4 Common Financial Mistakes Single Parents Must Avoid

Being a single parent is tough when it comes to managing finance and bills barely making from one paycheck to another paycheck. The debts from mortgages and loans will keep on building up until you decide to avoid common financial mistakes that single parents make. This post will help single mom, single dad, single parent to look at debt, mortgages, loans at more practical and refreshing ways. There are many financial mistakes people make without thinking twice and that will lead to gross debt.

I have written a post on 7 Effective Steps to Get Out of Mortgages and Loans for Job seekers who are unemployed. That would be a good read to start with to identify ways to get out of mortgages and loans. We need to identify the mistakes first, correct them, take new initiatives and learn financial discipline to get out mortgages and loans as a single parent.

Who is a Single Parent?

As per Wikipedia, A single parent is a parent that parents alone without the other parent's support, meaning this particular parent is the only parent to the child, responsible for all financial, material, and emotional needs.

Who is a Single Mom?

A mother who has a dependent child or dependent children and who is widowed, divorced, or unmarried. Source: Collins

SINGLE PARENT FACT

There are approximately 13-17 million single parents in the United States and they are responsible for raising around 18.1 million children which represents 26 of all children in the United States under the age of 21 years old. Source: Magazine

Common Financial Mistakes that Single Parents Make

There are many common financial mistakes committed by single parents or their ex- spouses. It is time to identify them and see how one can correct them in future course to get out of debt from mortgages and loans.

1. Searching for Full Time Job Only

Is it necessary to always search for full time jobs. Many single parents commit the mistake of searching for full time job when then can earn from part time or online jobs. I know many single parents who make double money doing part time work than their previous full time job. There are many websites and online magazines that will help you to work from home including WAHM.com.

Have you ever considered to go for part time work or earning from online works. Learn how you can use your skills to earn money.  You can approach local employment center or even your friends if they are looking for a person. Read more on Passive Income Ideas for Making Money While Sleeping.

2. Earning Slow, Spending Fast

Many single parents complain that the bills get accumulated every month, personal expenditure gong high, business is failing, took poor decisions of buying car, taking a home loan, children's tution was not paid and lot more. This basically involves Financial Discipline. 

You may need to sit one day, take out a notebook and pen, write down all your expenses, investments, earnings and find out the gaps. I would also suggest to talk to credit counselors who offer financial advice for free online. You can also talk to financially savvy friends to get some understanding of financial course.

3. No idea of Rates of Mortgages and Loans

Many single parents have never thought about understanding how mortgages and loans work and how interest rates are calculated. They just keep on paying bills and fixed EMIs and at the end of 3-5 years, understand that they capital has not even gone down a single bit. Only when you put effort to understand the financial system, then you can manage EMIs and see how debts are dwindling down.

Find out which debt from mortgage and loan has higher interest rate and pay off that first. Talk to a fee only financial planner to create a road map for future financial course and how to effectively manage economical decisions.

4. Small Financial Actions are better than Large Financial Decisions

I have seen single parents taking large decisions like I am going to pay off the entire debts from mortgages and loans in 6 months, or I am going to save this much money fro my children. This does not work usually. Why? The financial stress from mortgages and loans are comparatively high and person tend to forget or repress these decisions.

Let us look at small financial actions to get more money in hand. 

• Do you have a line of credit @5.25%, why don't you search for a Homeline credit line @ 3.5%. 
• Paid subscription to bunch of magazines and newspapers, Unsubscribe and get free copies from friends or online forums. 
• Pack a lunch and save instant money.
• Join local buyers club and save on groceries.
• Take a list of items that buy at home in a month, categorize them as per cost and avoid high cost items and replace them with low cost item.
• Start Tracking expenditure with free mobile apps, take a print out every month and check ways how to reduce spending next month.
• Sell out old stuff and save space in your home. 
• Look for cheaper deals using apps, newspapers and compare at least 3 places.
• Buy items and resell them in ebay, amazon, other sell-buy apps. Read more on Top 36 Android Apps For Buying and Selling Used Items.

Have self determination and disciple and you can pay off the debt. Learn from the mistakes and try to do recourse. Many around us are also having debts and trying their level best to pay off them. It need courage and the right path. You must avoid common financial mistakes and do what is best even if you do not like it. Share for other single parents, friends in your circle and have a discussion with them on this.

7 Effective Steps to Get Out of Mortgages and Loans for Job Seekers

Our system has one outstanding way of holding men in place - it's called a mortgage," says Australian author and psychologist, Steve Biddulph. Young generation of today is grappled with the system of mortgages and loans. Mortgages and loans engulfs the entire life of young generation especially job seekers. These mortgages and loans come in packages such as Educational and Student loans, Car loans, Appliance loans, Payday loans, Auto Loans, Personal Loans and Home loans. This post tell you 7 effective steps to get out of mortgages and loans for job seekers.

