The key difference between the Married Filing Separately verses the Filing Single status is if you are legally married on the last day of the tax year (December 31st for most people). No other day during the year matters for . . . .
The debate about whether a budget is a necessity or a waste of time often centers on a fundamentally flawed definition of budgeting. The exercise of budgeting shouldn’t be designed to limit you, but to give you the freedom to spend money in the manner you wish to spend it.