A budget that accounts for your current living expenses is only part of it, because your needs are likely to change. You ll probably be working more out of the home, for example, so you should budget more for childcare. And remember that you ll no longer be covered by your husband s health plan, and you may also need more life and disability insurance. A house is an incredible drain on cash flow, with payments for insurance, property taxes, not to mention unexpected repairs. As for pensions and retirement plans, there is a lot to think about.
Pensions are tricky, because they differ from company to company.
Often actuaries are called in to do the valuation. If you receive alimony or child support, make sure that your ex has enough disability and life insurance to keep up those payments in a crisis situation. You should also take out additional life and disability insurance for yourself. This is crucial for divvying up retirement assets and for building on them. Then focus on saving what you can to close the gap between what you have and what you ll need.