You’ve survived the divorce and now you’re concerned about how to make your settlement last. You know the amount of your divorce settlement—but what you don’t know is whether it will be enough to cover your day-to-day living expenses, support your family and have enough money for the rest of your life! You have to make sure that you don’t outlive your assets. How can you ensure that you can keep the assets you most treasure, rather than having to sell them to survive?
Living alone after your divorce may be difficult—especially if you had a long marriage—financially and emotionally. Most women can expect to spend at least a third of their adult lives on their own. Because of this, they must get savvy about saving and budgeting. Saving sounds simple, but first you have to have enough income to save some of it.
The first step you must take is creating a budget. These are some ideas of how to create a budget:
1. Make a list of the budget categories that apply to you;
2. Go through your checkbook for the past year and list each check under its category;
3. Go through your credit card bills and do the same thing;
4. Decide where you need to cut back and which ones you expect will increase;
5. Adjust and readjust the figures until your monthly budget equals your monthly income.
If your income doesn’t cover your expenses, then having your list will help you decide where you need to cut back. If you consistently exceed your budget, then you will have to adjust your spending habits or find a way to increase your income.
