You need to work to pay the bills, and you need a car to get to work (among many other places). But affording a car can be really tough on a single mom with limited income. There’s the car itself, and then there’s car insurance, gas and maintenance, too. It’s enough to make your head spin. If you’re having trouble purchasing a vehicle, getting a loan, or securing reliable transportation, we have a few ideas to help you out.

Consider whether you really need a car or not. If you live in a city, chances are you might not. Public transportation is great in cities and can usually get you everywhere you need to go. You’ll lose the convenience of having your own car, but it’s worth it when you see how much money you’re saving. If the kids are old enough, they can ride the bus to school or walk there if it’s close enough. You can always accompany them on a public bus if need be. Purchase a frequent-rider pass for reduced fares.

If you’ve decided that you need your own vehicle, you’ll probably want to avoid the dealerships and look for alternative places to purchase your car. Habitat for Humanity takes donated cars and sells them for reduced prices. You should also check the paper or CraigsList.com to look for used cars. You could also write a post on Craigslist.com explaining your situation and saying that you’re looking for an affordable, reliable automobile. You never know who will read it-maybe someone has a car they were going to sell but would rather it go somewhere it’s really needed. You could also check with car rental companies-they occasionally have rental cars for sale. Just be sure to have a mechanic inspect any used vehicle before you buy it.

Don’t forget to check with your local Social Services agency, credit union, or any related non-profits in the area. Many times credit unions will design loan programs that help single mothers purchase reliable transportation a credit union is a very good source for financial help . More often than not, a vehicle means the difference between a single mom receiving government aid and not because of her ability to get to work. Agencies know this and many will take extra steps to help you on your quest to find a car. Use the power of the internet to help you, too. Search for automobile grants and loans for single moms.

The goal of SingleMomFinancialHelp.com is to help women change the world through information and education. We are creating a support structure through which all women of the world can educate one another about where they have been, where they are right now and where they are going. With help from our site and the information and articles we distribute women will be more educated in finance, business, home matters, relationships, career and higher education.

Many single moms think they are doomed to renting due to their financial status. Most two-parent families are also two-income families, and this makes it much easier to get a mortgage, and, therefore, a home. Many single moms struggle to make ends meet financially. As they work to be both mother and breadwinner, many end up in the lower income brackets, making it seem impossible for them to get a home of their own.

The good news is that there are a few private and government first time home buyers program available for single moms to find help in getting a home, even with a poor financial situation. One of the most common ways for a single mom to get a home is through the Housing and Urban Development program, which is usually called HUD. HUD works with lenders to guarantee loans for people who would not normally qualify for a mortgage. This guarantee makes it possible for the lender to loan to someone who is considered a poor risk, because the government will pay a portion of the loan if the borrower defaults. Single moms who need a little help can apply for FHA assistance through HUD. If they are approved, the chance that they will be approved for a loan is increased quite a bit.

HUD has another program designed specifically for people who are in lower income brackets. This program is called the Housing Choice Vouchers Program. Under this program, low-income families with children, including those with just a mom, can get vouchers to help pay rent or mortgage payments. These are handled by state agencies that are overseen by the federal government, so the specific details may vary from state to state.

The HOME Program is a final option for single moms who have low incomes. This program is overseen by the Housing Finance Agency. It helps single moms and other low-income families by providing assistance with down payments on their homes, which is one hurdle that many single moms simply cannot overcome.

As you can see, there are a variety of programs available to help single moms who find themselves facing financial difficulties realize their dream of owning a home. If you are considering using one of these programs, take a close look at your budget to make sure that you can honestly afford the loan payment, even with help. If you can, get the help you need, and start shopping for your dream home.

The goal of SingleMomFinancialHelp.com is to help women change the world through information and education. We are creating a support structure through which all women of the world can educate one another about where they have been, where they are right now and where they are going. With help from our site and the information and articles we distribute women will be more educated in finance, business, home matters, relationships, career and higher education.

Being a single mom and still providing for yourself or your children can be a very stressful and frustrating experience. There are many problems in finances for single moms and loans for single moms but getting help isn’t always easy so there are some services you should be aware of.

Education loans can be very tough to pay back, should you have debts remaining on your student loans. This may force many moms to consolidate their payments, which will put them into debt for 10-30 years, but allow them to keep out of bankruptcy longer. If you have children who wish to obtain student loans, and you are a single mother, it is harder to get such loans for a few reasons. First, women usually make less money than men. If you are a single mom, you don’t have a partner’s help with income, and also learn less than a man would. You are also less likely to have enough collateral to prove that you can pay the loans back, and you are more likely to have previous debts to pay. Education loans and single moms obviously do not mix well together, as you can see.

Like education loans, automobile and home loans operate in the same manner. You are more likely to be rejected for a house rather than an apartment, since houses on average cost much more. Automobiles also put single moms at a disadvantage- since automobiles often break down, requiring more money be spent. This makes the odds that a single mother can pay back a loan less likely, as maintenance can eat up much of a single mother’s income.

Business loans are another subject that may cause single mothers to have trouble obtaining loans. This is increasingly harder than other loans, since businesses are extremely risky operations. The odds of maintaining a successful business is usually quite low for small business owners. Having sufficient collateral is again a problem with single mothers, forcing many to not get the needed business loans to start their own business. Single mothers usually have a lower credit score, since they incur more debts than other couples or single men on average. This will also lead to a lesser chance of getting approved by credit card companies, making the buying power of single mothers even more burdensome.

However, there are ways to influence or take advantage of situations in favor of single mothers. You may speak with the Department of Social Services for things such as welfare, food stamps, child support, medical programs, and child care assistance. These programs can be found in phone books, government agencies or on this website. There is a lot of paperwork to apply, and the waiting time can be very long. The wait is often worth it, since single moms need all the help they can get.

