Y'all are so smart!! Every time somebody sends me a tip I add it here with her first name and state. Keep 'em coming.

Saving Money

1. Cook a big pot of something on Sunday and eat it three ways. Chili on Sunday, chili dogs Tuesday, chili on baked potatoes Thursday. ~ Tamika (me!)
2. Buy the kids' winter coats in March when they're on clearance, one size up. ~ Rochelle, Ohio
3. Thrift stores for kids' clothes, always. They grow out of stuff before they wear it out. ~ Brenda, Texas
4. Pay yourself first, even if it's five dollars a paycheck. I keep mine in a coffee can in the freezer. Nobody looks in the freezer. ~ Glenda, Alabama
5. Library for books, movies AND story time. Free, free, free. ~ Amanda, Iowa
6. Put your bills on a calendar on the fridge in red marker. No more surprises. ~ Tamika
7. Birthday parties at the park with a homemade cake are just as much fun as the pizza place. The kids don't care. ~ Sheree, Georgia
8. Cut the kids' hair yourself. It will be crooked. It will grow back. ~ Janelle, Missouri

Saving Time and Sanity

9. Lay out everybody's clothes the night before, INCLUDING yours. ~ Rochelle, Ohio
10. Pack lunches while you're making supper. You're already in the kitchen. ~ Tamika
11. Give every kid one real chore, even the little ones. My 3-year-old matches socks. Badly, but he does it. ~ Lupe, California
12. One basket per kid for their clean laundry. They put it away. Or they live out of the basket. Either way you're done. ~ Brenda, Texas
13. Keep a list by the phone of every number you might need in a hurry: school, doctor, work, your backup sitter. ~ Toni, Indiana
14. Take ten minutes for yourself every day, even if it's locking yourself in the bathroom with a magazine. The kids will survive ten minutes. ~ Sheree, Georgia
15. Go to bed. The dishes will still be there. ~ Every mom who ever wrote me

The Kids

16. Never say anything bad about their daddy in front of them. I know. I KNOW. But don't. ~ Glenda, Alabama
17. Tell them the truth, in words their size. "Daddy and I don't live together anymore, and it's not your fault, and we both love you." Say the not-your-fault part more than once. ~ Toni, Indiana
18. Have a special night that's just yours with each kid. Deja and I have Thursday pancakes. ~ Tamika
19. Find them a good man to look up to, a grandpa, an uncle, a coach, a Big Brother. ~ Janelle, Missouri
20. Let them see you study, pay bills, work hard. They're learning more than you think. ~ Amanda, Iowa
21. When they ask for something you can't afford, it's okay to just say "we can't afford that right now." It's not shameful. It's honest. ~ Rochelle, Ohio

Taking Care of YOU

22. Go to the doctor for yourself, not just the kids. Who's going to take care of them if you fall apart? ~ Sheree, Georgia
23. It's okay to cry in the car. It's okay to cry in the shower. Then wash your face and go on. ~ Lupe, California
24. Don't date anybody who isn't nice to your kids. Don't bring anybody around the kids until you're sure. ~ Brenda, Texas
25. Find a church, a group, a friend, somebody who asks how YOU are. ~ Glenda, Alabama
26. Stop comparing yourself to the moms at school with husbands and minivans. You don't know their story either. ~ Janelle, Missouri
27. Write down one good thing every night before you go to sleep. Even if it's just "nobody threw up today." ~ Amanda, Iowa
28. Learn to say "no" to extra stuff. The PTA will be fine. ~ Toni, Indiana
29. Remember you used to be a person with hobbies. Pick one back up, a little. I sing in the choir again. ~ Rochelle, Ohio
30. You're doing a better job than you think you are. Your kids are fed and loved and you're reading a web page about how to do better. That's a good mom. ~ Tamika