Personal Budgeting After Divorce

Personal Budgeting Tips to Help You Get a Handle on Your Finances

After divorce, a woman’s standard of living generally goes down because she is now having to support a household on one income instead of two. When you add in the extra expenses that go hand-in-hand with divorce, such as legal fees, full-time daycare, and replacing items that were split up in the divorce, it can feel like a financial black hole. 

This is where budgeting can make all the difference.  As you work your way to independence, drawing up a budget will give you a good over-view of your financial situation. Yes, it can be extremely depressing to see everything in black and white, but it will enable you to make the changes necessary to get by.

So how do you get started developing a personal budget?  You can either use software or the pencil and paper method.  Personally, I like using computer software because it lets me manipulate my information so I can see at a glance where I'm spending the majority of my money.  If this suits your style, Try the new Quicken 2010 Desktop Products (affiliate link).

You can also use plain old paper and pencil if that suits your personal budgeting style.  Below you will find a general budget outline to help you get started.  It should also give you a clear idea of what your expenses and income are.

EXPENSES

Total Expenses:_________________

INCOME
Wages and Salary:_______
Business Income:________
Rental Income:__________
Pension:________________
Child Support:__________
Alimony:________________
Investments/Interest:______

Total Income___________________

There will be other sources of money such as tax refunds, gifts, bonuses, and inheritances, but you should not rely on them in your personal budgeting. It is best to use these to pay down debts.  To see where you stand on your personal budgeting, subtract your expenses from your income. While this may be a negative number, there are ways to narrow the gap.

Controlling Your Expenses

While you may not be able to increase your income, you can lower how much money goes out so that you actually have enough to live on until the next paycheck comes in.   Temporarily foregoing some of the extra expenses can really add up over a year’s time. For example, consider doing without the following for now: 

• Premium movie channels
• Call Waiting
• Caller Id 
• Eating Out once a week 
• Magazine subscriptions
• Newspaper subscription  
• Take out Pizza once a week 
• Non-member ATM Fees twice a week
• Starbucks twice a week

In a years time, you will have saved close to $3000 with very little sacrifice. As you can see, little changes can make a big difference. If you look at your financial situation as a challenge instead of being overwhelmed by it, you will be a lot better off in the long run. You can take control of your destiny. 

When You Can't Overcome Your Budget Shortfalls

Many women face dire financial circumstances after divorce. For your sake (and the sake of your children) don’t be too proud to ask for help. Money to pay the lawyers, buy food, or put gas in the car is necessary. Someone to watch the kids while you work, go to appointments, or just unwind is necessary. Your family would probably be willing to help you out if you explain the situation.

If your situation is extremely tight, consider applying for federally subsidized programs such as AFDC, Medicaid, HUD, and federal daycare assistance. It may be hard to swallow your pride, but these programs can help you survive until you are financially stable.

For more tips on personal budgeting and controlling your expenses, read the following articles:
Free Personal Budgeting Worksheets
Tips on Budgeting Your Paycheck
Budgeting Income and Expenses During Divorce
Managing Finances After Divorce
More Strategies To Save Money

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