It’s been almost a whole year since my daughter and I moved to our own home. I’m the owner of a house; it’s small but it’s mine. I’m a single mom doing all of this on my own. I’m raising my special needs daughter on my own, with no help, but I’m a homeowner! I think it’s pretty awesome! And right now, here we are in January after the worst year (for the world) EVER! I really didn’t know how hard it was to be a single mom.
Living on a budget
As a single mom, I am very aware of my budget. We live on a “fixed income” but I am very thankful that I can support my daughter and myself on my income.
I appreciate our home and the area we live in. It is safe, quiet, and convenient. I have everything I need really close by to where I can walk!
My daughter is a growing tween. She eats a lot. She’s constantly growing. I have to buy her new clothes in the Fall and Spring.
Save on Heating Cost
This is our first Fall and Winter in our new home. It feels like our weather dropped overnight. I did buy more blankets and other bedding.
I wanted extra blankets to cover our couches. My daughter sleeps on the couch. I try to clean it once a month. Since she basically lives on our couch, I wanted blankets to cover our couch, so I can quickly and easily wash the blankets while keeping the couch a bit cleaner!
I also wanted more blankets for the both of us to utilize for the winter months. My daughter currently uses one big blanket on the couch. I want her to have another blanket to help keep her warm at night.
I am not quite sure where to keep our thermostat for the winter. I started at 68 degrees since it’s not that cold right now. I plan on lowering it a few degrees and see how low we can go. During the day, I keep the thermostat at about 63, especially when we are not at home. In an effort to be frugal, I plan on working to find our perfect temperature!
Saving on Winter Clothing
I am so glad I thought to look through my daughter’s wardrobe to make sure her pants, sweatshirts, and fleece fit her. I recently bought her new pants, shirts, and a fleece and sweatshirt.
However, I may need to buy her another sweatshirt or fleece! I thought she could rotate between the two while one was in the wash.
A/C on a Budget
This past summer was our first summer in our new home. I kept our thermostat at about 77 degrees to save on air conditioning costs. I found 78 to be too warm and stuffy and 76 was too cold for me.
I also kept our windows open as long as possible and when it hit 80 to 81 degrees inside, I would then turn on the air conditioner. I also kept our windows open at night, depending on the temperatures outside.
I once visited a doctor’s office and they kept their thermostat at 71 degrees and it made me realize how cold I was. I was literally freezing. I am used to keeping our home at 77 degrees and I’m okay with that.
More Energy Use Savings
I also try to be aware of our energy use. Our rates are higher between 5 pm and 9 pm, so I do our dishes and laundry in the morning and afternoon.
When it comes to washing our dishes, I don’t even use the heat to dry our dishes. Instead, I just open our dishwasher after it turns off to let our dishes air dry. I’ve been doing this for years and it works for us.
As for laundry, my machines are old. I do hope to upgrade this year. For now, I wash in cold water, in the gentle cycle. With our dryer being old as well, I use medium heat. I also hang dry most of my clothes.
How do you save money in your household?
