3 Money Saving Tricks for Single Parents...

Has this bad economy gotten you down? Are you fearful about the future and wonder how you are going to make ends meet? Most people, even if they have not been directly affected by a job loss, a foreclosure or loss of investments, have tightened their belts and decided to cut back on unnecessary purchases.

Some people have even taken "cutting back" to the extreme. A couple I know, who both have good, secure, well paying jobs, has decided to no longer go out on the weekends at all because of the economy. As a single parent, it is necessary to make adjustments and find ways to save money, especially in these uncertain times. I have found a few painless ways to save money lately that I would like to share with you.

1. I love to eat out, but with my kids now too old for kid's meals, the bill can be ridiculous. I have found a few ways to still take the kids out to dinner on the cheap. Here is one: Most restaurants charge a much lower price for a meal for lunch. Lunch is usually served until 4:00 pm on the weekends. So, if you get there at 3:30pm and have an early dinner, you can shave a nice amount off your meal. We did this recently at a Asian/Sushi buffet. For dinner they charge $19.95 a person, but for lunch, it is only $12.99 a person. So we saved $7.00 a person for the same exact buffet by getting their an hour and half earlier than we normally would.

2. I was never one to clip coupons, but now I find it challenging to see how much I can save each week. Last week I saved a total of $54.00! The trick is to use coupons on the "buy one, get one" free deals for the best savings. Try to shop in the afternoon too when the teenagers are working as cashiers. They will give you less of a hard time if you use a coupon for a box of cereal that is for an 18 oz box and you get the 12 oz box by accident. There is nothing more annoying when trying to use coupons than being confronted by a mean cashier who hands you back your coupons.

3. Another way to save money is to groom your dog yourself, I save about $80 a month now by giving, Luigi, my Maltese, his bath and haircuts. I also have a trick for those of you who color your hair. I used to own a salon, so I am very hesitant about using store bought color, I have seen way too many disasters, especially if you are a blonde. But here is a way to extend the time in between salon visits. A few of the store bought brands now carry a root touch up kit for a about $8.00. That is alot cheaper than the $50 plus tip the salon will charge you. Another salon tip to cut out spending money on pedicures, is to use the pedi egg. You can order it from the infomercial or get at a drugstore like Walgreens. It works great, and if you can clip your own toenails and paint them, you can save money doing it yourself.

Anyone else have some great money saving tips to share here?

Are Single Moms Destroying America?

According to Author Ann Coutler they are. Did you see Coulter on the Today show last week blasting single moms?( here is the clip)

According to Coulter, single moms are responsible for raising children who end up in jail, are uneducated and are responsible for all of our problems in society.

As a single mom of four, I am personally offended by Ms. Coutler. This angry, mean spirited woman has no right to attack single moms and blame society's ills on us. Most single moms struggle daily to provide the best for their children and often must be both mother and father to children who do not have an father who is actively supporting them.

If you are a single mom, please do not buy this woman's books. She obviously has no idea how difficult it is to parent children on your own. Most single moms are not single moms by choice. Ms. Coutler should attack fathers who abandon their children instead. What she is insinuating is that staying in an unhappy marriage, often fraught with fighting and tension is a better environment for children to grow up in than to raised by one , stable happy parent.

I think we are doing the best we can as single parents. Many of us left marriages that were unhappy so that our children would not grow up hearing constant fighting between parents. Although I do believe that a couple should do everything possible to save their marriage, including going to counseling, keeping your children in an unstable, often violent home environment will not give them a better chance in life.

Being a single parent is difficult enough. Many single moms raise smart, healthy, educated children who contribute greatly to society. Ms. Coutler feels that single moms and liberals are destroying America. I think she has another motive for her nasty comments. Considering that President Elect Obama was raised by a single mom himself, Coulter who is a republican, may be taking her frustrations out on single moms because she is bitter about her party losing the election. Why a talk show would have such a vile person like Ms. Coulter on is beyond my understanding. This is also the same woman who referred to the 911 widows as "griefzillas". We should not reward her lack of compassion and sensitivity by putting her on TV and rewarding her with book sales.

Click here to read a free chapter of Seven Secrets to a Successful Divorce...

Child Support Crusader Takes on DeadBeats in Florida...

Sara Melich, a Southwest Florida woman who has been trying to collect child support from her ex-husband for the last 12 years, has found a way to charge deadbeat parents in the state of Florida with felony charges.

While researching child support cases in 2006, Melich discovered a Florida Statute that was created in 2000. It called for felony charges when a person has at least four misdemeanors for nonsupport or owes at least $5,000 for more than one year.

With more than a dozen civil warrants pending against her ex, she inquired about felony charges being issued. Everyone involved in the family court system, including the judge, was unsure whether or not they could charge her ex with felony charges. But finally a felony warrant was issued.

Sara Melich's ex-husband is now making child support payments and spending time with his daughters. Thanks to her work the Department of Revenue now red-flags repeat child support offenders who can be charged with a felony.

Single mothers like Sara Melich, who take action and challenge the court system are paving the way for easier child support collection. Too often single mothers give up, frustrated by a system that fails to enforce the law and prosecute deadbeat parents who are in arrears. Let her story serve a reminder that with persistence and hard work , you can get the child support owed to your children.