Generation Information

What is a Loan?

A loan is a debt provided by an organization or individual to another entity at an interest rate, and evidenced by a promissory note which specifies, among other things, the principal amount of money borrowed, the interest rate the lender is charging, and date of repayment. Source: Wikipedia

Types of Loans: Conventional Loans, Conforming Loans, Non-Conforming Loans, Secured Loans, Unsecured Loans, Open-ended Loans, Close-ended Loans. Source: Debt

What is a Mortgage?

A mortgage is a debt instrument, secured by the collateral of specified real estate property, that the borrower is obliged to pay back with a predetermined set of payments. Source: Investopedia.

Who is a job seeker?

A person who is searching for job and currently unemployed. I have written a post on Miracle mantra for job seekers to get desired job immediately that describes there is no miracle mantra to get a job but hard work and experience.

How Job Seekers is Trapped in Mortgages and Loans?

"When you go for that vital interview at the bank you walk out with a a hundred thousand dollars*. It's a miracle, but something else happens, something they don't tell you about. You leave a testicle behind!

"The bank manager keeps it in a jar in his safe, along with all the others! If ever in your life you get the urge to do something risky, exciting, different or adventurous, chances are you will not because you don't have the balls to do it!"

The system of mortgages and loans are systematically planned to trap the lower income class and middle income class individuals and young people till the end of their lives. I guess everyone remember about the bankruptcy lead to global depression. Bank systems and private parties squeeze the good part of lives of youngsters and keep sending them reminders of loan and mortgage payments.

I know a friend whose father took a home loan in 2003 from a bank for $100000. They have paid EMI 15 yrs and paid a total of $200000 which is twice the initial amount. The left over amount was $75000 They were totally shocked. This was basically because of floating interest rate which they did not knew. The rate of interest was 7% when they took the loan and after 15 years it became 14%.

7 Effective Steps to Get Out of Mortgages and Loans for Job Seekers

There are couple of methods that everyone should follow to get out of mortgages and loans. I will share a couple of them here. 

1. Knowledge of Loans and Mortgages that you have taken

Learn as much as about loan rates: Prime lending rate, effective interest rate, types of rates: Floating or fixed, take full account statement often, understand if there are penalties or extra charges levied by the bank, check amortization schedule, learn about converting the loan to base rate or mclr rate conversion. 

Lack of knowledge about your loans and mortgages will blind you from effectively reducing risk and banks may cheat you systematically. Previous case study will show you how exactly bank cheated them with floating rate interest. A retirement calculator will give you approximately how much money you should invest every month to save for retirement life. An EMI calculator will help you to adjust your EMI accordingly to reduce duration.

2. Get Unemployment benefits

Try to get unemployment benefits from Government. This will help you to manage current situation and get tax benefits.

3. Talk to a Debt Counselling or Debt management firm

Debt management team can help you figure out how to plan your EMIs and how to get out loans and mortgages fast. 

4. Increase EMI amount and Pay the Loan or Mortgage Fast

Debt is debt however you call it. Bank will get more money from you if you keep on paying a small amount of EMI. At the end of the closing period, I can assure you that you will be at lose and Bank will gain. The entire loan and mortgages system is planned in such a way that you have no other option than losing hard earned money. 

People may tell you about tax benefits for loans that you have. I would say do not go for it. You can get tax benefits by purchasing a health care policy, or insurance. There are many more ways to gain tax exemption other than loans and mortgages.

5. Ask Bank to Reduce Interest Rate

You can talk to the bank manager, explain your financial situation and ask for a reduction in interest rate. This is a possible method which you can try. Never go for extending the duration of loan.

6. Talk to Fee Only Financial Planners or Financially Savvy Friends and Relatives

It may be little hard for you to share your financial situation to others. But it will help for sure. You can hire a fee only financial planner to plan your debts management, investment and retirement. If your friends are financially savvy, they help you to plan and finish of debt.

7. Join FB Groups and Online Forums that Talk about Debt management

Many active forums and groups are out there in online space where you can ask questions and clarify your doubts about loans and mortgages. Join them and be an active member. This will help you in figuring out what exactly you should do to get out of loans and mortgages.

Type Any Language using Google Input Tools Chrome Extension

Are you searching for softwares and tool to type in multiple languages. Google has developed a tool called Google Input toll where you can type in your native language or any language that you choose. The list of languages that you type with these google input tools are endless.

This is an amazing tool once you are exhausted with other options, tips and tricks online to type the necessary languages. Google Input tools is an amazing Chrome extension that let you type in any language as you need. You can use this internationally irrespective of geography even if you are in US, Australia, Canada etc.

How to Install google input Tools chrome Extension

Go to google chrome Extension store.

