Hi Morningsong and welcome!  Just wanted to wish you well in your adoption . . . I am not single but am an adoptive parent.  (In fact, my agency was based in Seattle; I adopted from Russia through WACAP.)  Anyway, best wishes to you; adopting my son was an AMAZING experience-he was my first child and the whole journey was so incredible.  Enjoy it!

I am single with a daughter.  I find everything hard.  Her wants, my wants against a mountain of debt and a single income.  Well, we have finally gotten honest with our debt and facing that head on.

Now it is just staying a float in such a horrible econmomy and also have fun and stay positive.  That's hardest! 

Right over here! *waves* I am 24 and never married, no kids. So a lot of the savings tips don't apply to me. Perhaps we singletons should band together and submit some articles. 

well, here's another one chiming in...on this...I appreciate my time alone...some folks like beng alone, others hate it...but for me, I love it...if by some crazy way, some romance were to develop with someone....and lets say he's gone to bed, and I'm sitting on the puter and I hear him say.."when are you coming to bed honey?"...would drive me nuts...

 I'm used to going to bed, getting up, eating, etc...when I feel like it....and someone messing with that???  think I'd strangle him!!!!!!!!! so I"ve gotten rather selfish in my old age too...

 I wasmarried for 5 year...many many years ago, and he was killed in accident.....no, no need to apoligize for such a thing...it was many years ago and as far as I'm concerned, a divorce is much worse then what happened to me...True its quite  a shock to the system, but its over in a instant, and you wonder what your gonna do ...whereas in so many divorces, there is so much bitterness, harsh words, it drags on, children may be involved, etc etc...

 and I was only 30, so I felt I was lucky...its folks that have been married for 40-50 years that its heartbreaking...

 when I go to the store, maybe I'll stop at a garge sale, or 14 garage sales...I don't have to explain to anyone, why going to the store has taken me 3 hours.

Naturally money is a problem, but I been living with that for years, and that's why I failthfully read the dollar stretcher...

and living alone does not mean you are some lonely wretched thing...some people hate being alone, there's nothing wrong with that...and others enjoy it, there's nothing wrong with that either....

people seem to have funny ideas....if a woman's  husband is some drunk and passed out on the couch...its sad, but its okay....but if she's on her own...she's strange and definiitly in need of fix'n....

ebunni:

..some folks like beng alone, others hate it...but for me, I love it.

I'm in the same club... my family doesn't understand that.

ebunni:

 I'm used to going to bed, getting up, eating, etc...when I feel like it....and someone messing with that???  think I'd strangle him!!!!!!!!! so I"ve gotten rather selfish in my old age too...

I'll go with this now but will be ok I think when I meet that special someone. Remote control access will be mine! 

I've been single now for over 4 yrs... so I know the feeling. 

I hear all of ya's lately.  I know I sounded like a sourpuss to some of my friends, but I always thought that men were more trouble than they were worth.  And, actually, people in general were disappointing me so many times that I'd announce that I really prefer my own company, thank you very much.

Now, it's a miracle, but I've met a man and am pretty smitten.  He's easy going, no demands or expectations, just goes with the flow.  We give each other space when we sense the need is there..... hmmmm.  No trouble at all for me - not like those old 'practice' boyfriends were.  Who'da thunk such a blessing would appear at my age of 61?

But enough about me.  I have a tip for people who are not working and close to retirement age.  I recently retired, not of age yet for Social Security checks & need health insurance until I'm 65 when Medicare kicks in.  A professional in the individual health insurance game advised me that as a last resort, if I were to get a part-time job of as little as 20 hours per week (specifically AT) Jewel Food Store, Lowe's or Home Depot, they give a 20-hour-week employee full health insurance benefits.  Something to think about. 

Signed,

Goddess, Love Division (formerly in the Sourpuss department)

Hey Ebunni, what a great post. I also am single and live alone and love it ! I was married twice and a third time will never happen with me! Been there done that! I prefer the companionship of my two cats over some people I know.

I try to be as frugal as I can. It is getting harder every day, with higher prices for everything.

I suddenly became single due to the fact that I couldn't get along with my partner's son who wouldn't go to school and also didn't think he needed to work. I was left alone with a house and yard to take care of on top of 50 hour work weeks and trying to finish a Dietary Manager's course.

I did not do well for the first year but now I'm learning that I can do it. The class is over now and my partner and I travel to see one another when we can. He has been a huge help to me. He shows me how to do things in the yard, has shown me how to run a drill and helped me to sell my old beater truck. I'd rather he move back but for now he can't afford the gas for a 60 mile round-trip drive to work. Sooo, I sort of get the best of both worlds. Companionship means alot as you age. I'm pushing 50 and don't wan't to live alone the rest of my life. I have a married son that lives 5 blocks from me with 3 kids that I seldom see due to his busy life and it can sure get lonely at times.

I took a $500/mo. drop in income when he left so I really had to learn how to cut back on shopping. Online shopping was fun to me and I always had stuff coming into a house that had no space to hold it. Now, 1 1/2 yrs. later I have more savings than I've ever had. Still only about 2 months worth of income but a start none the less. This would not have happened if he had stayed. It showed me that I was very wasteful with my meager earnings.

