As a single mom, life can be tough, especially if you’re not making a lot of money at your job.  Did you know that you can get help as a single mom?  If you’re wondering how it’s done, I wanted to give you some tips that you can use in order to get on the right path.

Listed below are 9 steps that you can take, in order to find help for yourself right away!

Start searching for scholarships - If you’re thinking about going back to college, there are so many scholarships that can help you out there.  Use search sites such as FastWeb to find something that can work for you.

Search for grants as well - Just like scholarships, there are grants for you too.  What you’re going to want to do is check with your local state though, because all states vary with grants.

Get food stamps - If you meet a certain income level, you may be eligible for food stamps.  You’re going to want to check with the food stamp program to see if you can qualify.

Childcare programs - If you have to work and you have no one to watch your child, you can check with your local state agency to see if there are programs.  You’re going to have to meet a certain income level, and most of the time, your child will have to be under the age of 13.

Medicaid - Health care is awfully expensive, especially if you don’t have any health insurance.  If you don’t, you may want to sign up for medicaid.  This program is going to help assist you with any problems you may have.

Rental Assistance - HUD is designed housing for those that meet income requirements.  If you’re looking for housing or assistance, this program can help you.

Every state is going to vary with it’s income requirements, as the cost of living is going to be higher in a place like Boston compared to a place such as the middle of nowhere, Nebraska.

Regardless, there is help for you out there for you.  Refer to your local state agencies to get more information on how you can get help.

If you care about your credit score, you’re probably wondering how you can get your score up.  The higher your score is, the lower your interest rates are going to be, as well as you won’t have to worry about being denied for anything.  It really is a great feeling.

For all those that say that you don’t need a credit score, I can’t help but laugh.  In this technological era, this is the only way that many banks go to determine rates and approvals.

I wanted to give you 11 simple mistakes that you should avoid if you’re thinking about trying to raise your score.

Don’t open a card if you don’t need to - The more cards you open, the more credit you’re going to have.  This is going to hurt you when you really need to open up credit in the future.

Always pay no matter what – If you can’t afford to pay a bill, find the cash to pay the minimums.  If you miss one payment, you will that it will come back to haunt you!

Don’t max out the cards - Maxing out all of your credit cards is a huge red flag.  You really have to sit back and think about what you’re purchasing?  Do you really need all of these items?

Don’t go over the limit - Sure, it can happen on accident, but if you’re thinking about purchasing and going over your limit, this can come back to harm you as well.

Paying your bills late - Yes, I know the credit card companies want your payments but always stress to pay them on time.  If you start to miss payments, the credit card companies will not like this over time.

Keep charging til the cows come home - Some people don’t view credit as real money.  They swipe, swipe, and swipe some more.  Get into the habit of treating your card like cash!

Report all changes - When you move, always make sure that you notify the post office and your credit card companies.  If you fail to do so, you will soon find out that you may be missing out on bills and more.  It’s essential to know that your bills are being mailed to the right place.

By being smart with your credit and knowing whats right from wrong, not only are you going to see your rates rise, you’re going to soon find out that you can get better rates and not have that thought in the back of your head that you’re going to get denied.

Credit: Flickr

Everybody needs a place to live and if you find yourself getting denied for an apartment every time that you apply, I wanted to give you some tips that you can use if you’re looking to get approved, rather than denied.

Many of the times, most people are going to get denied when they have bad credit, or a limited history.  If this sounds like you, there is hope!

Start by loading up with cash - Many apartments are going to accept you if you pay up front.  Let’s say that your rent is $800.  If you offer them 3 months of rent up front, they will most likely bite on it, even if your credit is bad.  This is a great way to get a jump start.

Consider going private - When you go with a corporate owned apartment complex, they are going to have strict guidelines.  This usually isn’t the case with private owners.  They are going to be more lenient when you apply.  You can explain your story and see what they say.

Get referrals - If you have rented before, get a letter of recommendation from them.  As long as you paid on time and they had no problems with you, it’s a great way to show them they can pay on time, as well as take care of the property.

You may need a co-signer - This may be a hard one, but if you can find a co-signer, this is going to increase your chances.  Also, you may find that you can get a roommate to help ease the pain with the full price of rent.

Fix your credit report - Just to be safe, make sure you get a copy of your credit report.  Make sure that there are no errors on it.   If you do find that there are errors on it, you  may want to get it fixed, because this could be effecting your apartment hunting.

By following these tips, you’re going to find that by either getting a co-signer, or supplying a large deposit, you’re not going to have a hard time getting approved.  Search and search some more until you find the perfect place for yourself.

Car dealers love to take advantage of those with bad credit.  Heck, everyone tries to take advantage since they know that you’re going to be desperate for cash.  If you’re looking to spot a car loan for bad credit, I wanted to give you some scams that you should look for.

#1 Always read the contract - If you have to, get someone to read the contract over for you.  Have them spell out everything that you’re going to get.  Know your rate and how much you’re going to have to owe over the next few years.

#2 Watch out for the trade ins - If you find yourself at a no name car dealer, they are going to rip you sideways for a trade in.  Always get a KBB value before you set out to know what you should be getting.

#3 Ignore the warranty - The salesperson is more than likely going to offer you a warranty.  I would make sure that you avoid something like this and look for one yourself.

#4 Check your credit report – You may find that you’re not even in the bad credit category.  Get a copy of your credit report and see what your credit score is.  If your score is above 680, you may want to try your luck with a regular loan.

#5 Always compare - Compare your prices and rates online.  You’re going to find that you won’t get a high pressured sales pitch and you will also find that it’s going to be easier to research.  The last thing that you want to do is sit there and have someone try to get you to sign up.    Try comparison sites such as MyAutoLoan.

#6 Just use cash - If you’re finding that you’re having a hard time getting a loan, you may just want to go the cash route.  You can find that there are many cars under $3-5,000.  You don’t need to get a BMW if you can’t afford one.

Try your local banks, credit unions, or again, use cash.  You’re going to want to avoid those private car loan companies because you’re soon going to find out that they are going to charge a high interest rate and you will just get ripped in the long run.

Credit: Flickr

We all need a bank account.  If you’re like me, I want to gain interest and I also want to know that my money is going to be safe somewhere else.  Never in a million years would I hide my money under my bed or somewhere else.

If you’re in the hunt to find a bank account and you have bad credit, I wanted to give you some tips that you can use, in order to set one up today.  Bank accounts are generally free and it’s going to help you save, as well as cash your paychecks.

Listed below are a few tips that you can use in order to start opening up a bank account today.

#1 It never hurts to check - Go to a local branch and just see if you can open an account.  If you want to open a checking or savings account, many will allow you to open one up if you give them the proper deposit.  Save up about $100 – $200 and you should be able to find a bank.

#2 You may need a co-signer - If you can get a co-signer, I would go out and find one.  A savings account really won’t hurt the other person, but the only downfall to this one is that they can most likely tap into your account, which may make you uneasy.

#3 Try a credit union - Credit unions are generally more personable.  If you want to do this route, you can find that they may be more than willing to work with you.  Every town has some sort of credit union.  Set up a day, go in, and talk with someone about opening up an account.

When you’re ready to open up a bank account, you’re going to have to bring the following items in order to be considered for an account…

• Your driver’s license or some sort of ID.
• Your social security card.
• You may have to bring a deposit.  I would bring $100 – $300 to be safe.
• On occasions, you may have to prove your income.

This is what a majority of the banks want.  It also doesn’t hurt to explain your situation.  Regardless, go out there, do some research, and find a bank online.  Sure, there are many banks online that you can look into, but you’re still going to have to provide the same documentation.