It has been so long since I have NOT been a single parent, it is tough for me to remember whether money issues were a big deal for me or not. I think I worried less since there was more coming in, and two adults working to keep the coffers full. Many single parents that I have talked to confess that money issues are a HUGE trigger, if not the major trigger for stress and worry.
While I have read many a book about “flow” and “letting go” and not clutching on to things like money, my experience as a single parent makes it mighty tough for me to not get agitated and worked up over money issues. When my bank makes a mistake or there are credit card fees or the price of milk jumps up a whole $1.00, I FEEL it. It might not seem like much or even anything to another person, but to me—every fee, mistake, and price increase is felt in my pocketbook. I do make choices and decisions based on how much things cost even if all those “flow” books advise against it.
Am I happy that money stuff is such a trigger for me or that I worry and stress about such things? No. Neither do I enjoy feeling like I have to justify buying store brands, being excessively frugal, or passing on yet another gift exchange because it is another $20 I just can’t afford. But the reality is, most of us single parents really do wrestle with money issues and even if we are doing “fine”—it still takes a great deal of focus to keep things afloat. How can we single parents stay financially sane and savvy without getting stressed, uptight and worrying? I would LOVE to hear some advice from folks who have been there and figured out how to keep money issues from being a stress trigger in their single parent families…
Also: Good Old-Fashioned Savings
The Stress and Strain of Last-minute Requests