I'm looking for a Financial Mentor?

I'm a single father of 2, looking to make my $$$ work for me and my boys. I currently work FT & PT but always seem to be short each month. I do pay child support and childcare which soaks up lots of my funds. I would like to learn how to manage my money, so I can stop living paycheck to paycheck.

Look for a financial professional. Ask your friends, coworkers, church (temple) attendees who they use for financial advice. The financial professional should help guide you through your money troubles. Expect to make big and small changes to your spending.

Your financial life should include:
A plan to create and grow your wealth
A plan to protect and preserve your wealth
A plan to distribute your wealth through your lifetime
A plan to distribute your wealth after you have past away.

A good first step is writing down everything that you buy and its price. Do this for at least two weeks. Pay cash for everything and get a receipt and total everything at the end of each day. Make a spreadsheet.

Good Luck

Find someone with "fruit on the tree". Don't take advice from anyone unless they have proof in their own life that their advice works.

You're looking for financial advice- find someone who is in the financial position you want to be in, yourself, and ask them how they got there.

I agree that an excellent first step would be to log EVERY penny you spend- even if it's 50 cents for the soda vending machine. The "latte factor" may be affecting your financial situation.

There are only two ways to go about this, either make more or spend less. Since your already working more than one full time job, making more money is probably out of the picture. That leaves us to spending less. As stated in past responses, challenge EVRYTHING your spending money on. Is it an actual NEED or a want. Keep your spending to needs. And most important of all, teach your children about money and values. One of the most important lessons of life.