Going through a divorce can be extremely taxing on your health, your emotions, as well as your finances. Aside from child custody, one of the biggest challenges of going through a divorce is dividing marital assets, savings, debts, and other financial matters.
Apart from that, you also have to think about the divorce and child custody lawyer fees, as well as other expenses that you have to make to dissolute your marriage. So divorce is not the time to make unnecessary expenses that can put you in an even worse financial position.
With this in mind, here are the common inessential expenses that you should avoid:
1. Unnecessary lawyer fees
Reaching an agreement with your spouse before you head to the divorce lawyer’s office can save you tons of money in the long run. Although emotions might be running high during this time, both of you must understand the importance of being cooperative during the entire process.
As much as possible, try to have an amicable divorce. In this way, you can avoid racking up more legal fees than necessary due to continuous back-and-forth, unsettled arguments, and even pettiness resulting in delays.
2. Spoiling your kids
It is common for divorcing parents to feel guilty about putting their children through the separation, and because of this, many parents feel the need to make it up by spoiling them.
Spoiling your children during a divorce is both a parenting and a financial mistake. While you might be feeling better by giving your kids what they want, they are learning to equate material things with happiness, which can affect their mentality in the long run. Moreover, spending too much money on treats, toys, and trips is not good for your bank account at this time.
Instead, give your children the support that they need through communication, bonding, and guidance.
3. Household maintenance
During a divorce, one spouse might move out and leave the other to deal with all the chores in the house, assuming that the chores were divided in the first place. For the spouse left behind, doing everything by themselves can be overwhelming. They can feel tempted to overspend on take-out instead of cooking or have a cleaner come in more often than necessary instead of doing household chores themselves.
A divorce is an understandably stressful time, and you might not have the energy–or even the willingness–to do things around the house. However, keep in mind that overspending is going to create an even bigger problem, so try to avoid spending too much on services that you can do yourself.
4. Indulgences
Finally, the last thing you don’t want to spend on is indulgences. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself once in a while. Still, if you’re putting most of those things on your credit card, it’s better to find another avenue to alleviate the stress and emotional pain you’re feeling, such as your support system, a hobby, or exercise.
A divorce is one of the most stressful things that you can experience in life. However, no matter how hard things get, avoid these unnecessary expenses to not only keep your finances in check but to avoid developing unhealthy habits as you cope.
