Let’s talk about the thing nobody wants to talk about—but literally everyone has to deal with: money. In this episode, I invited three powerhouse women—Grace (our spreadsheet whisperer), Wendy (the multi-hustle artist), and Maile (budgeting through the fire)—to talk about what it’s really like to face finances after divorce.

We got honest about what it feels like to hit the panic button when bills roll in, how to build a budget from scratch (or not), and what it means to pay your way into peace. (Hey, freedom is expensive, but worth it.) Whether you’re feeling financially paralyzed or just want some solidarity, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn: 

• Peace sometimes costs money. I’ve seen women choose to take on debt just to buy back their sanity—and it was the best decision they ever made.
• Budgeting doesn’t have to be fancy. Notebook? App? Excel sheet? There’s no wrong answer, just pick what works best for your own brain.
• Delaying isn’t failing. Maybe you put off buying a new car until your transmission did a dramatic death scene. You do what you’ve gotta do.
• None of us were born knowing this. Trust me, if you don’t know how to open a savings account or compare car insurance quotes, you’re not alone.
• Define your own rich life. For me, that’s freedom, not facials. (Although I wouldn’t turn one down either.)
• Try all the things. I’ve seen women tutor, paint signs, get corporate promotions, and sell on Etsy. Throw spaghetti. See what sticks.
• Accepting help isn’t weakness—it’s strategy. Subsidized housing, food banks, coaching, advisors—if it helps you stay afloat, it’s a win.

Journal Questions:

1. What messages—spoken or unspoken—did you receive growing up or in your marriage about money, and how have those messages shaped your current relationship with finances?

2. Think back to a recent financial decision you made on your own. What did that decision reveal about your values, your fears, or your growing self-trust?

3. When you imagine your “rich life,” what does that look like for you—not what someone else thinks you should want, but what actually lights you up inside?

4. How do you define financial peace in this season of your life? What does it look like practically, and how can you take one small step toward that vision this week?

5. In what ways have you surprised yourself with your resilience, resourcefulness, or wisdom in managing money since your divorce? What have you learned about yourself that you didn’t know before?

Related Resources:

• Flying Higher (https://joinflyinghigher.com) is my live mentorship program for Christian women pursuing increased confidence, emotional management, relational health and empowered self-development.
• Check out Wendy’s art on Instagram.
• One of my favorite finance books, I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi.
• I use the Monarch App for budgeting, and Mint Mobile for our phone plan. 
• Feel like a hot mess after divorce? This 5-Day Workshop will teach you a mind-shift tool to help you learn a powerful way to manage your thoughts and emotions in order to navigate adult decisions with clarity and peace.

Article: Money Panic After Divorce? Here’s How We Slayed the Budget Beast Without Losing Our Minds (or Our Lattes)

Let’s be honest: if you’ve recently divorced and find yourself staring down the barrel of your first solo electric bill, insurance quote, or child’s sudden “choir concert dress code,” you’ve probably had a moment or five where you wanted to hit the panic button.

Welcome to the club, sister. You’re in good company.

In Episode 4 of the Divorced Christian Woman Podcast, I was joined by three brave women,, Maile, Wendy, and Grace, as we tackled the financial freak-out that hits you square between the eyes when the marriage ends and the money management begins.

Here’s what we learned, lived, and laughed about that first year of financial solo flying.

1. Open the Bank Account and the Floodgates

For some of us, having our own bank account felt rebellious. Wendy talked about how she’d secretly kept her own account during her marriage despite being told it was “wrong.”

Turns out, that tiny act of defiance became her financial lifeline post-divorce.

The rest of us? We fumbled our way into bank lobbies, unsure if we were opening checking accounts or accidentally signing up to sponsor a water buffalo. Either way, it was empowering. And weirdly adult. And yeah, long overdue.

2. Debt: The Ugly Ex That Lingers

Maile shared a gut-wrenching story: all the credit card debt from the marriage? In her name. (Because of course it was.) And her ex? About as cooperative as a cat in a bathtub.

Instead of duking it out in court, Maile made the radical choice to view the debt as her “ransom” for freedom. It wasn’t fair. But it was liberating.

Sometimes, peace costs money. And sanity is worth every penny.

3. Budgeting: AKA Realizing You Might Be Allergic to Numbers

Let’s be real. If budgeting were a spiritual gift, I’d be at the bottom of the list, right between interpretive dance and long division.

But Grace? She’s an accountant. She lives and breathes spreadsheets. Bless her holy Excel cells. She walked us through her three-pronged approach to managing finances post-divorce:

• Cut down high-interest debt first (hello, credit cards),
• Prioritize your “rich life” spending (yes, even if it’s just a yoga mat and a YouTube pilates video),
• Strategize your income (a.k.a. make money moves that Beyoncé would applaud).

Meanwhile, I found salvation in the Monarch budgeting app. Wendy kept it old-school with a notebook. The takeaway? The best budgeting system is the one you’ll actually use.

4. Financial Humility Isn’t a Weakness—It’s a Superpower

Maile talked about living in subsidized housing and learning to accept help from food banks, coaching programs, and a kindhearted director who showed her how to budget without shame.

Humbling? Absolutely.

Empowering? Even more.

Learning to receive help is not a spiritual failure. It’s just wisdom. Jesus didn’t say, “Blessed are the prideful for they shall never need a coupon.” He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Sometimes that spirit is found in a section of Walmart you swore you’d never shop.

5. Grown-Up Money Stuff: Insurance, Subscriptions, and That One App You Never Use

Once you’re solo, guess who gets to choose the car insurance, health coverage, and decide which Netflix subscription survives the Great Budget Purge?

You.

Grace found out the hard way that comparing quotes pays off. (And yes, bundling really is the Holy Grail of discounts.) We talked about ditching unnecessary subscriptions and trading in fancy gym memberships for home workouts and thrifted yoga mats.

Pro tip: ordering groceries for pickup = less impulse buying + no more wandering Target wondering if a 3-tier charcuterie board is “essential.”

6. Income? Time to Throw Some Spaghetti at the Wall

Wendy, our resident artist and creative hustler, shared how she pieced together side gigs from tutoring to painting wedding signs to build a flexible income stream. Did it make her rich? Nope. Did it make her feel powerful? You bet.

Grace, coming from the corporate side, leaned into mentorship, resume revamps, and LinkedIn updates like the boss she is. She even landed a promotion through strategic effort and God-given brilliance (and a few mock interviews that made her sweat more than a spin class).

Lesson? Whether you’re tutoring kids, slinging art, or applying for jobs with acronyms you don’t understand, the key is movement. You won’t find a job watching HGTV and hoping.

7. Quick Hacks That Save Your Sanity (and Your Wallet)

We wrapped up with some easy wins that might sound silly but work like magic:

• Grocery pickup to avoid temptation spending.
• Leaving online carts overnight (because 12 hours later, that glitter pumpkin loses its charm).
• Reward-based credit cards (used responsibly).
• High-yield savings accounts and no-penalty CDs.
• Goodwill miracles: $23 for an entire suit and shoes? Yes, please.

Flying Higher: More Than a Subscription

At the end of the episode, Grace shared why she’s still part of the Flying Higher program. (And no, I didn’t bribe her, though I did consider baking cookies.)

Her verdict? The cost is nothing compared to the transformation.

She binge-listened to every coaching call, every curriculum, every podcast. She didn’t just fly higher. She flew circles around her old life.

That’s the goal here, friend. Not perfection. Not prosperity gospel nonsense. Just real women, making brave choices, one budget line and Goodwill find at a time.

Until next time, keep flying higher—preferably on a budget.

XOXO,

Natalie