Whether you are remaining in the marital home after a divorce or are moving to a new residence, now that you have physically separated and divided your possessions, one of the first things you need to do is assess what you’ve still got and what you will need. Have you taken stock of your possessions yet?
It’s easy to think of all the things you jointly owned as being around for your use, but when you can’t find that serving dish, CD, or screwdriver you need, you realize that things have changed. It can be expensive to reequip your household, so how do you manage and still stick to your budget? Try these money-saving ideas:
– Go to yard sales or garage sales,
– Visit secondhand stores,
– Ask friends and relatives for things they don’t want,
– Shop sales and warehouse clubs,
– Watch for sales, discounts, and rebates,
– Compare prices,
– Shop on eBay,
– Look for free items on sites like Freecycle.com, and
– Don’t replace things unless you really need them.
You’ll likely find that once you are on your own, you can change many things about the way you live since you have no one to answer to but yourself. Try out new things and new routines. Many people discover surprising new things about themselves after their divorce…including how resourceful and thrifty they are!
Not sure whether or not to move out of the home? Read our recent blog post: Decided to Separate? What to Do Before You Move Out