Chrome web store google input tool

Download Google Input tools extension by selecting add to chrome. Once it is downloaded, an extension icon will be automatically added in the Google chrome web bar.

Select the extension and select Extension options.

You will be redirected to another page, where you can see a bunch of languages. You can scroll up and down and select any language. Once you select a language, a side arrow button will appear in the middle. Select that to add that selected language to the next column beside.

You can select multiple languages like this an d add to select input tools column. The tool will work only if you add at least one language to the column. Now that you have successfully added languages, let us go forward with the next step.

Hope you remember the extension that was added earlier. Click on that and select Keyboard Shortcut Settings. This is where you can activate the Google input tools button and start typing.

Again you will be redirected to another page. Here you can see multiple options.

• Activate the extension
• Select next Input Tool
• Revert last Input Tool
• Toggle current Input Tool

Let us not get bothered about them. Select the not set.  and it will ask you to "Type a Shortcut". Then press any shortcuts like holding CTRL, Alt, + togther or CTRL+Alt etc. You can add any shortcuts that you wish. Once you have completed adding all the shortcuts, it will look like this.

It is going great till now. let us start typing then. The extension will only work in Chrome browser and will not support offline software like Microsoft word. So you may have to restrict the typing inside Chrome browser.

Do you know how to open a online doc file?. I will explain. Login to your gmail account first. Then open a new tab in Chrome [shortcut is to press CTRL+T]. Type "online doc drive".

The first result will look like this.

Google Docs - create and edit documents online, for free.

https://www.google.com/docs/about/

Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

Select that, then select Go to Google Docs. You will be redirected to a window where you can see an option to ad a blank page. Select that + sign.

A new online doc page will open where you can type anything.

Do you remember the shortcut that you put in the Google input tool extension to activate it. You can check it by clicking on the extension. 

Go to the doc page and press the shortcut to activate the extension. Suppose you have put CTRL+SHIFT+T, press that and the languages that you will selected will be shown above, Select any language that you want to type. Once you select the language, the Google Input tools icon ill go blue in color . 

Otherwise if not activated, it will black. You can select the extension and unselect the language to go back to previous language that you have been using. Or you can remove the extension by right clicking on the extension and select Remove from chrome.

Once the icon goes blue, you can start typing. The language will be changed and you can type in the language that you chose. Enjoy type in any language from more than forty languages online. You type in the chosen language in any form, document, application that you open in Google Chrome including Facebook, Twitter etc. You do not need virtual keyboards, online software, downloading typing software anymore.

How to Play YouTube Videos in the Background on Android

Many have used Youtube app in android devices that stop the video if switch from youtube app to another app or minimize all apps. It is very annoying that the you-tube app should always be in the foreground to play the videos. Is there a way to change that to play youtube with screen off android? A way to play YouTube videos in the background on android while using another app or doing something else in the mobile phone. Here I will share an easy way to play youtube in background app, play youtube videos in the background of mobile on Android.

The widget is called floating video player. Floating video player basically means it just floats on top of all the apps opened in your android phone. There were some small video players that effectively used this floating style video player. Some apps have crashed while using this feature of running you tube videos in the background.

The below method uses Google Chrome browser and the support of its desktop version. Desktop version provides a good way for Android users to continuously run Youtube videos in the background without allowing it to stop while switching app.

Play YouTube in the Background on Android

Go to Playstore and download Google Chrome from Playstore to your Android mobile phone.

Open YouTube using www.youtube.com and search for any video.

Go to Menu. You can find the menu by selecting the three-dot button at the top right.

Choose Desktop site [Request desktop site]. This will load the Desktop version of Youtube

Select Play button to get the video to play.

Trying switching to another app and the video will stop playing.

Go to Android settings menu and allow notifications for Chrome.

Go to the notification bar of your phone and select Play button in that.

Again switch to any other app and youtube video will continue to run in the background.

No need to use YouTube application from now on.

How to Verify if an Email Address Is Real or Fake

Are you trying to verify email address without sending email and want to check email online to verify an email address to know if it is real or fake. You can verify email address and check mail address using SMTP, MX record and connect it via Telnet protocol. You can verify email address, check mail address and find hidden email accounts free using SMTP, MX records using Command Prompt in Windows.

Verify email address without sending email

In Windows, go to start menu, type "Turn Windows Features on or off" without quotes and select it.

Tick the "Telnet Client" and select Ok. Telnet Client will help you to connect to remote networks using telnet protocol.

Computer might restart.

Go to start menu, type "cmd" without quotes, right click on it and select Run as administrator.

