents. Less than half pay... Read More

Dramatically Improve Your Stock Trading Success

Get Access to Realistic profitable strategies & discover the mindset to dramatically improve trading success.* Avoid those confusing "cookie cutter" technical analysis tips and tricks that you can read anywhere else for free.*... Read More