4 Time and Money Hacks From Single Parents

Source:https://www.parents.com/

Single parents are experts at managing time and finances due to their demanding responsibilities. By consulting experienced single parents, we’ve uncovered valuable tips for staying organized and within budget. These strategies are useful for all parents, not just those who are single, to help streamline their busy lives.

1. Buy Groceries Online: Rebecca Lake, a North Carolina-based freelance writer and finance blogger, shares her experiences managing money as a single parent through her blog, Boss Single Mama. She dreads grocery shopping, particularly at big-box stores like Walmart or Target, where her son often adds unexpected items to the cart, leading to unplanned expenses. To avoid these extra costs, she uses Instacart, which allows her to shop online and have groceries delivered, saving both time and money.

2. Layer Cashback Offers and Coupon Apps: Baker, a single parent, highly recommends the Ibotta app, which offers cashback rebates at numerous retailers. After using it for six months, she earned $200, which she finds significant for managing her finances. Baker believes such apps are empowering for single parents. Additionally, she advises using cashback apps, credit card rewards, and Amazon subscription discounts to maximize savings. However, she cautions against excessive online shopping and stresses the importance of paying credit card balances in full each month to save both time and money.

3. Keep Utility Costs Low With Off-Peak Timing: Mayer-Splain practices cost-saving strategies for household chores by doing all laundry in cold water and only running full loads, and scheduling laundry and dishwasher use during off-peak hours when electricity rates are lower, typically between midnight and 6 a.m. She also optimizes her time by handling shopping, cleaning, and cooking while her children are with their father, allowing her to focus more on them when they are together.

4. Embrace Robots to Outsource Mental Load: Single parents often struggle with managing numerous responsibilities, which can lead to costly mistakes when things slip through the cracks. Smart home technology can help alleviate this mental load by providing tools for scheduling, reminders, and task management. Devices like Alexa, Google Nest, and Siri can assist with daily tasks, such as monitoring a baby, adjusting the thermostat, and ordering supplies. Investing in a cleaning robot can further free up time, making affordable time-saving technology a valuable resource for single parents seeking guilt-free personal time.

Read More:https://childreninfobank.com/safebank/4-time-and-money-hacks-from-single-parents/

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