.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
Making up nearly a quarter of families with dependent children, many single parents are struggling to make ends meet.
In this week’s blog post, we’re sharing some tried-and-tested tips for those parents trying to provide for their family without the help of a secondary income.
Keep reading for our top tips on saving money as a single parent:
1) No More Wasting
You don’t necessarily need to adopt a zero-waste lifestyle in order to save a decent amount of money from your budget.
Getting into the habit of reusing and recycling items around the house can make all the difference in making your money last. Whether it's clothes that you pass down from the older siblings to the younger ones, Tupperware and containers from store-bought food that you repurpose as storage, or even half-eaten food that can go back in the fridge for later - it all helps!
2) Check Your Entitlements
Did you know you can use a benefits calculator online to check what benefits you may be entitled to?
EntitledTo are one of the leading providers of online benefits calculators in the UK that helps people determine what they can claim from national and local government. Even if you think you’re already claiming as much help as you can get, it’s worth trying it anyway to find out if you're eligible for any extra help you may not already be receiving.
3) Shop for Bargains
An obvious one for sure, but there are lots and lots of ways to save money that you may not already be taking advantage of! Try checking out local car boot sales for hidden bargains, charity shops or even Facebook Marketplace and apps like Vinted or Depop for secondhand goods.
You can also opt for value products when grocery shopping and bulk shopping to save more in the long run - every little helps! Click here for more tips on how to save money on your food bill.
Curious about how an ImageNPay Prepaid can help you budget for the family? Tap here to learn more!
4) Save on Energy Bills
With inflation at a high and energy costs rising by 54%, now is as good a time as ever to make sure you're on the best plan possible.
Shop around for energy deals using comparison sites to see if you may be better off on another tariff. Energy costs can cut a big chunk off your monthly budget as a single parent, so use a comparison site like Uswitch or MoneySupermarket to see what you can find.
Bonus tip: try and avoid using a prepayment meter if possible - these things often end up costing you a lot more to run and having to top up your meter constantly can be a hassle when you have other parental responsibilities to be taking care of!
5) Make Saving a Habit
It may feel like your income as a single parent is too limited to set any money aside for savings. However, if you make saving money a habit - even if it’s just by cutting costs here and there from your expenses - you’ll really begin to notice the difference after some time.
For example, if you see something on offer that you know would make a perfect present for your little one when their birthday comes around - don’t wait until their birthday a few months down the line. Buy it now!
Single Parents on Holiday has another great tip on saving even just a little money each month: “On payday, move any money left over from last month’s pay into your savings - even pennies count!”. This helps you to avoid spending more than you earn, encourages you to live within your monthly income and helps build up savings for a potential emergency fund or savings pot for a future family holiday.
Whether you’re a single parent or not, adopting these habits into your daily life can help ease at least some of the financial stress (and regular stress!) that may arise from looking after your family.
If you have any more tips, we’d love to hear from you - tap our latest post on our Instagram to leave a comment and pass along your advice to other single parents!
~
If you’re a single parent looking to save money, build a better budget and teach your children financial skills to help them as an adult, the ImageNPay app can help.
With your very own prepaid card, you can budget your money with ease and track expenses to make sure you never overspend again. And with our latest ImageNPay Family feature, you can add up to 3 kids' cards to your account to make pocket money a fun and educational experience for your children!