You Deserve Freedom

Money Management Matters in Recovery

Money plays a huge role in our lives. An outsize amount of our time is spent earning money, spending money, and worrying about money. When money is tight, we tend to feel a lot of stress about it. After all, you need money for just about everything.

One clear example of how money and issues related to it can lead to stress is the role money often plays in divorces. In fact, 25 percent of couples—whether they are planning to divorce or not—say money is the biggest source of tension in their marriage.

Why do we bring this up in a blog about recovery? Well, people in recovery from a substance use disorder are well served by managing stress effectively. And that means effectively managing stress around money so that it does not disrupt your sobriety. 

Happily, we have some thoughts on that subject. We are not, of course, financial advisors, so our advice here is basic—but that does not mean it can’t play a role in helping you maintain your hard-won sobriety.

Take Stock of Your Financial Situation When Treatment Ends 

A substance use disorder disrupts many areas of your life. Your friendships and family relationships, for example. Your physical and mental health, for another. 

Several other areas of potential disruption involve your money. For example, your substance use disorder may well cost you your job—or at the very least could cost you opportunities that might have led to more earning power. While you are under the influence, you might make poor financial decisions ranging from making ill-advised purchases to gambling away more money than you can afford to lose (gambling can also become a substitute addiction after you have reclaimed your sobriety). You might have more medical or car repair or other expenses related to the consequences of your substance-fueled behavior. You might even have legal expenses.

Even more directly, a substance use disorder is expensive in and of itself. Buying drugs or alcohol is not cheap, and when you are in the grips of a disorder, you will feel compelled to keep buying them even when it is financially unwise.

All of this is to say that when you go through treatment and reclaim your sobriety, you will likely want to take a clear-eyed look at your financial situation. 

You may find that you have quite a lot of work to do to get your house in order. A foundational way to do that is by making—and then sticking to—a budget.

Budgeting Basics for Those in Recovery (and Anyone Else)

Truth to tell, budgeting is a pretty simple process. It goes like this:

  • Write down how much money you take home each month. Make sure you don’t just divide your yearly salary by 12 because that won’t take into account taxes and other deductions. It is important that you are accurately identifying your “take home” pay for each month.
  • Write down and add up your monthly recurring bills. Your rent or mortgage. Your various utilities. Your car payment. Your student loan payment. Make sure you include all your monthly bills.
  • Make a quality estimate about other recurring expenses. What do you spend on gas each month? How about groceries? This number will fluctuate a bit, but you should be able to zero in on a good estimate without too much effort.
  • Do the math. Which number is higher—your income or your expenses? If it is your income, that is great. Take some of that money and save it for emergencies, for a vacation, or to allow you to replace your old car or for retirement. And hold some back for going out to dinner and the like. If your expenses are higher than your income, you will need to find ways to close the gap. That might mean finding a better paying job or pursuing a raise or finding ways to lower your expenses—or a combination of these things.

We acknowledge that balancing your income and expenses is not necessarily going to be easy—especially if you dug a hole for yourself when you were still using drugs or alcohol. But no matter your current situation, going through this budgeting process can help you get headed in the right direction. And heading in the right direction—in this and other areas of your life—is an important way to firm up the foundation of your sobriety.

A Fact That’s Right on the Money: We Can Help You Get Sober

The highly trained and empathetic staff at Bel Aire Recovery Center—located near Wichita, Kansas—is committed to helping each individual we serve to regain and maintain their sobriety. Our inpatient program includes medically supervised detoxification and a rehabilitation program centered on individual and group therapy sessions. We follow that up with an aftercare program designed to provide ongoing support and resources as your recovery journey gets underway. Outpatient and virtual treatment options are also available. 

When you are ready to get started, we are ready to get to work. 

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