Whether you choose solo parenthood or lose your partner through divorce or death, single parenting is both challenging and rewarding. For many single parents, supporting yourself and your children on one income is the biggest challenge you face. Fortunately, taking some time to educate yourself about personal finance can help you make the most of your resources. Keep your finances front of mind with these five personal finance resources for single parents.
Note: Most of the personal finance websites listed here target women—for good reason. Eight in 10 single-parent households are headed by women, according to the Census Bureau. Single mothers often face bigger financial challenges than single fathers. Being a primary caregiver or custodial parent can make it difficult to work full time. Even women who work full time generally earn less than men due to the gender wage gap. Divorced women's incomes drop an average of 41%, compared to 23% for divorced men. Despite their mom-centric names, however, the resources below have value for parents of any gender.
The Budget Mom
Kumiko Love earned a finance degree in college, but that didn't keep her from making plenty of money mistakes, including overspending and getting into debt. After learning the hard way how to budget, prioritize spending, pay off debt and save money, this single mom started The Budget Mom to share what she learned with others and empower people to "build a life you love on a budget you can afford."
The Budget Mom's free and paid resources include printable worksheets, a budget workbook and planner, a budgeting course and Love's book, "My Money My Way: Taking Back Control of Your Financial Life." Budgeting is the cornerstone of The Budget Mom, but the blog also covers topics such as frugal living, debt and credit, saving money and financial basics.
Prefer watching to reading? Love also has a robust YouTube channel sharing financial tips and tactics.
DivorcedMoms
Are you recently divorced, about to divorce or considering divorce? Then check out DivorcedMoms, which features more than 6,000 pages of information and advice from experts in the field of divorce, including divorce law experts and financial analysts. A leading resource and community for divorced moms, the site's blog and other resources cover topics including work, career and money; financial help for divorced moms; parenting and coparenting tips; and advice for all stages of the divorce process. There's also a directory of professionals including certified divorce financial analysts, financial advisors, accountants and more.
National Bank of Mom
While you're improving your own relationship with money, why not get your children started on the same road too? That's the idea behind National Bank of Mom. After educating herself about personal finance following a divorce, the single mom behind National Bank of Mom started teaching her son about money and launched a website to share her lessons with other single parents.
National Bank of Mom offers free downloadable templates such as an interest calculator, vacation spending tracker and savings tracker. You'll also find activities such as no-spend challenges and exercises that can help your child learn to save money, comparison shop and spend wisely. The site's articles cover topics such as having conversations about money, being a financial role model for your child and changing your attitudes towards money.
Rich Single Momma
Divorced single mom Samantha Gregory launched Rich Single Momma in 2008 to help single moms take control of their financial futures. Gregory encourages single parents to start by getting control of their spending using her Budget Sanity Worksheet. Next, they can shift their money mindset to one of growth and start creating wealth (with a strong focus on being your own boss via side gigs).
Rich Single Momma offers a course on creating a side hustle, a Financial Fresh Start kit, a podcast and an online support community. There's also a blog covering topics that range from budgeting and parenting to advice for earning more money, side hustle ideas, stress management tips and more.
Wealthy Single Mommy
Billed as the largest single mom community in the world, Wealthy Single Mommy aims to help single parents create full lives. While the site's focus isn't solely financial success, that's a big part of the picture. Founder Emma Johnson, a former business journalist and bestselling author of "The Kickass Single Mom," covers topics ranging from how to buy a house as a single parent and tips for recession-proofing your life to the best places to sell items online and how to find reputable side hustles. In addition to financial topics, the site offers resources on divorce, parenting, dating and more.
One of the Wealthy Single Mommy's strengths is its range of resources for finding everything from smartphones and diapers to after-school programs and dental care either free or at minimal cost. You'll also find programs that provide financial assistance to single moms, as well as a wide range of ideas for things you can sell to make money.
The Bottom Line
Loss of income following a divorce or the death of a spouse can seriously affect your finances. For example, in a community property state, you're financially responsible for any credit accounts your deceased spouse opened, even if you didn't know about them. If you're struggling to pay your bills, consider credit counseling to help you create a budget and pay off debt.
Maintaining good credit is important for everyone, but when you're the sole support of your children, it's vital. A good credit score can give you access to credit at affordable rates, make it easier to rent a home and even affect your ability to find work. Checking your credit report at least once a year and setting up free credit monitoring can help you keep tabs on your financial health, no matter how busy single parenthood gets.