Tough Budgeting Tips as a Single Man (Again) Saving for a New Future

Turns out, the greatest financial wisdom shows up when life guts you clean and you’re left rebuilding from ground zero.

These days, I’m a single bloke on Kangaroo Island, running a window cleaning business that brings in about a grand a week – some weeks only half that. I clock maybe 10–20 hours, then spend the rest budgeting, breathing, and re-calibrating my entire life.

And I’ve learnt that more income doesn’t mean more spending – it means more wisdom. A bit of breathing space is golden, but without a plan, it leaks away like rain through a rusty gutter.
So now I spend smarter. Not tighter – just wiser. Less waste, more intention.

Here’s what’s helping me get through – mindfully, practically, and without losing my bloody mind.

1. Wear Less, Wear Better

Buy fewer clothes – but make ’em count. These days, I don’t need five hoodies and three pairs of worn-out jeans. Just one jacket that fits right, boots that don’t fall apart, and shirts that feel like me. Every thread earns its place.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stephen Mitchell (@ezcreate.media)

2. Stop Eating Like You’re Broke

A man on his own can fall into the two-minute-noodle trap real fast. But I’ve learnt to eat like I care. No, I’m not roasting duck with just yet … but I am choosing real food. Fresh veg, decent meat, proper meals. My gut’s happier, my sleep’s deeper, and the belt’s one notch tighter.

3. Time Is Now Your Most Valuable Asset

When you’re rebuilding a life, every hour matters. I’ve stopped wasting whole afternoons cleaning or procrastinating. I now cook in batches. I schedule life like a builder plans a shed.

4. Sleep Like Your Life Depends On It – Because It Does

After what I’ve been through – emotional burnout, hospital, heartbreak – sleep became sacred. I have a temporary location that has taught me it’s time to upgrade my mattress and started treating rest as recovery, not weakness. These days, eight hours is non-negotiable.

5. Don’t Just Earn It – Learn To Grow It

Even if you’re only clearing a thousand bucks a week, some of that should grow legs. I’m poking around at my other skills – web designing, blog writing, photography. Because being single at fifty-six means I’ve got to build this future alone.

6. Make Mates Who Lift You, Not Drain You

Being newly single showed me which mates show up. I have a lot of great online-friends, which thankfully includes quite a lot of real-world friends. I’m choosing to stick close to those who laugh loud, like to down a few cold ones, and help me rise instead of rattle.

7. Collect Moments, Not Piles Of Crap

Do I need a fourth tripod or another random gadget? Nah. These days, it’s walks on the beach with my camera, playing outdoor and indoor games with my kids, or editing articles and photography. That’s the gold. Not junk. Not noise.

8. Tiny Habits Build The Big Picture

I keep it simple: make the bed, prep meals, tidy the kitchen, breathe slow, write often. Life’s not a sprint. It’s one steady choice after another, stacked like bricks on a shed I’m building from the floor up.

Every dollar has a job. Every habit has a purpose. And every step – however slow – is mine.

Postscript

This is not the life I thought I’d be living at 50 – but it’s mine now. And weirdly, it fits. There’s no backup plan. Just me, two kids I love (both with their Mum), a business that keeps me fed, and a life I’m slowly making sense of. I still fall apart some nights – but each morning, I show up again.