If you’ve just finished nursing school and have a big family to look after but you’re the only one paying your bills, managing finances as a nurse can be difficult. Even if you’re an established nurse and managed to work your way up the ladder, being the sole breadwinner is always a challenge. This is why you will need to be wiser in your buying decisions and look at all the opportunities to save that present themselves to you. Let’s take a look at a few ways single parent nurses can save money on everyday expenses.
Review Your Car Insurance Policy
If you just started working as a nurse and are still under your old insurance policy, know that being a nurse could earn you an instant discount. Now would be a great time to look at what’s available and see if you can find a better deal somewhere else.
Here, we suggest you check out a comparison site like quotezone.co.uk for NHS car insurance. Some of them have agreements with hundreds of insurers and allow you to compare NHS car insurance quotes straight from their site. They will ask you to fill out their form and present you with different deals. You’ll then be able to get your new coverage right on the spot.
Automate Your Savings
Even if you have the discipline, it’s always better and simpler to automate your savings. This will give you one less thing to worry about. You also won’t feel like you’re sacrificing your wants by manually transferring money. You’ll stop thinking about it after a while and might be surprised at how much your nest egg will have grown after a few months.
Consider Switching Positions
You should also look for a job that would facilitate logistics for you. Working in the evenings is tougher to manage since you have to find someone to take care of the kids. If you have the chance, you should consider looking at school nurse jobs. Ideally, you’d want your child to go to the same school, but you could still benefit from the steady school day hours. If you can’t find a position as a school nurse, at least try to find someone with a stable daytime schedule.
Get Smarter With Groceries
The supermarket is often where most of the overspending takes place. Ironically, it’s also the place where it’s the easiest to make savings. Stop buying prepared and pre-packaged food. The more processes a product goes through, the more you’ll have to pay in most cases. The only exception is certain canned goods as their shelf life is extended.
If you’re going to buy meat, make sure that as little has been done to it as well. Try buying bigger or cheaper cuts and invest in a chest freezer so you can take advantage of sales.
These are all things all single-parent nurses could do to save money. These will give you a little bit more room to breathe without having to sacrifice your quality of life.