Being a Single Mom with No Job

The day I found out I was pregnant was the day my life would change forever, as most would expect me to say. How my life changed, is a whole different story. I was single at the time, and still am. I was currently working at a local restaurant as a waitress, and the hours varied from week to week, most being late at night. I took my 3 positive tests in the end of May, and summer was just getting started. The restaurant was getting busier and busier while my stomach was getting sicker and sicker. It didn’t help that parts of the restaurant didn’t have working air conditioning, like the kitchen where it was needed most. My blood pressure dropped and tended to stay low due to the pregnancy, and I got light-headed very easily. This plus the extra heat of the summer at work didn’t make for a good combination. I cut back on hours to help get rested for the days I did have to go in, but even that wasn’t enough to get through my shifts. I ended up quitting but didn’t have anything lined up which rendered me unemployed as of mid-July. Even though I had some money saved, the worry started to set in real fast.

By the end of July, I had to move out of the apartment I was living in because the one year lease was up. From there, I decided to move in with my mother to save even more and to avoid adding on more bills. This allowed my dollars to stretch even further. While living with my mom, I did my best to get over my sick stage and to find another job. Side note: Searching for a job while you already have one is a whole lot easier than when you don’t have one! After about a month of searching, I landed a position as an Accounting Specialist at a local production plant. The pay was great, and it even came with great benefits that would not only support me, but also my child. However, this was one of those “too good to be true” kind of things. That job only lasted from mid-August to the beginning of October, but I won’t get into deeper details. Now I am once again rendered unemployed.

Let me lay out some of these details in a simpler way without all the extra stuff. Throughout the first six months of my pregnancy, the first two trimesters, I have been employed for about three to three and a half of those months, and been declared unemployed twice. Not to mention, I have no man with a second income to rely on. Am I saying all this to complain? No. Am I saying all this to ask for someone’s pity? Hell no. I’m about to show you all that I’ve accomplished in those six months, and all I’ve been able to do for my son regardless of my situation. Then, I’m gonna tell you that you can do it too and tell you how!

Dresser Drawer Full of Baby Clothes

Baby Crib with Mattress

Matching Changing Table

Hand-Made Baby Mobile

In those six months of making my dollars stretch every little bit that I can, I have been able to do everything that you see here. I found a matching crib and changing table set, mattress included, for only $150. The basket that is tucked inside the changing table was hand crafted out of a diaper box using an old sheet, twine, and some hot glue. The three things hanging behind the crib were all hand crafted and hand painted as well. The "J" and the "B" are just letters that were wrapped with yarn, and then I hot glued the leaves on top for extra garnish and decoration. The mobile was made out of an old lamp that was broken. The inside metal frame was spray-painted, and every little individual hanging piece was cut from felt and then hand sewn together. The two items above the changing table are a painted and decorated picture frame and a dream catcher, which is now finished and hand-crafted as well. All craft supplies and materials used was $113. My total diaper count is at around 550 right now, and that's thanks to a game that we did at my gender reveal party, so they were all gifts. Over half of the clothes in the drawer were gifts sent from family, and the other half would probably add up to about $150 max. With everything my son has and has been given, I haven't even spent $500 yet. I'll also add this, I haven't even thrown one single shower for my little bundle of joy either.

Moral of the story: You're not alone and get creative.

Not everybody is the next Pinterest or Etsy level crafter because for some, it's just not in the cards. No worries, there's plenty of other ways to get crafty, like with your wallet. The crib set that I got for $150 was found on Facebook! I bought it from a young mother that lived about 45 minutes from where I was, and the process was so simple and easy going. There are tons of new and used treasures lurking on social media that any person would be crazy not to grab. Yes, sometimes buying and selling this way can be a little sketchy. Here's a tip, buy from people you know or even go a step further and buy from a friend of a friend. Going by this rule of thumb at least ensures the seller is trustworthy.

Feel like your crafty methods aren't quite cutting it? Look to others for assistance. Even if you may be a mother that feels like you are starting this journey and taking every step alone, you're not. Find the friends and family that mean the most and lean on them. They were put into your life for a reason, and don't you ever forget it! Find the ones that have been there before and can give you advice and tips that may come in handy down the road. Those people might even have old baby stuff they might like to get rid of and you're the perfect person to take it. You never know until you ask. With that being said, don't be afraid to ask for help. Being in situations like this can be kind of embarrassing at times and not exactly a conversation you'd want to bring up everyday. Trust me when I say this, the ones that matter the most won't be quick to judge, and they'll put their own opinions behind them in order to be the support you need them to be. You may find out that some of your own family members are the judgmental ones, and that's ok. Just distance yourselves from them when necessary and they'll come around because that's what true family does. Never be ashamed of who you are and the woman you are becoming! Enjoy the journey you are about to embark on and soak in every minute while you can!