In this episode, Kate was joined by Mat Megens, founder and CEO of HyperJar, to discuss budgeting during divorce and separation. 

Mat started his career in Canada and the USA as an electrical engineer designing circuit boards for telecom companies big and small. He then made a career switch into finance which is what brought him to London. He worked in fixed income for both Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley, where the idea for HyperJar was inspired. He then worked for IFC, part of The World Bank, helping to setup up financing products in developing nations around the world before finally making the leap to entrepreneurship. Mat combined his engineering and finance careers along with his frustrations as a saving-oriented consumer to launch HyperJar. HyperJar is a free-to-the-consumer app that helps people plan and navigate their journey from depositing money to spending it. 

In this episode, Kate and Mat talk about the idea of budgeting during divorce and separation. They explore the freedom that’s gained from having a better grasp on your money and being able to save. Divorce is often seen as such a negative event in financial terms, but Mat’s tips turn that idea on its head and show how cathartic and life-changing taking control of your finances can be. Mat describes the idea of underspending, giving you a buffer for life’s unexpected hurdles, this is particularly useful in the wake of the cost of living crisis. He believes budgeting and saving is a mindset which can be learned and taught – an invaluable skill you can pass down to your children. Mat is divorced himself and describes his divorce as an opportunity to improve his and his ex-partner’s spending habits and lifestyle. Viewing budgeting through this lens is an empowering step you can take to give you more financial freedom and control if you are separating in these financially trying times. Mat ends the episode by sharing his top budgeting tips.