Podcast Summary: HerMoney with Jean Chatzky

Episode: A Week In Her Wallet: A Divorced 47-Year-Old Bringing In $10K A Month
Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Jean Chatzky
Guest: Jennifer (“Jen Keller”)

Overview

This episode continues the “A Week in Her Wallet” series, offering a real-life peek into the spending habits, values, and financial strategies of Jennifer, a divorced 47-year-old earning approximately $10,000 per month. Jennifer lives with her partner of 12+ years, enjoys a high-powered career, manages a beach property in Delaware, and takes a pragmatic, independent approach to her personal finances. The conversation delves into her weekly expenses, how partnership shapes money decisions (especially after divorce), her attitudes toward “splurging” vs. saving, and her long-term planning as she approaches retirement age.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Introductions & Financial Snapshot

[04:13]

• Jennifer works as the lead of strategic communications at an engineering firm, earning ~$210,000/year.
• Her partner, a high school teacher and part-time voiceover artist, earns ~$110,000/year.
• They co-own their home and manage finances separately, maintaining a "roommate" style approach.

Retirement Planning as a Couple

[05:18]

• Both have pursued independent retirement savings (401k for Jennifer, pension for her partner).
• No formalized “unit-based” retirement plan—recognizes the need to coordinate their goals as a couple despite not being married.

“We have our own personal goals, but we’ve really never sat down with anybody and talked about our joint goals. And it’s probably time to do that.” — Jennifer [05:18]

Budgeting & Weekly Spend Tracking

[06:37]

• Jennifer keeps a joint budget for recurring and household expenses, with separate “pots” for discretionary spending.
• Describes the experience of tracking each day as "fun" and eye-opening, especially to see how some days are “zero spend” while others spike due to eating out or travel.
• Biggest “leakage” in budget is dining out, but she reframes it as a source of joy, not waste.

“I say waste because I think that's how society perceives it, but I don't perceive it that way… It is a big part of our lives and we enjoy it very much.” — Jennifer [08:43]

The High Cost of Cable and Internet

[09:49]

• Jennifer’s $224/month Comcast bill is her largest recurring expense after housing.
• She explains her strategy: regularly renegotiate for package deals that include Netflix and Apple TV, dismisses the “cut the cord” trend as not necessarily cheaper.

“Even though people act like cutting the cord is a better deal, I’m not convinced. I think it would probably add up to roughly the same.” — Jennifer [09:58]

“It takes like an hour… to call them, be on hold, get to the right person, and then work through all of this. But… I like to flip channels. I like Bravo. That’s important.” — Jennifer [13:16]

Shopping Habits: Target Pickup & Grocery Philosophy

[14:41]

• Pandemic made Jennifer a “curbside pickup girl” and an avid user of Target’s drive-up service.
• Likes the efficiency but realizes it might not save significant money—avoids impulse aisle buys but still easily orders what she wants online.
• Prefers shopping in-person for groceries, citing the need to select quality produce.

Relationship & Money: Splitting Costs After Divorce

[16:15/16:23]

• Jennifer and her partner maintain separate finances, splitting big bills but not nitpicking over small purchases.
• Past divorces, children (from his prior marriage), and property complexities inform their decision not to merge finances.

“We handle most of our expenses kind of a roommate setup… We've been together for a long time... but we've been working toward retirement independently.” — Jennifer [16:23]

“Both of our divorces were like an absolute nightmare… so it’s just worked for us.” — Jennifer [18:48]

Philosophy on Gift Giving

[20:01 – 21:35]

• Budget for gifts is modest due to a small family; uses a “pot” of money for gifts when events arise.
• Finds writing checks old-fashioned but continues this tradition.
• Prefers giving cash over buying gifts, to simplify and ensure usefulness.

