Thank you for stopping by after reading my article on FatWallet.com. To learn a little more about me as a personal finance blogger, personal success champion, and mom blogger is to know that I am passionate about becoming my best self. This includes discovering new ways to earn, manage, and save money. FatWallet.com was one of the first places I landed when I began my search for ways to save money and find ideas for making money online. It has been a valuable resource.

Don’t let my blog name fool you. I am not super rich (yet), but I am living the life I want with my kids. I am living authentically and loving it. I am sharing my thoughts in a way that feels right for me. I am unfettered by social constructs that say I have to be a down and out, depressed single mom. I am thriving and teaching my kids to do the same. That makes me a rich single momma.

Here are some of the blog posts that paint a picture of who I am and my journey to financial freedom:

• How My Journey to Financial Freedom Began
• Rich Single Momma’s Road to Self-Sufficiency and Financial Independence, Part 1
• Rich Single Momma’s Road to Self-Sufficiency and Financial Independence, Part 2
• How I Escaped Domestic Violence Through Financial Empowerment
• How I Dropped 3 Dress Sizes in 7 Months (My Weight Loss Story)

Check out the archives, the Side Hustle series, and the Budgeting series. Check out the Single Mom Survival and Success Kit at the top. It’s not just for single moms.

The rest of my posts are below for your reading pleasure. Thanks again for stopping by to see what RichSingleMomma.com is all about. I hope you come again!

I’m getting the travel bug like never before. I am itching to pack my bags (and the kids) and hit the road. In fact I am planning to travel extensively this summer across the U.S. It is time for me and the kids to see what’s beyond the southern regions of this country.

The slow economy hasn’t hindered travel plans for most families. Family travelers take an average of 4.5 trips each year, according to the U.S. Travel Association. Savvy families are able to travel and build lasting memories by making trips more affordable with the help of simple money-saving solutions.

Here are five money-saving travel tips to help you plan your next family vacation:

Tip 1: Plan ahead of time

Once you decide where your family will go, it’s time to research what to do. From visiting theme parks and museums to spending relaxing days at the park or beach, it is smart to do your research.  Some places will give deals for advanced purchases or allow you to combine several activities into one discounted price. Your research might also help you discover some fun free activities in the area.

Tip 2: Seek out inclusive activities

Food, rides, shows and souvenirs, a day at the theme park – vacation expenses add up pretty quickly. Consider seeking out options where one price includes everything. All-in-one activities are great for families on a budget. Does the water park include free lunch with your ticket? Does your amusement park pass include a ticket to the music show they present? How about free child care for mom and dad while they’re at the restaurant? Activities that include extras can make for a hassle-free day where you never have to take out your wallet.

Tip 3: Book a hotel with all the amenities – and perks

A nice hotel with many amenities can make all the difference after busy days of sightseeing or visiting friends and family. Home2 Suites by Hilton, for example, have comfortable suites for the family to stretch out and sleep soundly each night. Cook a meal in the suite’s kitchen for a relaxing night in and a money-saving alternative to nightly dinner outings. Make a day of hanging out at the outdoor patio where you can grill lunch or simply relax and catch up with the family in the Oasis, the hotel’s common hub for social gathering. The saline-based pool, maintained with natural chemicals, is also a fun spot for the family to enjoy. Bringing the family pet? Enjoy time with your furry family member on the outdoor green area for pets at this pet-friendly hotel.

Tip 4: Cut your food costs

By eliminating eating out for one meal a day during your trip, you can save a lot of money. A family of four can spend $40 a day on breakfast at a restaurant – that’s $280 for a week’s vacation! By choosing a hotel that provides a complimentary breakfast, you can pocket that money for a fun activity, or save it for paying down the credit card bill when you get home. Not all hotel breakfasts are equal – look for options like the ones from Home2 Suites that provide a variety of tasty options to please everyone: hot breakfast sandwiches, cereal, yogurt, oatmeal and a variety of bakery products.

Tip 5: Pack light when flying

With most airline carriers charging for luggage these days, your family can rack up fees quickly if everyone has a full bag to check. For example, at $25 per bag per flight, it costs a family of four $200 extra round trip. If you can cut down on the amount of clothes and supplies you bring, you can save a ton. Check only a couple bags or just use carry-on luggage. Then, look for accommodations that offer on-site guest laundry. If you stay with Home2 Suites, you can easily do laundry on-site and either relax in the outdoor common space, or grab a quick workout in the adjacent gym.

Family travel is quality time you spend together creating memories that will last a lifetime. With these strategies, your next trip will not only be memorable, but it will be affordable too. (ARA)

Credit is what runs the world these days so if you have less than perfect credit don’t despair. You can fix your credit with a a few steps and lots of persistence. I did it before I bought my first house. It took 3-6 months to get it to the point where I could qualify for a loan. It takes time so don’t expect overnight results. Your credit didn’t go bad overnight so it won’t be fixed overnight either.

If you find yourself with less-than-good credit, you are not alone. Business Insider, an online business news website, reports that one in 50 households owes more than $20,000 in credit card debt. Coinciding with this alarming figure, the site further states that more than 2 million Americans look to credit counselors each year to avoid bankruptcy.

