I don't know how old you are or what stage in life you are facing, but your story sounds a lot like mine.
At 23 my wife moved out leaving me with $2500, a kid, credit card debt, and a mortgage. I was working shifts in a factory. 20 years later I still only have a community college diploma, but I have built a career off it, remarried, more kids, comfortable income, saving towards a goal of leaving the race.
I suggest you save as much as humanly possible. Live poor to get rich. You will be fine.
Questions to consider:
1. What are divorce laws like in California? Will you split net worth later, or has this already happened? Will the split be 50%-50% or different? Can you document your savings post breakup so they are protected?
2. Are kids involved - if so, what capacity do you have to raise them, and what financial help do you anticipate from EX-Dude?
3. Is further education a possibility? If so what fields are candidates, and what financial impact would further education have? At your age, will the cost of education be recovered, and how quickly (In my case, college made sense, but a degree did not). The diploma has made all the difference.
4. What does your life map look like going forward? If you don't have one, sit down and draft a plan. ie:
- At 30 I will make $XX,000, live in a XXXXXXX, be in/out of a relationship, have X children.
- At 40 I will make $XXX,000, working as a XXXXXXX, live in a XXXXXXX, be in/out of a relationship, have X children. Investments will include -XXXXXXX
- At 50 I will make $XXX,000, be retired, live in a XXXXXXX, be in/out of a relationship, have X children. Investments will include -XXXXXXX
The purpose of this plan is to act as a ruler going forward to measure your reality against your expectations, and also to be a promise to yourself of what you will strive for. Of immediate importance, it will give you something other than the breakup to focus on.
My map had me living on a 10 acre hobby farm by now. I got close (2 acres) and found I hated it, so I changed the plan. Totally allowed. Maybe you dream of working as a cowgirl on a ranch, once you get there you may find you're allergic to horses - change the plan and revise. Its not the achieving that counts, its the striving toward the goals.
Edit to add - I really hope you start a journal. I'd love to see you progress.