Divorce & Restoring Your Credit

Your lifestyle will almost certainly change when one household becomes two. You'll need a new budget -- and a realistic look at what you can afford for the next few years.

You survived the divorce. Now comes the hard part: getting your new single life on track, especially when it comes to money.

In many cases, the ex-wife has a larger amount of post-divorce financial work to do.

True, some women make more money than their husbands, but they are generally exceptions. And true, the ex-husband usually contributes to two households, his new single one as well as the one maintained by his ex-wife, who typically is the custodial parent of their children.

Your 5-minute guide to sudden singlehood

But the harsh reality of divorce is that the lower wage earner usually suffers the most financially. And that lower wage earner usually is the woman, who may have left the work force, at least temporarily, to care for children.

Even then, however, it's possible to get your post-divorce finances in order and ultimately prosper. The following tips and strategies should help. And much of the advice applies regardless of gender.
Get involved
It's the 21st century, but family finances aren't equal for many reasons.

Carol Arnott, a divorce financial analyst with Greenville Financial Group in Greenville, Del., cites a recent survey of married couples that found the men more likely to be in charge of investments, insurance and retirement planning. The women, meanwhile, focused on day-to-day budgeting and bill paying.

Talk back: How has divorce affected your finances?

In short, the men were more strategic when it came to money and more comfortable making decisions regarding their financial futures. So it's no surprise that most of Arnott's clients are women. And she's not shy about encouraging them to get involved with their finances and seek professional help "prior to filing or as soon as they're served with papers."

The first step in mastering your money is understanding it. To do that, you need to look completely and carefully at where you stand.

Renewing My Green Card

Wow, it's like not so long ago when I first got here (US). It was the 24 of December 1995. It was freezing cold. But I survive the cold. Anyway, It's that time of year.Fourteen years had pass that I have to renew my green card. I am not US citizen as you all know. I just haven't thought about becoming a US citizen yet. But, I am thinking about it.

I was browsing the internet last night, trying to find out how much is it cost to renew my green card. You would not believe it how expensive it is. My Green card will be expiring in September and I have to renew it within 6 months before it expire. The application fee cost $290 plus the biometrics fee of $80. Total filing fee = $370. I have to use Form I-90 renew it.

Can you imagine. Just add a few hundreds with that $370 for US citizenship.
But, can't complain, got to do it.

Start a Career in Information Technology

Many people love the people in IT (Information Technology). This is a good field but it does not mean that you work with computers only. Helping others use their computers is often a big part of the job. This field is very big. From an ATM machine, to PC techies, to a graphic designer, these people are all in IT.

First, you must find out if you are already skilled in IT; most geeks are from the IT field. If you have a PC and use it for more than just typing and basic office work, then you have the right stuff for the job.
Make a list of what types of IT work you might be interested in. You can use Google to search for the types of fields available in IT. For example, if you love computer games, you can list "game testing," or "writing game software." If you enjoy designing, "graphic design" should go on your list.
Choose something that will make you happy. If you really enjoy it as a pastime, you will progress in skill much faster.
Get to know the right people. Many IT gurus love to assist people. Look into a formal or even casual apprenticeship. Make a geek your new best friend.
Once you know the right people and choose what fields to pursue, you can gather information about career options, rates of pay, likelihood of the field growing or shrinking over time, and so forth. This information will help you narrow your choices down to a select one or two ultimate job goals.
Search for educational opportunities in your area or online, and determine what the entry requirements are for each field of study. Make comparisons.
In some fields, it's possible to supplement self-taught skills with a few classes or an associate degree, and move right into the job market. The more education you get in the field, the better your income will probably be in the long run, but there are entry level jobs even for people with little education.
Look in to professional certifications. Even without a college degree an MCSE or A+ certification can gain you significant credibility.
Seek internships at reputable companies. An internship at Google or Microsoft will open a lot of doors for you later.
Write a competitive resume&e acute; and list it at Monster.com and/or other prominent internet job sites. Include any cities you'd be interested in moving to.
Take the best entry level job you can get, and in your spare time, focus on honing your skills and on keeping up with the constantly evolving applications, hardware, and software that you'll need to utilize.
Enjoy your new found celebrity geek status and your six-figure paycheck!


