Pay Your Bills After Your Spouse Has Left

Often times in a relationship there are two people contributing to yearly income. When you are with that individual you plan on spending the rest of your life together, but after, "Happily Ever After" there comes divorce, or separation. There is always one person in the household that earns the most money. What will happen if you are the other person, the person that just doesn't make enough to support an entire family?

A lot of people have gone through this problem with separation and divorce. After devoting your entire life to someone it is hard to see them walk away, but fortunately you can get through this with some help. The first thing that needs to be clear is that your kids, family and friends will always be there for you, and they are counting on you to pull-through! It is a really hard time to start standing on your own, but you have done it before. I am going to provide you with some tips that will allow your income to be enough for you, or for you and your kids.

Tips: Things to do when your income isn't enough

1. Food Brands

If your previous income allowed you to purchase your weekly groceries from a Whole Foods, or a Fresh Foods, Try Publix, Food Lion, Wal-Mart, or Albertsons. These stores might be a little different than Whole Foods, but they provide the same things.

For instance, if you go to Publix to buy groceries and you see a can of corn. Buy the Publix Brand, because you are paying for a can of corn, not the brand. I will guaranteed you that inside that little Publix brand can of corn, that there will be corn. By buying the store brand foods you will save a lot of money, I know this by experience. If you don't feel comfortable buying meet from any other place than your Whole Foods, than buy your meet there, and purchase everything else that is boxed, canned, packaged at your local Publix or grocery store. This will save you tons!

2. Internet, Cable Connection, Phone Line

The second thing that you need to do is cut off the extra features from internet, cable connection and phone line. Seriously, do you watch of 800 channels that are offered for your HDTV? I think not, I can barely find the channels that I love to watch, and when I do find them I watch them all the time (I have three favorite channels). The internet provider that you have usually offers different levels of speed for your computer, and I have Comcast. I wanted to lower my bill, and I really didn't see any difference in when I changed speeds.

If you have satellite internet connection you are paying way to much, and you need to find a different carrier. When you get on the phone with them make sure that you tell them exactly what you want because they will try to get you into a package. Now a day's phone lines are not really necessary because of cell phones, but if you really think that a home phone is necessary you should only be paying about $10.00-$15.00 a month.

3. Pampered Self-Extras

Pampered self-extras can be anything. They range from monthly tanning services, to weekly car detailing. If it isn't beneficial to your health you should subtract it from your life, and your monthly expenses.

4. Morning Coffee

This sounds a little rediculous, but it really adds up. Don't cut yourself off from morning coffee, make better decisions about buying it! If you are the person that goes to Starbucks every morning and buys a $3.50 cup of coffee you are wasting money. That means you are spending at least 109.00 dollars a month on coffee, which means you are spending over $1,200.00 dollars a year on coffee if you do the math. Well here is a better idea, and it will only cost you $15.99 for four months worth of coffee.

If you like Starbucks, or Dunkin Donuts you are in luck! Because if you go to a Wholesale store they usually sell big bags of already ground coffee, start making your own - the bags range from about $8.99 - 15.99 a bag. I just recently bought a Dunkin' Donuts bag from Costco and on the front it blatantly says it produces 135 cups of coffee, that's a deal!

I hope that these tips will help youtake complete control and charge of your life, and your budget! Start 2009 right!

Sources:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/seperation

http://www.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/divorce

http://www.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/whole+foods

http://www.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/publix

http://www.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/comcast

http://www http://www.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/tanning.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/satelite+internet

http://www.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/morning+coffee

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1326336/2009_new_years_resolution_with_results.html?cat=9

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1331391/michaels_touts_before_and_afterchristmas.html?cat=3