School lunch and breakfast programs should be taken advantage of. This is a federal program that gives reduced prices or even free lunches and breakfast to kids who attend school, and eat at the school. Other grants can help you in funding for food or even gas and heating bills. Churches often have programs to help as well, and you should explore all of these options for a better life for children a single mom may have. Reduced prescriptions and free counseling are also available to those who apply- so make sure you take advantage of such offers to the fullest.

When looking to improve your credit score, you should have family members or roommates split bills, and put some bills in your name. This will improve your dependability and credit rating. Also make sure that you stay away from penalties such as bounced checks, which can effectively ruin your credit. Doing this will eventually raise your credit score enough to gain some respect among loan specialists, which can bring you to a new step above where you previously were.

When you have better access to loans, you can get lower rates. You can better obtain a business loan, for example, with your improved credit rating. You may also co-sign loans with family members to add credit to your score- and regular payments will again boost it. In case you can not make a payment, the money is then billed to your family member- so either way the bank will most likely get its money. This is the best way to obtain a loan if you are not qualified enough, and doing so is one of the best ways to improve your credit.

Over all, single moms are at a disadvantage. Statistically, they will make less money and not qualify for loans. They will also have more poor living experiences, and will have less buying power. Following the previous steps will allow single moms to achieve a better way of life for them or their children, regardless of their standing in society’s hierarchy.

The goal of SingleMomFinancialHelp.com is to help women change the world through information and education. We are creating a support structure through which all women of the world can educate one another about where they have been, where they are right now and where they are going. With help from our site and the information and articles we distribute women will be more educated in finance, business, home matters, relationships, career and higher education.

As seen on the TheMomEntrepreneur, a great site for information regarding working mothers, raising kids, and running your own business.

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Dana Oliver, a single mom raising a two year old daughter, found herself with the typical dilemma faced by many working parents – how to meet the after 5 p.m. demands of her job, particularly when daycare closed at 6 p.m. In her male-dominated brokerage industry, inflexibility was simply snubbed at.

As she struggled with work/life balance, Dana turned to her sister, a stay-at-home mom raising four kids, for answers. Her sister confirmed that babysitters were her only option because she would never leave her children in a “drop-in” center. Dana, armed with this new concept, turned to the Internet for research and discovered that drop-in centers were closing down because they were dirty, kids weren’t having fun and there was no staff/child interaction. Dana started wondering if the concept could work if she created an environment kids didn’t want to leave and gave parents peace of mind.

So, in 2003, Dana left her six-figure job with a dream to create a more balanced life-style for herself and her daughter. She moved from Houston to Dallas to manage a drop-in center and study the concept more in-depth. Soon after, she knew exactly the type of environment she wanted to create and she called it Adventure Kids Playcare.

The next step involved overcoming the skepticism of family and friends who thought she was taking a big risk by starting a business as a single mom. And, the government didn’t take her single status lightly either. They told her she couldn’t get an SBA loan because she wasn’t married and didn’t have a second income to fall back on. Banks just snubbed at her idea.

Fortunately, as a former financial advisor, Dana wasn’t shy about asking for money, and she tapped friends and family for $175,000 in loans. That, combined with her own personal savings, allowed her to open her first location in Flower Mound, Texas.

With Adventure Kids Playcare, Dana created a fun and safe environment for kids ages 6 weeks to 12 years with supervision as late as midnight on weekends. Parents can drop off their kids, with no advance notice for as many hours as needed, to enjoy up to 4,500 sq. ft. of fun, including Xbox games, a gigantic wooden boat which doubles as a jungle gym, a karaoke stage, a mini movie theatre, high-fashion dress-up clothes and much more. And on the weekends, continuously-changing theme nights like Fiesta (with piñatas, maraca- and fruit salsa-making) and Western Hoedown (with stick horse making, horse shoe playing and s’mores) keep children happy and entertained.

In 2006, Dana turned her concept into a franchise after other parents approached her with their need to find work/life balance. Today, Adventure Kids Playcare has six locations in the North Texas region and a seventh slated to open in June 2008. Adventure Kids Playcare will also be offering franchise opportunities in the Austin and Houston markets soon.

Here are three great tips for single moms in need of some financial help. I use these financial tips to help cut costs where needed. Instead of going to the store to buy products you need. I explain in the tips below how to use household items to do the same thing. This way you can save money and reduce, reuse and recycle all at the same time. I wrote these tips for single moms but they will work with anyone.

Kitchen Tip: Are you a coffee drinker? Here is a great tip to use up those used coffee grinds. If you have a bad odor coming from your refrigerator; place your used coffee grinds in an open container inside the fridge and you will find that this will eliminate odor better than baking soda! You will just need to remember to replace them once they have dried up.

Laundry Tip: It’s true what your mother told you. When washing your clothes if you turn them inside out you will avoid the extra fading caused by the agitation of the washer. Clothes get just as clean when doing this, so why not give it a try!

Pet Tip: Company is coming over and you have cat hair all over your furniture. Here is a great way to remove most of that embarrassing eye catcher. Wear a pair of latex gloves, wipe over your furniture in one direction and you will see a majority of it ball up for easy removal.

There are many other great tips like this all around. If you just keep your eyes and mind open you will start to see more and more of them every day.

Denise Bergeron

The goal of SingleMomFinancialHelp.com is to help women change the world through information and education. We are creating a support structure through which all women of the world can educate one another about where they have been, where they are right now and where they are going. With help from our site and the information and articles we distribute women will be more educated in finance, business, home matters, relationships, career and higher education.