A black window will appear. Copy or type the below command inside command prompt. You can paste the code by right clicking and select paste.

nslookup  –type=mx gmail.com

The command will extract all the mx records of the domain and you may get some codes like below.

gmail.com MX preference=30, exchanger = alt3.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com
gmail.com MX preference=20, exchanger = alt2.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com
gmail.com MX preference=5,  exchanger = gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com
gmail.com MX preference=10, exchanger = alt1.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com
gmail.com MX preference=40, exchanger = alt4.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com

Replace gmail.com with the domain that you want to verify.

Once you have received the mx records of the domain, pick any of the server and start sending the messages to verify an email address to know if it is real or fake.

Check email online to verify an email address to know if it is real or fake

Go to start menu, type "cmd" without quotes, right click on it and select Run as administrator.

A black window will appear. Copy or type the below command inside command prompt. You can paste the code by right clicking and select paste.

telnet gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com 25

Say Hello to server

HELO

Identify yourself

mail from:<[email protected]>

Type the email id that you want to verify to know if it is real or fake

rcpt to:<[email protected]>

 You’ll get an “OK” if the address exists.

If email id is fake, you may get 550 error.

[email protected] – The email account that you tried to reach does not exist.

[email protected] – The email account that you tried to reach is disabled.

Source: Labnol and Lifehacker

Command Prompt method not working

Some used the command prompt method to verify email id and it did not work out. They were getting timed out error. You need to install Telnet protocol first to avoid this error.

Read more: Free email verification services to Verify an Email Address here.

How to Find Someone on Dating Sites by Email

8 Free Email Verification Services to Verify an Email Address

You can use free email verification services such as email checker hippo, gmail email check, bulk email verifier and other email verifier software by checking email address owner and verify an email address. Here are the list of free validation tools online, free reverse email search engines and absolutely free reverse email lookup free with free results. There are couple of email verification and validation tools online to verify the email address. They are Email-checker.net, verifyemailaddress.org, Hunter, Verify-Email.org, Tools.verifyemailaddress.io,  Mailtester, IPlocation and verifalia.

The list of Free Email Verification Services online

Just enter the email address and select verify.

1. Email-checker.net 

It extracts the MX records from the email address and connect to mail server to make sure the mailbox really exist for that user/address. You can use it here.

2. Verifyemailaddress.org

It connect to the email server to confirm the validity of the email address. Use it here.

3. Hunter.io 

Hunter checks Valid format, Gibberish Email Address, Disposable Email Address, Webmail Email Addresses, Presence of MX Records, Presence of SMTP Server, SMTP Check and  Accept-all Domain. You have to sign up to use the tool.

4. Verify-Email.org 

This email verification tool actually connects to the mail server, extract MX record, verify in server and checks whether the mailbox exists or not. Link here to use.

The result is like this;

MX record about gmail.com exists.

Connection succeeded to alt2.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com SMTP.
220 mx.google.com ESMTP z12si2175616edm.465 - gsmtp

> HELO verify-email.org
250 mx.google.com at your service

> MAIL FROM: <[email protected]>
=250 2.1.0 OK z12si2175616edm.465 - gsmtp

> RCPT TO: <[email protected]>
=250 2.1.5 OK z12si2175616edm.465 - gsmtp

5. Tools.verifyemailaddress.io

It checks email id and provide a valid trust score. You can have maximum 20 daily email verifications. Link.

6. Mailtester

It provide server details with IP addresses. Link.

Result

Mail servers found for domain:

- alt1.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com (priority 10, ip address: 74.125.130.27)
- gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com (priority 5, ip address: 108.177.126.27)
- alt4.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com (priority 40, ip address: 108.177.9.26)
- alt2.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com (priority 20, ip address: 74.125.23.27)
- alt3.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com (priority 30, ip address: 173.194.202.27)
Using mail server with lowest priority number:
- gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com (priority 5, ip address: 108.177.126.27)

7. IPlocation

It provides MX records and detailed server responses. Link here.

Result

Mail Server (MX Records)

gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com   5
alt1.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com   10
alt2.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com   20
alt3.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com   30

alt4.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com   40

Detailed Server Response(s)

Connecting to alt1.gmail-smtp-in.l.google.com
220 mx.google.com ESMTP e11si1380659ioe.237 - gsmtp


HELO iplocation.net
250 mx.google.com at your service


MAIL FROM:
250 2.1.0 OK e11si1380659ioe.237 - gsmtp


RCPT TO:

250 2.1.5 OK e11si1380659ioe.237 - gsmtp

8. Verifalia

It does Syntax validation, Role account validation, Syntax validation, ISP-specific, , Disposable email address (DEA) validation, Free email provider check, DNS records validation, Honeypot detection, Disposable email address (DEA) validation, second pass, SMTP server validation, Mailbox validation and Catch-all mail exchanger validation. Use the link here.

Read more: How to Verify if an Email Address Is Real or Fake

How to Find Someone on Dating Sites by Email