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On March 26, writer Emma Johnson created the 2020 Kickass Single Mom Stimulus Grant. Since then she’s given away a $500 cash grant every week to single moms in need.
The criteria are pretty simple:
You are a single mother.
You need the money right now.
If that’s you, head over to Wealthy Single Mommy and apply for the grant. And if you don’t need the grant but know of other single moms in need? Please share the link.
This is a no-strings deal, according to Johnson. Having worked with her, I can say if she says she’s going to do something, she does it. No BS.
Note: Johnson is the author of “The Kickass Single Mom: Be Financially Independent, Discover Your Sexiest Self and Raise Fabulous, Happy Children” and “The 30-Day Kickass Single Mom Money Makeover: Get Your Financial Act Together, Finally and Forever.” Her website has been around for eight years and she has a huge following of women determined to take charge of their finances and live the lives they choose.
The return of grocery discounts
It wasn’t your imagination: Really good supermarket deals have been hard to find during the pandemic.
Why? Because grocers didn’t need to offer them. “Customer demand was intense,” according to analysts interviewed by CNN, especially since so many restaurants were closed.
But the times, they are a-changin’ – as are grocery profits. Food and beverage sales were 31.2 percent higher in March 2020 than they were in March 2019. However, the August number is much lower: 11.5 percent growth.
That’s why Kroger announced that promotions will be “an important component” going forward, and why Procter and Gamble said that it will bring back promotions on its major brands. Fellow frugalists will likely breathe a sigh of relief.
It’s likely that restaurants reopening helped lead to lower grocery profits. The article also noted that stimulus checks have been spent and extra unemployment payments are finished, which probably also has something to do with it. Myself, I think there’s a possible third reason: People are slowly making their way through all the stuff they stocked up on during those panicky few first weeks.
Additionally, that 31.2 percent grocery growth was likely due in part to stockpiling/hoarding. Even if you don’t plan to be one of those dirty rotten hoarders, uncertain times can mess with your head. And as I noted in a freelance piece called “5 smart ways to stay stocked during the pandemic,” the circumstances were ripe for panic buying:
- Usually people stock up gradually for anticipated issues, such as hurricane season. This time around, everyone wanted to buy at once.
- When severe weather, wildfires or other emergencies occur, resources are generally just shifted to the hard-hit areas. This time around, it wasn’t a question of sending extra bleach and TP to a single, specific region: The need was national.
- The U.S. grocery system operates on something called a “just-in-time” system. Supermarkets have goods delivered regularly vs. storing them on-site. During the pandemic stores couldn’t stock the shelves fast enough. A disaster preparedness specialist explained it to me this way: “You go in, you see there’s not much left, so you grab extra. This perceived shortage creates an actual shortage.”
I’ve long been a fan of shopping gradually and strategically – and, since I threw in with DF, getting some things at Costco. For example, when you buy a pound of yeast at a time you’re not likely to run short any time soon. But we take advantage of good deals whenever we find them, and never let ourselves get too short of items we use a lot of: peanut butter, eggs, rice, dry beans. (For more tips, see “The low-maintenance preppers.”)
An unfair Advantage?
Do you understand Medicare? Lucky you. It’s a complex topic, according to personal finance author and NerdWallet columnist Liz Weston. Her latest article for the Associated Press tackles the alphabet soup of elder medical care.
“Are Medicare Advantage plans worth the risk?” focuses on this private insurance alternative to regular Medicare. It might be a good idea. It might not be the right fit.
Medicare Advantage is very complex, and shouldn’t be undertaken lightly. As one person Weston interviewed puts it, “People should not rely exclusively on television commercials. That’s when people get stuck and sometimes make the wrong decision.”
Like anything Weston produces, it’s fact-driven but also super-readable. Check it out.
Flash giveaway: Lowe’s gift cards
Sivan Social is giving away five $50 e-gift cards to Lowe’s. Surely you could use some button-up-the-house-for-winter stuff, or maybe a $50 head start on holiday decor and/or shopping?
The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. PDT today, Sept. 21, so don’t delay. Here’s my link: https://www.savings.com/coupons/lowes.com#i-67732.
I know a few people who could use Johnson’s stimulus, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing! I’d love to get the word out there.
Hi Donna, I’m wondering if you or any other writer you know of has addressed day to day management of food DURING an emergency. We live in hurricane country. The last two we had plenty of time to prep. However once we lost power, I was kicking myself for lots of little things. Like why didn’t I fill the ice chest before losing power with things I know we’ll need often like cream for coffee, breakfast items.
I am writing up specific meal plans for future emergencies and will update them with first in first out based on what is in fridge.
Example this year I had just bought lunch meats so knew they needed to be used.
Once we lost power, I had to open the fridge and grab quickly what needed to go in cooler. All while losing valuable cold air. Then I forgot a few things…luckily power out short time this round.
I’m re-thinking this and appreciate any ideas!
I have never been in that situation. Readers? Any tips?
Here’s this from the FDA:
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-safety-during-emergencies/protect-food-and-water-during-hurricanes-and-other-storms
And this:
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/newsroom/news-releases-statements-transcripts/news-release-archives-by-year/archive/2020/nr-07312020-01
(That one contains this useful tip: “Freeze water in one-quart plastic storage bags or small containers prior to a hurricane. These containers are small enough to fit around the food in the refrigerator and freezer to help keep food cold. Remember, water expands when it freezes, so don’t overfill the containers.”)
I also live in hurricane country, and I’ve been thinking on this too, especially since Florence hit us so badly a couple years back.
I definitely agree with making a meal plan, as well as trying to eat down the contents of the fridge before the storm hits. We have a deep freeze, so with Florence approaching, I put all but a couple days’ worth of food in that and made a plan for how we’d use the rest of the food in the fridge and freezer. I didn’t this time, but in the past I’ve draped blankets over the freezer for extra insulation – only *after* the power goes out, of course!
I also agree with the article Donna posted about freezing water to act as ice packs. I wash and use peanut butter jars and the square jars you can buy peanuts and snacks in. The bigger they are, the longer they stay frozen. (But they also take longer to freeze, so you have to start earlier.)
A cooler is good for often-used items, but I made the mistake of consolidating everything into a cooler, thinking a smaller volume would be easier to keep a smaller volume cold. What I forgot to take into account was that the refrigerator is much better insulated, and it ended up staying cold longer than the cooler, even with ice packs.
What else? I know we stocked up on shelf-stable foods like tuna, canned soups and peanut butter, and used disposable dishes and silverware to cut down on dishwashing.
That’s what comes to mind right now. I’ll check back to see what others have to say, and post more ideas if I think of them.
Good ideas, all, Sherry.
Just remembered what a Red Cross guy told me: When you hear a storm (ice, wind, hurricane) is coming, boil a bunch of eggs. If the power goes out for a day or so, you have easy-to-use protein. If the power doesn’t go out, you get to make egg salad.