Parenting is a tightrope walk — and that’s not really a joke either. When you’re a single parent, you’re in charge of not only the bills and yourself, you’re in charge of your little one. And — sadly — that can get kind of expensive!

So Here’s a Bit of Advice – Be Careful What You Buy

It’s hard to break away from the luxury that is the “brand” name. We love our brands. But sometimes we have to go with “generic” items.

Many grocery stores offer “generic” items. Typically, they’re cheaper. But here’s the amazing thing: their items are exactly like the brand names! Who would’ve figured, right?

The Coupon Is Your Best Friend

It might be cumbersome and seemingly ‘wasteful’ to cut coupons, but the fact is you can actually save a lot of money — you’ll be surprised how all the coupons add up. Not to mention you will end up shocking your fellow shoppers, and maybe even the cashier, with your batch of paper and bar codes to scan!

Fine-Tuning Your Budget

This is where your eyes get trained. Take a good look at your expenses. You’ll be surprised where you can cut down to help you save money–cell phone plan, cable service, gasoline costs.

Do you really need a certain amount of cell phone minutes? What about HBO or Cinemax? Maybe not. And when you need it, pay day one can help you catch up on the bills.

Above All, Work Hard

As G.I. Joe would say, knowing is half the battle. And everyone knows that parenting is a major battle!