Jail Bird Baby’s Daddies–Break the Cycle

Jail Bird Baby’s Daddies–Break the Cycle

When a father goes to prison, his family goes to prison–and that, of course, includes the children, the biggest losers.

In 2007, according to the Bureau of Justice’s report “Characteristics of Incarcerated Fathers”, 744,200 state and federal prisoners were fathers to 1,599,200 children under the age of 18 (Glaze & Maruschak, 2008).

And, an unpublished study by Mumola, estimates that the total number of children that have either a mother, father or both in some part of the correctional system–whether jail, prison or correctional supervision, such as parole or probation–is 7,476,500!

And that’s only counting parents that are currently in the system. Those numbers don’t include parents who have ever been in the system–which, undoubtedly, would be much, much higher.

Single Mothers: Need Money for College?

I was going through some paperwork the other day, when I got a revelation: In the last five years and, especially, the last three years, I have come a long, long way financially.

As a single mother, I have had more than my fair share of financial struggles–can I get an Amen?

As I was sorting this paperwork, I found my earnings statement from the social security administration, dating back to my first job in 1986.  Basically, it’s a report of your financial earnings and what you should receive from the SSA at retirement age (don’t even get me started…LOL).

Recommended Reading:
Kaplan Scholarships 2010: Billions of Dollars in Free Money for College

Anyhow, I noticed that after getting some certifications and B.A. degree, my income increased more than 3 x from what it was for most of my career.  My last increase was over $21K.  Yes, for me, that piece of paper is worth its weight in gold.  And, sometimes, I don’t think it matters what your degree is in, just that you have one.  For instance, I have an English degree, but I work in a technical field, but without that degree and certifications, I don’t think that I would have qualified for my current position.

Real Work-at-Home Jobs: 12 Companies That Hire Customer Service Reps

Real Work-at-Home Jobs: 12 Companies That Hire Customer Service Reps
Got great customer service skills? Well, turn it into a perfect work-at-home opportunity. Many top-brand companies are looking for work-at-home customer service reps to take inbound calls. You could be next!

Side Hustle of the Week: Make Extra Money with Medical Transcription

Side Hustle of the Week: Make Extra Cash with Medical Transcription
Want to significantly improve the quality of life for you and your child(ren)? The single best way to change your quality of life is to increase your earning power—and that means getting new skills.

As a single mother, college is not always an option. Before I was pregnant with my son, I received an A.A. degree in Criminal Justice; however, after my son was born, I decided that the criminal justice field was not for me. But because I was a single mother of a new baby with medical problems, I didn’t have the time, money or support system to attend a traditional college.

What was I to do?

First, I did some research to find a single-mother friendly career and training program that I would enjoy and, more importantly, one that fit my tight financial situation.  Because I had worked in a doctor’s office, I decided on medical transcription. I then enrolled in medical transcription training through a distance learning program, which, at the time, turned out to be the best educational decision I could have made.

Make Extra Money – Real Work-at-Home Jobs

In this economy, earning money from a side-hustle is not only imperative to a single mother’s survival, it has become increasing difficult. Trust me, I know. Over the past several months, as gas prices have steadily increased, the amount of projects that are available to me have dropped significantly.

But the amount of extra money I’ve earned from my side hustle has remained the same–and sometimes, I’ve managed to earn more.

How? Well, I’ve had to get creative and serve a different customer base, which allowed me to charge higher prices for my services. Now, I’m working fewer hours–and spending more time with my son–while earning the same amount of money–and sometimes a bit more.

Maybe you’ve experienced the same thing. If so, don’t get discouraged. Instead, take action. Get creative.

If you’re having a hard time generating enough revenue from your side hustle, you may have considered taking on a work-at-home part-time job–if only you could find a real opportunity, right?

Well, look no further. There are still viable work-at-home part-time (and even full-time) jobs available to you, where you can earn a significant amount of extra money to counter the increased gas prices, grocery bills and more.

But where?

At FlexJobs.com, you can find real work-at-home (telecommute) jobs. There, you can find a wide range of part-time work-at-home jobs, everything from customer service, to freelance writing, to medical transcription, to Web design. There are even virtual assistant opportunities, too.

Go ahead, check it out.

Until next time,

Peace and blessing and, as always, remember to keep it drama free.

Ms. No Single Mama Drama

Side Hustles Close Up: Make Extra Cash with Medical Transcription

Side Hustles Close Up: Make Extra Cash with Medical Transcription
Ms. No Single Mama Drama

Want to significantly improve the quality of life for you and your child(ren)? The single best way to change your quality of life is to increase your earning power—and that means getting new skills. As a single mother, college is not always an option.

Before I got pregnant with my son, I got an A.A. degree in Criminal Justice; however, after my son was born, I decided that the criminal justice field was not for me. But because I was a single mother of a new baby with medical problems, I didn’t have the time, money or support system to attend a traditional college.

What was I to do?

First, I did some research to discover if I really would enjoy Medical Transcription and to find the best program for me and my financial situation. I then enrolled in Medical Transcription training through a distance learning program, which, at the time, turned out to be the best educational decision I could have made.

After completing the program, I successfully worked 13 years as a Medical Transcriptionist in both work-at-home and in-office settings. I earned a great living (including benefits)—all from the comfort of my home, and I didn’t have to worry about baby sitters or transportation issues.

Why I wrote this post:

Since I’ve gotten a lot of responses to the Side Hustle Posts, I decided to post some information about Medical Transcription programs. Remember, some programs are less expensive than others—but don’t sacrifice quality, if you can. The quality of the program you choose will impact how well you do in your career.

Stay tuned for my review of at-home Medical Transcription Training Programs.

Welcome to Ms. Single Mama Drama’s World

Well, I’m finally doing what I’ve been thinking about for years: writing about my adventures as a single mama – and, boy, did I have some!

Because I’ve been through every SINGLE MAMA DRAMA scenario that you can think of…from being no-pot-to-potty-in broke, to (unknowingly and unwillingly) becoming a star player in a “War of the Roses” type of real-life drama, I believe I have a God-given obligation to use my life’s experiences – whether good, bad or horrible – to help other single mothers live drama-free lives.

Some of the things I’ve been through will make you cry (heart-wrenching confessionals). Some will make you laugh (these are so downright funny, they’re unbelievable). Some will make you wonder what the heck I was thinking (did I miss the common sense bus that day?) And, some are so unfair (you’ll be mad for me). But with every life experience, I learned a lot about people, life and, most of all, myself and how to live a drama-free life!

But this blog is not just about me – it’s about you, too and, more importantly, about our children and how we, as their primary caregivers, have a responsibility to improve their quality of life by eliminating the SINGLE MAMA DRAMA!

So, c’mon already, your drama-free life is waiting for you…right around the corner.