u/BitesBloomsAndBrains

Hi! I am in the home stretch of divorce negotiations and struggling a little bit with what my monthly finances should look like once I’m single. I just turned 40. I will have a decently-funded 401k (300k) and will keep 75k in an index fund. I will have at least 3 months of expenses in a high yield savings. I’ll continue to contribute 6% to my 401k (though I’m considering dropping to 4% initially). I will use a good chunk of my settlement to pay off student loans and then put down on a house. But once my monthly expenses are paid (mortgage, utilities, insurance, etc), how much should I have left over for general savings and discretionary spending? I did not grow up with extra money… I was the first in my family to go to college so even having a decently paying career at 40 is unheard of in my family. I am vacillating between feeling like I’m in a great position and feeling like I am on the verge of being broke and I am terrified of my son growing up like I did.