Money Hacks For All The Mamas

If you're a Mother, then you'll know that one of the biggest worries that you'll ever have to go through, is figuring out how you're going to get by every month and provide for your little ones. Of course, circumstances always vary, but if you're stuck in a job that doesn't pay you very well while having a family to take care of, then it can all get rather overwhelming at times. Mothers tend to always want to do everything right and make sure that they're perfect, but know that perfect doesn't exist. There are no rules to being a parent, you just do what you think is best as you go along. Mistakes happen, but it's how you bounce back from them that matters, and the same goes for managing your money.


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Money is something that the world focuses so much on, and although it's not what gives us happiness - it can certainly make life a lot easier having some extra money. Everyone wants to pay that little bit extra sometimes on a birthday present, and not even have to think about the possibility of there being consequences for doing so. Nobody should feel guilty for treating themselves once in a while, and yet it's so easy to feel this way - especially as a Mother - because we know what that money should be going on, and we know just how hard working we've had to be in order to get it. So the idea of having more money so that we don't have to feel this way would be a dream, right?

Well, you can't get rich overnight, unfortunately. But what you can do, is change the way you live your lifestyle a little, and in doing so, you can be saving a lot more money than you ever could have imagined. It doesn't even necessarily need to be major changes either - there are many little tricks and hacks out there that anyone can use, and gradually accumulate a nice amount of money from things they've ended up no longer needing. Essentially just think of this as a trial and error process. Things will result in different outcomes depending on who you are and what your life is like, so have a go at trying a few things, if not all of them - then you can see where a difference is really being made, and how.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

A new credit card
 
Credit cards are both a blessing and a curse. They are able to make our lives a lot easier, and yet this ease can also be the cause of many peoples problems because they don't have the willpower to stop themselves from getting carried away. This can also result in people having bad credit scores because they owe money and aren't able to pay it back on time. If this does happen though, you will begin to realise how different you are treated because you now have a past that follows you around whenever you get into your finances. Fortunately, you don't need to dwell on the past because there are companies out there that are willing to give you what you want without any judgement, and this means you can have credit cards for bad credit, that essentially work the same, but there is no collateral associated.

A preplanned grocery list
 
We all know too well that story about going to do a light grocery shop, and you end up getting home with so many bags that are full to the top, and a bill with so many numbers on that you don't quite understand what happened. - We've all been there. The simple issue is that there are just too many options in a grocery store, and that causes such a distraction that you just end up picking up whatever you think looks nice, or whatever you feel is a bargain - regardless of whether that bargain actually pays off. To avoid this, all you need to do is write a grocery list. To make this even easier for you, is to plan exactly what meals you will be making throughout the week, as well as the possibility of leftovers that cross over to the next day. Once you have your list - stick to it. Don't let anything tear you away, because you know that you have everything you need on that piece of paper, no matter what your brain may be saying now, while you're surrounded by so much.

Carpooling to and from school
 
If you live too far within walking distance from your child's school, then you'll most likely be driving there and back twice a day. Bear in mind that you may also have errands to run for yourself, as well as getting to and from work - all of this adds up in fuel, and although you may be used to paying what you pay now - you don't have to. If you have a neighbour whose children go to the same school your own do, then think about carpooling. To make it fair, you can take this in turns, but there's no reason you both should be going on exactly the same journey, when only one of you needs to instead. This will not only end up saving you a lot of extra bucks, but it goes as far as saving the planet too because you aren't burning up unnecessary emissions and polluting the air. Who knows, you may even make a good friend out of it too. Your children can play with one another while you can indulge in a much-needed bottle of wine of an evening together.

Now that you have a few ideas, give them a try and see what they're able to do for you. Some things may take a little practice or willpower, but once you get the hang of it and begin to see the extra money sitting in your account by the end of the month, you will soon realise just how worthwhile it is.