101 Ways to Move Forward After a Midlife Divorce

Tip # 29. Start a treat jar. Do something nice for yourself (or someone else) when it’s full. We all seem to be tightening our belts these days. We didn’t go on vacation like we had planned for several reasons, one of which was the expense. We don’t eat out as often. We buy house brands more than we used to. And I’ve started a jar to save my extra change for those treats I used to just get without much thought. If you’re going through a midlife divorce, you have already done some serious penny pinching of your own. Especially in the beginning of the process, many of us don’t even know how much we’ll have after the divorce is final. Divorce or not, it’s a good idea to always be setting aside money for yourself. You should do that with your paycheck as well. It’s good discipline. When you do it voluntarily, you have a sense of control about the money you do have, and control is always empowering. A special treat now and then can be encouraging, too.

P.S. The jar above is from Avon. Google Money Jars and you can find all kinds to buy, or you can just get a big jar like I did and go for it with no extra expense at all.