Single mothers (and single parents in general) tend to be depicted negatively. There’s a lot of focus on their constant struggle. But believe it or not, if you’re a single mom, you can gain some unexpected benefits with auto insurance for single moms.
The stereotypes associated with single parenthood are just that: stigmas that don’t fit every single mom’s life. Many can be successful, loving, and independent caregivers to their children.
Along with the possible auto insurance benefits, there are other surprising plus sides of being a single mother. Let’s take a look.
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#1 – Greater Financial Stability and Control Over Spending
A common misconception about single parents is they are always struggling financially and unable to provide for their children. Some mothers may end up being in a stressful financial situation because of their single status, but this isn’t guaranteed to be true for single mothers.
In fact, 50% of single mothers are gainfully employed, meaning they have full-time employment year-round. Only 20% of single mothers are unemployed. Therefore, single mothers are still able to maintain an income.
Another situation in which a single mother could be more financially stable is if there are any financial burdens associated with their partner. A single mother who doesn’t have any debt (or at least has manageable debt) could be considered to have more financial stability than a two-parent household that struggles with managing its debts.
#2 – More Affordable Insurance Costs
While there is no specific car insurance plan for single parents, you can still find ways to make your auto insurance policy more affordable. However, finding the best affordable plan will take some thorough research.
There are plenty of discounts you can qualify for, including:
- Defensive driving course discounts can be given by certain insurers who offer a defensive driving course. The course is actually an online program that takes about 1 or 2 hours.
- Family policy discounts could be a good option for a single mother who has a teen driver. Adding your new teen driver to your existing insurance policy could give you some major discounts.
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- Group discounts, which apply to someone who belongs to a union, alumni group, professional group, or any other organization.
- Mileage discounts can apply to anyone who drives under an average of 10,000 miles per year.
- Profession-based discounts can be offered to nurses, police officers, military personnel, teachers, firefighters, and more.
- Safe driver discounts are available for anyone who has gone 3 to 5 years without a claim or other incident.
In some cases, you could end up saving money by reducing your coverage. For example, if you have an older vehicle, you may not need extensive collision or comprehensive coverage. You may not need roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement, or any other bonus coverage on your policy.
Take a look at your current policy and examine what features may not be necessary. Removing unnecessary coverages on your policy could end up saving you money in the long run.
In addition, there are also possible life and home insurance savings for single parents. The rule of thumb for life insurance is parents should try to get a life insurance policy that is seven to 10 times their annual salary. While a single parent may struggle to make this work, there are low-income and single-parent options available.
#3 – The Chance to Be the Perfect Role Model for Your Children
When you’re a single mom, you and your children end up becoming a team. It may seem like a negative thing for your children to shoulder some responsibility, but it can actually increase their self-esteem and self-worth. Knowing your child is part of your team can boost their sense of self.
A single parent can end up being a good role model for their children as well. Seeing their mom work through problems and face responsibilities head-on can be encouraging for children to do the same.
The child of a single mom will learn resilience. They’ll learn to persevere even through the most difficult tasks. Seeing their mom refuse to give up in even the darkest times will influence them to do the same.
#4 – Greater Organization and Time Management
Single parents have a lot on their plate between balancing family, finances, work, and anything else in their lives. But being so busy and responsible for everything means it’s essential to learn how to organize and manage your time.
Learning how to manage your time and organize your life is the hard part. But once you’ve learned the best way to manage your routine, you’ll end up having some major relief from a huge stressor. Plus, you’ll be able to teach your children the valuable life skills of organization and timeliness.
Here are some helpful organization tips for single moms:
- Avoid procrastination.
- Create a routine for all your organizational tasks.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your kids (or anyone else).
- Learn how to say no.
- Use a calendar, planner, or to-do list.
- Make time for self-care.
- Set goals for yourself.
There are a lot of resources online that can provide useful tips for you. This is because organizing is different for everyone. At the end of the day, think about the areas of your life that need to be organized and devise a plan on how you can work on them.
#5 – More Independence and Freedom
Independence can be a scary thing, but it’s incredibly empowering to know how much you’ve accomplished on your own. The independence that comes from being a single mom can provide you with a major confidence boost.
You can take a look at everything in your life and know you’ve done this all on your own.
Being independent is another powerful lesson your children can benefit from. This ties into their responsibility and resilience. You’ll end up being a major inspiration for your kids simply by doing what you have to do.
While handling everything yourself is certainly a challenge, it can be a comfort to know you make all the decisions. You don’t need to find a way to balance your decisions with someone else’s when you’re a single parent. This is where time management and organization come in. You know you’re the sole provider so you have to find a way to make things work.
Lastly, you set your own standards for who can help you out in the times that it’s necessary. You’re more likely to surround yourself with reliable friends and family when you’re the sole person in charge.
Luke Williams writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site, AutoInsurance.org. His passions include best practices for insurance and helping single moms live more comfortable lives.
