As you get older, you'll need to start being careful with your money. Perhaps you've always exercised frugality and financial maturity. Maybe you're more careless with your spending, and these adjustments won't come as easily for you.

In either case, as you move further into adulthood, you should think about diversifying. You should look into an IRA or a 401K if your job offers one. You should learn about mutual funds, stocks and bonds, and investment basics.

However, while planning for your future is great, sometimes things happen that impact your finances significantly. Perhaps you were ready for these events, or maybe one of them blindsides you.

Let's look at six things that can happen in your life that can completely turn your financial situation around.

Injuries

You might be going along thinking your life is great, but then you sustain an injury. Medical expenses related to your injuries can easily cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. You might have to pay for:

• Surgery

• Medication

• Physical therapy

You can sometimes recoup some of the money to pay for these things if you bring a lawsuit against the responsible party. If you can't blame anyone but yourself for what happened, you're stuck shelling out whatever it costs to get you well again.

Marriage

Perhaps you live for quite a while as an adult, thinking you're never going to marry. Maybe you like being single, and the married life doesn't appeal to you.

Then, you meet someone, and you fall head-over-heels in love. If that happens:

• Your feelings on the matter may change

• You might agree to marry if your partner pushes for it

Marriage can impact your finances quite a bit. You might see your bank accounts go either up or down. If you're marrying into money, you might be a lot richer once you tie the knot.

If neither your family nor your partner's family has much money, don't expect to be any wealthier once you're married. In fact, you'll probably have less money, especially if you went all out on the wedding, rings, cake, dress, usher's tuxes, etc.

Divorce

Divorce is a life event that can impact your finances a lot. Perhaps you thought you'd be with your partner forever, but the relationship soured for whatever reason. Maybe it was infidelity, or perhaps the two of you drifted apart as you got older.

Divorce is another situation where you could have either more money when it's over or less. If you're the primary breadwinner, you might have to continue paying your ex alimony for some time afterward. You may have to pay child support.

However, if they made most of the money, they might have to send you some cash every month. This can help you as you're trying to make a fresh start. Remember, though, that if you both signed a prenuptial agreement before you married, neither one of you owes the other one anything if you separate.

Getting a New Job

Your finances can also turn around if you get a new job. Perhaps you had resigned yourself to being in a particular tax bracket. With your education level and skill set, you felt like you reached the pinnacle of your possibilities.

Maybe you happen to find a great job, though. They think so much of you they're willing to pay to send you back to school, or they offer you a managerial position. Perhaps you have a dynamite idea, and you start your own company instead.

If any of those things happen, you may find yourself with more money before too much time passes. You'll doubtless enjoy this new life phase. Maybe you can move from an apartment into a house for the first time, or you can open up a diverse financial portfolio.

You Get Fired or Laid Off

In 2020, millions of Americans must face a grim reality. Covid-19 issues have closed many businesses, such as restaurants, retail establishments, movie theaters, gyms, etc.

Some of them can come back, but many are gone for good. That means mass joblessness. Getting laid off is obviously something that's going to impact your finances, and not for the better.

If your employer lays you off, you'll probably have to look for a new job quickly. At the very least, though, maybe your old boss can give you a glowing recommendation. After all, if they had to close their business, that wasn't your fault.

Maybe your employer fires you instead. If that ever happens, you might not be able to use that particular boss to recommend you. It depends on the reason the company decided to cut you loose.

Sending the Kids to College

Your monetary situation will also take a hit if you send a child to college, or more than one. At least you will know this expense was coming, so you might have some money put away.

Perhaps your child or children can get scholarships that will help them. You might also have to steer them toward a more affordable school if you don't think you can afford a high-end one.

Some college tuitions are more than others, and while you want what's best for your child, you also want to avoid going into massive debt. You might need to have some frank conversations with your kids about this.

While these six occurrences will impact your financial situation, they are hardly the only ones. You might see a windfall if a relative dies. You may have to get a mortgage if you want to buy a house for the first time.

You might pay for elective surgery, buy an expensive pet, or go on a costly vacation. You don't know what life is going to send your way or what you'll decide to pursue.

The thing to do is to be frugal when you can and prepare for the future. That way, when the unexpected does occur, you'll have a nest egg to help you deal with it.