Being a single stay at home mom, who does NOT rely on welfare, is not a simple task. It takes a lot of hard work and supportive loved ones. This is a topic very near and dear to my heart. Back in October, I wrote about how to cope financially with a stay at home mom divorce. This is, in a way, a continuation of that. My divorce is finally complete; paperwork in hand. Now, instead of being a stay at home mom, I am a single stay at home mom. What a difference one word, single, can make. In this blog post, I want to share with you how I am managing to be a single stay at home mom and the things I have had to sacrifice to make this work.
Killing Myself Trying to do Everything

I was attempting to color with my daughter when I got off work at 8 am. I didn’t even get to change clothes.
A few months after I moved out on my own after finding out about my pending divorce, I got a full-time job. I worked as an EMT for 24 hours at a time, every third day. This wouldn’t have been possible if my ex wasn’t available to have our child when I worked. I lived too far away from family at the time and was new in town and knew no one.
I was making great money as a single mom but it was killing me. I worked all day and night and then had to keep myself awake enough to spend time with my little one. This lasted for about 5 months before I had it. My daughter was cranky all the time because I didn’t have the time or energy to focus on her. I pretty much worked, slept, cooked, cleaned, and ran errands when I could. And a social life? Forget it!
Swallowing my Pride to do What is Best for my Child
I finally decided enough was enough. My whole family lived 9 hours away from me and I was stressed out beyond belief. I knew I couldn’t keep up that kind of lifestyle for long. My mom, my dad, and my uncle drove up to help me load up a Budget truck and haul all my crap home to Florida. I had moved away from home 7 years ago, and was now moving back into my childhood bedroom as a 25-year-old single mom. This was a huge pill to swallow but was the best I could do for my daughter and I.
How I Pay my Bills as a Single Stay at Home Mom
Before I had become a stay at home mom during my marriage, I spent my money wisely. I didn’t really have any money saved up but I didn’t have debt either. This made me have a lot less debt than most people like me. What I’m getting at here is; the first step to paying your bills as a single stay at home mom is to cut them down.
This is my budget as a single stay at home mom (living with my parents):
- Phone – $70
- Car Insurance – $115
- Health Insurance – $70
- Student Loan – $50
- Cable – $70
- Groceries – $50 (I help out occasionally)
- Vehicle Gas – $200
- Spending Money – $150
- Necessities – $50
- Total – $825
This may seem like I live on nothing but this isn’t much different from the budget I had when I wasn’t living with my parents. I’m “only” cutting out rent, utilities, and some food costs.

My Income as a Single Stay at Home Mom
I have multiple sources of income and none are that much but when I add them all together, I make more than enough for my bills. In fact, living with my parents is just a way for my to save up money for a down payment on a house.
Child Support: This is self-explanatory. Man and woman make baby. Man and woman divorce. Woman gets custody. Man pays woman for 18+ years.
Blogging: I started blogging back in the summer of 2012. I love writing so it seemed natural for me to do.
Army Reserve: I guess, technically, for one weekend out of every month I am not considered a stay at home mom. I still serve my country on a part-time basis and if they really need me.
Going to College: Because I served in the Active Duty Army for a few years, I earned myself a GI Bill. The way it works is that Veteran Affairs pays me a monthly allotment as long as I am in school. They will also pay for the tuition cost I incur and up to $1000 per year for my textbooks.
Pell Grant: This is part of the going to college section. Because I have been a stay at home mom, I qualify for the full Pell Grant ($5600-ish per year). Since my tuition is paid for by my GI Bill, all of this money is mine to keep. (Yes, it’s legal to do this).
How I Make it as a Single Stay at Home Mom Without Being on Welfare
- The biggest factor in me being able to be a single stay at home mom was my family. Without their emotional and physical support, I couldn’t do it. I had a baby sitter when I needed it for school or just to relax. This kept me from going crazy! : )
- I had barely any debt to speak of and plan to keep it that way.
- I found something I was good at that I could do from the comfort of my home. I tried a ton of different things when I was still married because I hated not contributing financially.
- I proudly served in the Army, which now pays me to go to school.
Update:
As of May 2015, I am a homeowner again. However, I did not stay an single stay at home mom. I am dating an amazing guy and have a full time job. I pay all my own bills, save for retirement, etc and he pays me a small portion of the household bills. Eventually, I plan to be a full time SAHM again. But for now, I am working on building my income from home until it is enough to replace my salary. If you want to hear a real life story and about a woman who mastered this and makes plenty of money as a single stay at home mom of 2, you have to check out Sarah’s blog.
Everyone has a different situation, and I know not everyone will have the advantages that I have. But, others may have some that I don’t. Share your story by emailing me at Meg@mommalovesmoney.com!
Your post was really inspiring. I am taking a year off from teaching to be a single stay at home mom, because teaching is surprisingly not a family friendly job. I have been a little nervous about the prospect of reducing my income by more than half. I live in New York City, so things are pretty expensive and I don’t have family close by, but I do have more income than expenses and a small savings cushion. Reading your post made me feel like this is a real possibility for me, one that will hopefully improve my daughter and my quality of life. Thanks so much.
I commend you for putting your pride aside in order to put your child first. Being a stay at home mom is an awesome lifestyle and work will be there. You probably are less stressed having all the help around you! I know many women who have moved home to be able to focus on the family. Thanks for sharing the nitty gritty details of your journey. It is realistic and helps us see areas where we can shave expenses.