As for food, I'm feeling the crunch in the produce department but I work in foodservice so my meals are free at work and I am also able to buy case goods at their prices. My mother, sister and I (all single) are dry-pack canning some items this month for storage. It works great to have someone to share bulk pricing with. We are doing things like flour, sugar, pancake mix, dry milk etc. and of course we all own a Food Saver® for meats, nuts, coffee beans etc.

My best advice is to start. Just make a pledge and start. Whatever it is you need to work on, whether it's building your savings, building your storage, cutting back on spending, recycling or whatever. It's not going to happen if you don't just START, no matter how small.

I am single, no children. I always wondered how the Single Parents did it. I own my own place (actually the bank owns it). What I have found helpful is to be debt-free to free up the cash flow.  I started having a certain amount of cash put into my savings account every paycheck to "pay myself".  It started as a very small amount and once I got the unsecured debt paid off, half that amount went into the savings account.  I have never been a "shopper" and don't go near the mall unless I absolutely have to.  I never buy clothing full price--always wait for the sales and just recently bought a 2-piece business suit for $40 (it was originally $108). I am an administrative assistant and my company has a business dress code. My salary is not considered very high.  I have brown-bagged my lunch my entire working life. It's very rare I go out to lunch at a restaurant unless other folks in the office decide we need a lunch out, or if I run out of food at home I may buy a sandwich.  I try to do a lot of scratch cooking at home and freeze leftovers to use for brown bagging.

So bottom line I don't spend money on anything unless it's an absolute necessity and try to buy only on sale.  A regular savings deposit has been set up (paying myself) to build the "emergency fund". The car is paid off but it's 10 years old.  I will try to keep it for as long as I can. 

Wow, looks like this thread has run for a year now, interesting reading.  I'm divorced with no kids. At this point in my life, I have to say I'm more contented now than I have ever been and am glad I'm in my 50s.  I thoroughly enjoy having a home of my own, doing my own yard work (yeah, at times it can be a killer but I still get a great deal of satisfaction in a job well done) and feeling responsible.  I was not a happy camper when I was married; it was rough going and I just never wanted to have to answer to anybody again in that way.  Maybe I just can't take the criticism, who knows?   The fact that I've had such a big part in taking care of 2 grandnephews has made me glad now I have no kids, ha-ha; just kidding.  I sympathize with married folks having to raise kids these days for sure.    In fact, it occurred to me the other day that if I could do it over again, I would have trained to be a live-in nanny.  Kids can drive you nuts, but they tell me I'm really good with them.   I really admire that Jo lady on The Nanny program! 

 An attitude of gratitude can make such a difference in your life.  I have a local assembly of likeminded bible believers I meet with several times a week, the BEST thing I ever did was become involved with these folks, and would not trade that for the world; we do a carry-in meal one Sunday a month.  It's good to be involved with people of all ages and walks of life.  I recommend that to everyone, single or not, so highly.  I'm looking forward to turning 55 and older so I can take advantage of attending college courses for free/nearly free during the day.  I just want to keep my health so I can enjoy my retirement and my years of being frugal and hope I'll be savor a bit of it.  I work from my home full time in the evenings.  I think I've been lonely maybe twice in my life.  Bored many times but lonely?? Nope.  I found out the cure for self-pity is to stay as busy, physically and mentally, as you can stand, doing something for somebody else.   I feel I can talk to anyone, I have so much more confidence in myself at this age than I ever did in my 20s and 30s.  I'm glad at my age I don't feel pushed to keep up with the Joneses in any way, what a joy it has become not to care so much for what others think or say about me.    So many hangups you can discard as you get older, wish somebody had told me that years ago but again, you need to have an independent spirit. 

I actually enjoy my own cooking and freeze leftovers, have done this for years, seldom eat out and don't care about it.   They tell me I'm like my grandmother that way; at the age of 96, she actually had all 4 burners going on her stove when I called her one day; she was a widow for years.  I thought that was great.  I'm minus my car now (was 10 years old, had transmission trouble).  I haven't replaced it and frankly don't think I'm going to; friends and family think I'm nuts but I'm doing just fine, thanks.  I'm out walking more and can accomplish just as much as I ever did.  I'm riding the bus and live fairly close to all I need.  I don't miss the car.   I carry no balances on my credit cards and absolutely hate debt.  The mortgage is the only debt I have but that will be paid off in the not-too-distant future.   I could care less about spending money on clothes; years of shopping thrifts has netted me good shoes, jackets and coats.  I'm not much of a seamstress but drag out the sewing machine and mess with things in my own closet, amazing what you can come up with.  I love watching the younger tightwad craftier folks into NOT buying things, like those on Threadbangers.   I don't take a local paper and blow as little money on entertainment as possible; I use the library or watch bootleg movies on the net, amazing what's on the net for free; no cable TV for years.  I'll be quitting the cell phone as soon as I no longer have to babysit; I keep a Tracfone for emergencies.   I rarely fool with coupons, buy house brands and don't hit the store unless I truly need something.    I truly wake up happy and ready to go almost every morning.  You can't ask for more than that.