I don't know who these happy divorcees are; I didn't want my first marriage to end because I knew exactly how hard it was going to be, and it was. I DID, fortunately, meet a very good man to whom I've now been married for 17 years. We don't have a lot of money but we have learned to live on very little. Can you get a roommate? Do you have family that can help you? Once your children are grown, you can move to a cheaper area. I cannot imagine how anyone covers the cost of living there. I live in a cheap area and that helps.