What needs to happen to people’s food and entertainment budgets post-divorce in most cases?

Usually, people's food and entertainment budgets go down somewhat in the aftermath of a divorce. That seems obvious. What may not be as self-evident is my recommendation that, if possible, you keep your food and entertainment expenditures close to what they were before the divorce. That way, you have kept continuity for your kids. Also, you may need, realistically, to eat out more frequently as you adjust to being a single parent. Obviously, your desire for convenience never trumps your kids' needs, but you may find yourself wanting to keep those convenience budgets intact. That said, a lot of people have become addicted to convenience products, particularly individually-packaged foods. I strongly believe that a box of Zip-loc bags and a big container of food bought in bulk will go a long way toward reining in the family food budget.