Before your finances fall into the bankruptcy category, you can take steps to help turn your bad credit around. Just ask James Cheslek, dean of academic affairs at Brown Mackie College – Albuquerque. Cheslek is a retired corporate and trial law attorney who helps college students with bad credit get back on track.

“If you want to be successful, it is important to not let credit card debt get out of control,” Cheslek says. “Many people get frustrated because their credit is not up to par. They don’t realize how easy it is to fix. It may take some time, but it is doable.”

Step one: Request a free copy of your credit report

Every American is entitled to a free copy of their credit report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Each of the three reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion – is required to provide it once every 12 months, if you ask for it. To order your free copy, visit annualcreditreport.com, or call (877) 322-8228.

Step two: Read your credit report carefully for inaccuracies

“Spend some time figuring out what all the symbols mean. Learn what’s good and what’s bad,” Cheslek says. “Reporting companies get information from creditors. They simply take the information and add it to your report.”

Step three: Dispute inaccuracies

The FCRA further states that a reporting agency must correct any inaccuracies on your report. To dispute an item, notify the reporting agency of the inaccurate information. “They must investigate by forwarding your information to the company that provided the disputed item,” says Cheslek. “When any information proves incorrect, the FCRA calls for all three reporting agencies to remove it from your credit report.”

Step four: Request verification of debt

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) gives consumers rights against debt collectors. “Here’s the deal,” Cheslek continues. “Debt collectors buy old debt for pennies on the dollar. They call and tell you they are collecting on behalf of another company. However, the company that originated the debt has written it off and retired the file.”

This may be the best kept secret in America. The FDCPA entitles you to write to the original company and ask for verification of the debt. They have 30 days to complete the process. Usually, they can’t find the file or verify the amount,” says Cheslek . “You may need to send follow-up letter to the credit reporting agencies to say, ‘Take this off.’”

Step five: Once your credit is fixed, keep it fixed

Cheslek offers the following rules of thumb to follow in the interest of keeping a good credit score:

* Pay bills on time. Late payments add fees to the balance owed.

* Change the payment due date if the current one is inconvenient.

* Pay more than the minimum due, even if just a little.

* Do not skip any payments. Skipped payments lead to bad credit.

* Do not close old accounts. Creditors look at how long you’ve had credit.

* Keep one account with no balance.

* Do not apply for loans you don’t need. Every loan request shows on your credit report for two years; a denial becomes a negative mark.

In the way of tax legislation, 2011 was a relatively quiet year. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t tax law changes that will affect this year’s tax returns.“The changes enacted at the end of 2010 will still impact this year’s and next year’s federal tax returns,” says TaxACT spokesperson, Jessi Dolmage.

To help you maximize your refund, here are some tax law changes you should know about before filing this year’s return.

* Your federal return must be filed by Tuesday, April 17, 2012. April 15 is a Sunday and Washington, D.C., is recognizing Emancipation Day April 16. Don’t use the extended deadline as an excuse to procrastinate, though.

* Amounts for standard mileage, standard deductions, personal exemptions and the Alternative Minimum Tax have increased. Note there are different standard mileage rates for miles driven before July 1 and after June 30. Details about all increases are in IRS Publication 17 at www.irs.gov.

When choosing a tax preparation solution, especially free products, Dolmage warns you to carefully weigh your options. “TaxACT Free Federal Edition covers all 1040 returns, but other free programs are only for 1040EZ returns, sometimes referred to as ‘simple returns’. The nearly nine out of 10 taxpayers who have more complex returns don’t qualify for those.”“Trusted solutions like TaxACT navigate all the tax law changes for you to help maximize your refund, file a return that’s 100 percent accurate and provide help when you need it,” says Dolmage. (ARA)

Tags: tax refund, tax changes, 2011 taxes, what day to file taxes

In this episode we give rave reviews for the new George Lucas film Red Tails. It’s a great movie with lessons for everyone. We also talk about political correctness, art, and eggs. Check us out, subscribe, send us your questions, and tell your friends about us.

I was looking for information about how single moms can budget their sometimes limited income. It’s easy to find information for two parent households but rarely for one parent households.

I found something that might be helpful for single moms (with one child) who make less than $25k a year. The following image shows the percentage that could be spent for three income amounts. They are broken up over about 10-15 categories.

If you make more or less you could still take the percentages and apply it to your situation. Amounts shown could increase because of Earned Income Credit, government assistance, child support, or food stamps.

From Crown Financial Ministries

My daughter Lexi and I have a new show. We always have great conversations about so many topics. One day I said, and she enthusiastically agreed, that we should do a show. That was last year. We’ve been planning and meaning to get started but could not get our schedules together.

So this is our first show. We call it Mother2Daugher: Keep It Reel because we are, of course, mother and daughter talking about topics that impact our lives. We are sharing our opinions, whether they are popular or not. And of course we are on camera so it’s real and reel.

For this first episode where we talk about and honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We hope you like the show. Tell us what you think, ask questions, tell us what you want us to talk about,  and tell your friends.