Don't give up hope. The fields of information technology are competitive and hectic.
Be prepared for constant change and a need to steadily increase your wealth of knowledge.
Have a strong sense of curiosity and a desire to know how things work.
Bring your unlimited patience. This field can often be frustrating.


Think carefully about your final career choice. Is this something you'll still want to do after 12 hours of things not going according to plan? What about a daily serving of constant frustration? Be sure this is what you want.
Expect dead ends. Sometimes, there are no easy solutions. Sometimes, you just have to start over.
Don't pick a job for the money. Pick it for your passion in that field. Then pick the highest paying job with the best opportunities.
When things go wrong, the IT department are the first ones to be blamed. When things go right, IT are the last ones to get credit. Do the job because you love it. Otherwise, you'll hate it.

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Stop Eating Chocolate All of the Time

Chocolate cravings can be incredibly hard to stop, especially if you have been indulging in a bar or two of chocolate each day. Although research has shown the benefits of chocolate, these benefits are outweighed when we consume way too much chocolate and take in large amounts of saturated fat, caffeine, sugar and possibly an array of flavorings and fillings. Once you realize that it is time to pull back on the chocolate consumption, it's time to take it seriously and stop eating chocolate all of the time.

Be realistic. Cut down on rather than cut out chocolate. If you make a decision to completely deprive yourself of chocolate, it is likely that you will not succeed and your habit may well escalate. The truth is that chocolate makes most people feel good and has its own way of making us want to come back for more.
Schedule reasonable occasions for when you can indulge in a little chocolate, such as after a sports game you have played in, after a hike, on the weekend etc. Map out the times when you are most likely to reach for chocolate, such as the afternoon slump or when you feel bored, and reach for a glass of water or a handful of nuts or sultanas instead. Do something rather than letting boredom be the source of your desire to munch away.
Back up realism with quality. Go for quality in small amounts rather than eating large amounts of poor quality chocolate. Good quality chocolate is high in cocoa and generally lacks fillings and artificial flavorings and colorings. If you avoid "candy chocolate", suddenly a lot of chocolate choices are off the menu and you will find it easier to enjoy quality chocolate properly on suitable occasions.
Avoid places where chocolate is on display. Walk on the other side of the street rather than by the window of that sweet little chocolate shop. When you go to the grocery store, avoid walking by the chocolate aisle. At the checkout, try to go for the checkout that is confectionery free, or simply look elsewhere.
Don't keep chocolate in the house. Temptation is only at the reach of a hand when you keep chocolate stashes in the home.
Try to substitute chocolate with less fattening options. Try gum, fruit, small amounts of dried fruit or celery sticks.
Consider whether your daily chocolate cravings may be a form of food addiction. Chocolate contains chemicals that make us feel good. If you are relying in this aspect of chocolate regularly, it may be that you need to face underlying reasons as to why you seek chocolate as a source of medicating or calming yourself on a daily basis. If you are stressed, suffering from anxiety disorders or you aren't quite sure what's wrong, seek professional assistance to deal with the root of the problem.

You may eat chocolate occasionally, but only if you think that you won't become addicted to it again.
Carob is still a source of saturated fat and does not contain the same elements that make chocolate so delicious. If you make a decision to substitute carob for chocolate on the grounds that it will be a fair taste substitute and that it is healthier for you, you are going down the wrong track. It is better to eat smaller amounts of high quality chocolate than to indulge in supermarket quality carob drops that contain hydrogenated vegetable fat, sweeteners and just as many calories. If you genuinely enjoy carob, by all means eat it but also keep it in moderation and seek quality versions of it.
Accept those times in life when the only comforter on Earth is chocolate; sometimes these days happen and once in a while, giving in to this need will not harm you.
Chocolate can bring on headaches in some people (it has a high content of phenylethylamine). If you notice such a connection when you consume chocolate, you have an added incentive to cut down. Heartburn and acid reflux can also occur from eating chocolate. Unfortunately, chocolate is also a culprit in swelling, so downing it at that time of the month may be counterproductive![2]


You may become addicted to whatever you are using as a substitute for chocolate. If so, recognize that you have an addictive nature when it comes to food and find coping techniques for dealing with this.