Last updated on July 15th, 2023 at 03:46 pm
A question that many women may ask is this. How do single mothers survive financially? Especially in the UK, where the rising cost of living is making many single mothers fear actual poverty.
Everything in the media right now is striking financial fear in the hearts of all parents in the UK. But undoubtedly, some of the hardest hit will be single mothers who were on a tight budget already.
Before the rise in the cost of living, surviving financially as a single mother used to look like this…
- Claiming the benefits that you are entitled to.
- Being actively aware of your budget and spending wisely.
The fact that Universal Credit will pay 80% of childcare costs gives single mothers a good incentive to work, at least part-time, and survive financially while staying independent.
However, with the incredible increase of bills and the cost of fuel and food rising, the usual measures might not be enough anymore.
A Lot of People Will Be Forced to Make Cutbacks
To save the extra money to pay for bills, it might be necessary to have a look at your budget. If you were already a little tight for cash at the end of each month, then there’s definitely a need to re-think some things.
It sucks to think that some of the luxuries we deserve to enjoy might have to be sacrificed just to pay for electricity. Nobody should have to choose between eating and heating, but we all need to understand that we’re not alone in this. The world has been going through some crazy catastrophes, and we have to adapt.
Making Decisions on Things to Cut Back
TV Subscriptions – Are you making the most of your TV subscription anyway? If you find yourself often using YouTube, Netflix, or other internet-based platforms you might not even need an expensive TV provider.
Cancelling it and switching to Freeview could save £50 a month or more. You could even go one step further and ditch your TV Licence too, and save yourself the pricey renewal.
Instead of expensive salon treatments, for the foreseeable, some of us may have to switch to doing our own nails and dying our own hair. If you’re a bit of a beauty junkie who loves to buy lots of skincare products, there are some good swaps that you can make for a cheap but effective skin routine.
Read: Self Care on a Budget & Beauty for Frugal Mums
Combatting the Cost of Petrol
Biking is a good alternative, as is carpooling. If a neighbour works in the same area as you, or a colleague lives in the same neighbourhood, ask them if they want to share a car to work and split the petrol money.
Work Salary Boost…
If you’re not working, you might be better off each month if you can find a part-time job. With the government offering 15 hours of free childcare for 2-year-olds, and 30 hours for 3-year-olds, you could be earning extra money without having to spend it all on nurseries or childminders. They will also pay 80% of your childcare costs on Universal Credit.
Nervous about making the change? Here’s an article on 15 Useful Tips For A Single Mum Returning To Work
If you’re already working part-time, you could potentially rethink your situation and decide if you’re ready to add some more hours. When your children are getting older, spending more time at school and in clubs or with friends, it could be an easy transition.
In the case that you’re already working full time, it might be a good idea to have a frank discussion with your boss about your salary. If the cost of living is rising, our salaries should rise too. Unfortunately, this isn’t a given. If I was a CEO, I’d raise my employees’ pay just so that I could sleep well at night – but most CEOs don’t have that kind of conscience.
But you better believe that the people out there who have the best salaries are the people who are gutsy enough to ask their boss for a raise.
How do Single Mothers Survive Financially? By thinking and acting like a financially confident person.
If you’ve been too timid to do that in the past, the rising cost of living is actually the perfect excuse. It’s a better and more valid reason to talk about pay than just simply being disgruntled with your wages or greedy.
How to ask for a pay rise, according to the experts
A Community to Turn To
Hopefully, something in this article has been helpful and will spark some ideas of how to keep afloat financially in this current climate. Being a parent is a wonderful, blessed and joyous prize in life, but money and finances can sometimes drag us down a little.
It’s also important to have a sense of community and a place to turn to for advice and support when you’re a single mother especially.
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