Houston Single Mother Given Heartwarming Christmas Check from MoneyBug

January 6, 2017 - Toniann Serrago Martinez, 33, has a lot to worry about. With bills, a disconnection notice from the electric company, nowhere to sleep, and the stresses of being a full-time single mother as well as a part-time babysitter, Martinez was worried she would not have a Christmas for her two kids.

"I try my best to provide for my children, but I'm alone here in Texas and don't make enough money," Martinez said. "Being a full-time mother made money was tight this holiday. Of course, I wanted to give them a Christmas they deserve."

But a deserving, delightful Christmas gift isn't always something that goes under the tree. For Martinez, it was to buy a bed to give her children and herself somewhere to sleep. After fleeing a toxic relationship, Martinez, and her children were left with nothing. Separated from her family back in New York, she managed to scrimp and save every bit of her earnings as a babysitter to put away a little money. Martinez and her two children, Mialeena, 8, and Vincent Valentine, 10, found themselves across the country in Houston, Texas, in a small one-bedroom apartment with only one bed between them. "The three of us share a small bed," she said. "My kids and I barely sleep."

But Martinez is one tough cookie who hasn't crumbled yet. While things like toys and games are material goods, teaching resilience, tenacity, and independence by example is by far a more important parental aspect, and Martinez prides herself having raised good, smart, talented children. "I think I do my best and am a great Mother," Martinez said. "I don't take time away from them to be selfish. I love them to pieces, and I give them all I can."

There are many reasons some may be in financial need this time of year, and by awarding five such families or individuals with a prize of $1,000, MoneyBug aimed to help those who need it most have the happy, stress-free holiday they deserve. So, in the spirit of the holidays, MoneyBug hoped to alleviate the financial stress for families, just like Martinez, who are experiencing hardship. Martinez was personally chosen by a panel of judges, cut a check by MoneyBug, and sent $1,000 which she tearfully accepted.

Martinez was also recently contacted by an aunt who informed her that her Mother has breast cancer, and her father is having trouble making ends meet. When asked how she planned to spend her prize money, she enthusiastically said, "I would love to visit my mother and help my family," Martinez hopes she can reunite with her family, give Christmas to her children, and finally, get some much-needed sleep on a futon of her own.

About MoneyBug:

MoneyBug stands apart from other home buying companies and offers a unique ability to work quickly to close the sale of a home in just seven days. While other home buying companies claim capacity to provide "instant cash offers," these types of offers are neither instant nor guaranteed, but MoneyBug is different. MoneyBug's high-tech advancements and user-friendly website provide homeowners with an instant cash offer simply by inputting their address. This exclusive online technology calculates comprehensive data to return a real cash offer at the click of a button.

With their unique business model that provides a fast, straightforward process to buy homes for cash, the company has facilitated the purchase of over six-thousand single-family home acquisitions to equal over one-billion dollars. By knocking out bigger competitors in the housing market, MoneyBug has successfully established a presence in metro areas coast-to-coast and has further expansion into Denver, CO, and Nashville, TN planned for 2017.