“It took two months for that check [graduation gift] to get cashed. So I had to reach out to my friend—oh my God, should I have Venmoed this?” — Jennifer [21:35]

Second Home: Beach Property in Delaware

[25:28 – 27:43]

• Property was initially a rental, now occupied by Jennifer’s retired parents after a pandemic-driven family reorganization.
• Currently prioritizes accelerated mortgage payments, even with a low 2.5% interest rate, feeling it’s a reasonable place to send “extra” savings after maxing out her 401k and HSA.
• Views the beach house as a long-term family asset; recognizes need to diversify investments beyond real estate and basic retirement accounts.

Balancing Frugality & Enjoyment: What’s a Splurge?

[29:56]

• Friends tease Jennifer for being frugal, but she’s unafraid to splurge on experiences—vacations, nice meals, massages.
• DIYs certain aspects (manicures, facials) to save, but doesn’t scrimp on what brings her genuine happiness.

“I’m happy to be frugal and live rather simply most of the time so that I can splurge when the opportunity presents itself… I spend money freely on the things that really do make me happy or are important to me.” — Jennifer [33:01]

Money Personality Types

[32:16 – 34:02]

• Jennifer took the HerMoney “Money Type” quiz; identified as 95% producer, 64% connoisseur—mirroring Jean Chatzky.
• She describes this as being motivated to work hard, but also to direct spending at things she truly values.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Eating Out:
  “We eat in at least four nights and then typically go out three nights. We’re not going to inexpensive or fast casual places necessarily… It is a big part of our lives and we enjoy it very much.” — Jennifer [08:43]

• On Splitting Expenses with Her Partner:
  “We handle most of our expenses kind of a roommate setup… bills and other purchases we generally split.” — Jennifer [16:23]
  “We’re not one of those Venmo couples that sends each other money for coffee and that kind of thing. It’s not like to that extreme… but for us it's just the way we've rolled now for a long time.” — Jennifer [18:48]

• On Cable/Streaming Bills:
  “Every year or two… I call and see if I can get a better package deal. We had been paying, I think, $260… When I called to see what we could do… I asked if we could do something to bring it down and then roll in the Netflix.” — Jennifer [11:10]

• On Financial Independence:
  “I always have kind of hoarded my money for a rainy day…the whole have six months of your expenses covered. I probably have like three years of my expenses covered. So I'm like a little bit extreme in that way.” — Jennifer [18:48]

• On Giving Cash for Gifts:
  “I don’t know what kids are into, really. And so I’m happy to give money because then I don’t have to think it through.” — Jennifer [21:35]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [04:13] – Jennifer introduces herself, career, income, and partner’s work.
• [05:18] – Discussing joint vs. separate retirement plans.
• [06:37] – How she budgets and the experience of tracking spending for a week.
• [09:49] – [14:04] – Debate over the true cost of cable/streaming; strategies to minimize the bill.
• [14:41] – [15:42] – Target curbside pickup: benefits, habits, and impact on spending.
• [16:15] – [18:48] – How finances are split in her relationship and why, given both are divorced.
• [20:01] – [21:35] – Approach to gift giving, checks vs. Venmo, planning or not planning for gifts.
• [25:28] – [27:43] – Ownership and financial management of the Delaware beach property.
• [29:56] – Weighing frugality vs. “splurging”; where she intentionally invests her money for happiness.
• [32:16] – [34:02] – Jennifer’s money personality: Producer-Connoisseur; philosophy on working hard and spending with intention.

Overall Tone and Takeaways

Jean Chatzky’s conversation with Jennifer is candid, warm, and practical—combining humor with relatable insights. Jennifer’s approach is emblematic of post-divorce financial independence: pragmatic, a little cautious, yet empowering and value-driven. She balances careful saving (sometimes bordering on “extreme,” her word) with unapologetic spending on experiences and comforts that enhance her life. The episode is resonant for anyone navigating finances with a long-term partner, after divorce, or simply striving for a guilt-free, intentional relationship with money.

For Further Exploration:

• Take the Money Type quiz at HerMoney.com to identify your financial personality.
• Consider semi-annual reviews of recurring bills (like cable/internet).
• Use joint budgeting discussions as an opportunity to assess long-term goals, even if accounts remain separate.