$ crash course pt.1

In financial literacy / budgeting for the single mama RENTERS out there…

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I’m going to need you to budget like you’re the CFO of Chaos : Girl, you know that feeling when payday hits and 48 hours later you’re like “Where’d it all go?” Yeah. Time to treat that paycheck like a shady ex—track it, control it, and ghost the stuff that drains you.

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Something that I swear by as a single/full time mama is the 50, 30, 20 budgeting method. What the fuck does that mean?

• 50% of your paycheck goes to NEEDS – this is rent, groceries, bills (idk about you, but coffee and my Oaui shampoo and conditioner is a need).
• 30% of your paycheck goes to WANTS – sephora runs, a little happy hour taco situation, emotional support wine (or in my case, diet coke), etc.
• 20% of your paycheck goes to SAVINGS/DEBT – your future self is literally thanking you SO much right now for doing this, trust me.

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Let’s talking about RENTING, I hate to say this but it literally means you have no power in the greater scheme of things. BUT! Just because its not yours, doesn’t mean we have to be dumb about how we rent. So let’s talk about things I love that made me more efficient in saving/budgeting: ting method. What the fuck does that mean?

• Renter’s Insurance – wtf are you going to do if little Emily, your 4 year old floods the bathroom? $12 a month isn’t bad compared to losing your security deposit and having to come out of pocket for a place that isn’t yours.
• We love autopay – there’s nothing I hate more than paying a fucking late fee, or an overdraft fee, or any kind of fee that I dont need to pay. Don’t be dumb.

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Emergency Fund: just call this “we’re fucked” fund. Okay, I am going to say something and I need you to HEAR ME. Ready? Your emergency fund IS NOT your savings account and it sure is not your fucking fund for a semi sale at Skims or Sephora (which we do love but, stay on topic honey). This is a safety net and you already know this, as moms – we absolutely need when little Timmy has an ear infection and you gotta shell out that nightmare health insurance copay at the emergency room. Fuck, your tire blew on the interstate? That’s why we have the emergency fund – for emergencies.

• What should your emergency fund look like as a single mom? I would say we should be starting with minimum, $500 – $1000 – think about it logically, if shit pops off? You’re going to need some real monies to compensate for whatever the fuck happened. This is a good starting threshold but don’t just stop at 1k – make sure you’re actively growing this fund month to month, this is just smart planning and you know it. Its not about throwing big money at it and trying to flex, for who? Calm down. This is about consistent money going into this fund.
• Here are some ways to help you establish and keep this fund going and growing
  • Sell some shit – Facebook marketplace is a true queen, plus Im sure you could get rid of a few things you have been meaning to donate or give away to a random street corner instead of dealing with it.
  • My favorite? Auto Save – I have my bank account auto remove money from each paycheck deposit I get, I dont have to think about it – and even better? I dont ever see it in my checking account because it automatically goes right into my 911 fund, so its basically like free money = “girl math.”
  • Have you ever heard of the app Acorns? Google it. Use it.