Life after bankruptcy

[tired_of_debt]

It has been a long and pretty terrifying road with having to file chapter 7 and I learned a few hard lessons in humility, but I am working toward correcting what I did wrong. I wrote an honest assessment of my budget in an excel program and I am inputting the information every month so I don't lose track of where my money goes. I canceled some unnecessary cable services (digital box and a premium channel) that will save me about 20 bucks a month. I applied for 1 secured card and was approved and will pay that off each and every month and only use if for gas. I canceled a virtual line with my vonage phone service (I heartily recommend Vonage to anyone trying to save money on phone bills - I call anywhere and everywhere I want night or day, have a fax line that is needed for work, and my bill is less than 45 per month). I have disputed incorrectly reported items on my credit report with transunion and experian. I am still working on equifax. I do my shopping at Aldi's for major grocery items and save a bundle. A little less convenient but worth it in the long run. My daughters and I treat ourselves to an occasional movie (viewed at home) and an occasional pizza on the night we watch the movie. I am learning to do things with them that are NOT expensive...no more 60-dollar dinners out. I am also teaching them their way around the kitchen from time to time. If we have roast chicken one night, we have chicken soup or chicken and dumplings 2 days later. AND I am staying away from online casinos and shopping and no more payday loans. It will take me months to years to get back to where I want to be and the climb will, no doubt, be uphill, but simply being able to answer my phone without fear and my door without fear and go to the mailbox without fear has been a godsend. I am putting my faith in God and friends and family who supported and commiserated with me through it all. I have renewed faith (and a small but positive amount in my checking account.)

[arkienurse]

Way to go. Just remember one day at a time.

I am working on ways to adjust my budget now, so that I can have some extra to help my son pay for college. We need to come up with about $1000/semester. The rest he has scholarship and can get student loan for.

[edwards2]

I know what you mean about developing a different financial lifestyle. We arent there yet either - we still have to "make up" for some financial hits but slowly but surely we will be there too; it will just take time. We have stopped the $60 eating out thing too. We used to have a date night and while we didnt always spend $60 we spent at least $200 a month and in between fast food at least 2x a month. It wasnt a lot of money but it does add up. You can find things to do that dont cost as much. My son has been on a health kick so he is not into a lot of fast food anyway anymore. Once a week he indulges but that is it. I think everyone needs to get out once in a while but right now we have home repairs to do and private school tuition so they take precedence. We are doing the disputing too and have been at it since September of 2005. There are several credit card companies who were included in BK who are really digging their heels in about reporting. I think I won one but Providian refuses to budge. I am going to have to contact them again now. I am determined with them because I had a credit card with them for over 10 years and was late one time...the month before BK...actually I wasnt late I just didnt pay them and they went ballistic and then sold my account to another lender. Pretty slick...hard to dispute that because now obviously they dont care. Our credit score has not moved in months even though we are paying on unsecured cards - in full every month. It is discouraging. I know the lenders say 650 will get you a loan no problem. We dont want a loan I just want to see that what we are doing will pay off and it hasnt as of yet. You sound like you are on the right track though..good luck!

[13inOR]

One thing I have to say about chapter 13 is that it forces you to live within a budget, so even though we have just now paid off our plan, we feel as though we have been living a post-bk lifestyle for a while now.
We have found it easier to plan ahead and actually have a little money left by the next payday even though we were paying a huge payment to the trustee. GO FIGURE????
Now that we are done and will have a larger income, we are trying to build a good savings account for unexpected emergencies so we never again have to be in the situation of "do we fix the car so I can go to work, or do we pay the mortgage?" UGH. Not to mention the HORRIFIC cycle of payday loans.
They are from the devil for sure!!!!!!
We take it day by day but we sure have learned a lot and hope to be able to implement what we have learned the hard way, for the rest of our lives!

[aa06a47]

It has been a long and pretty terrifying road with having to file chapter 7 and I learned a few hard lessons in humility, but I am working toward correcting what I did wrong. I wrote an honest assessment of my budget in an excel program and I am inputting the information every month so I don't lose track of where my money goes. I canceled some unnecessary cable services (digital box and a premium channel) that will save me about 20 bucks a month. I applied for 1 secured card and was approved and will pay that off each and every month and only use if for gas. I canceled a virtual line with my vonage phone service (I heartily recommend Vonage to anyone trying to save money on phone bills - I call anywhere and everywhere I want night or day, have a fax line that is needed for work, and my bill is less than 45 per month). I have disputed incorrectly reported items on my credit report with transunion and experian. I am still working on equifax. I do my shopping at Aldi's for major grocery items and save a bundle. A little less convenient but worth it in the long run. My daughters and I treat ourselves to an occasional movie (viewed at home) and an occasional pizza on the night we watch the movie. I am learning to do things with them that are NOT expensive...no more 60-dollar dinners out. I am also teaching them their way around the kitchen from time to time. If we have roast chicken one night, we have chicken soup or chicken and dumplings 2 days later. AND I am staying away from online casinos and shopping and no more payday loans. It will take me months to years to get back to where I want to be and the climb will, no doubt, be uphill, but simply being able to answer my phone without fear and my door without fear and go to the mailbox without fear has been a godsend. I am putting my faith in God and friends and family who supported and commiserated with me through it all. I have renewed faith (and a small but positive amount in my checking account.)

When I did my budget, I found so much that I spend on little crap each day, 3 or 4 dollars a day in the vending machine at work, as you mentioned cable tv, and the list goes on and on. Brother, I know what you mean about the phone calls, the knocks on the door, dreading going to the mail box...brother, do I know.

[bellagad]

you are a insperation for your post here and no matter how hard it seems it will get better, your positive post to my problems have been a tremedous help and i know you will do well.

[tinroofrusted]

Way to go. Just remember one day at a time.

I am working on ways to adjust my budget now, so that I can have some extra to help my son pay for college. We need to come up with about $1000/semester. The rest he has scholarship and can get student loan for.

I admire this completely. I had to pay for and work my entire way through college; my parents didn't lift a finger, or even provide much emotional support for that matter.

BTW- I was born and raised in AR!

[edwards2]

tin...I am so sorry for you...shame on your parents. FYI I had to pay my way too as did my husband. We had 7 kids in my family so my parents couldnt afford to and my husband's family had 5. My parents and his provided the emotional support though so they did do something. We are trying to save for our son too. He is a junior in high school and has a 3.9 average at a private school. Tennessee offers a lottery scholarship if you have either a 3.0 or a 21 on the ACT. My son has the GPA and scored a 24 on the ACT his first try. He will take it again of course. Tennessee finally wised up and got the lottery. A lot of people have won money(not me - just pocket change money) and a lot of students can now go to college because of it so it is a win-win...wish they had had that when I went to college.

[Minnymouth]

Sounds like all of you have found you a "game plan" to follow for the future....

THAT IS A GOOD THING........ sticking too it is the hardest....... but if you have the will - you can....

My Hats Off to All of You,

"YOU ARE BANKRUPTCY SURVIORS ON THE WAY TO RECOVERY"

Minny

[arkienurse]

I admire this completely. I had to pay for and work my entire way through college; my parents didn't lift a finger, or even provide much emotional support for that matter.

BTW- I was born and raised in AR!

Cool, you northern or southern Arkansan? I was born in PineBluff. When I was 10, we moved to a small town on the border and I actually lived less than 100 feet into Lousiana, but went to school and have always lived other wise in AR.

As to DS, since I posted this he has been awarded 2 small( $800 and $500) non renewable scholarships, so I am not worried about the first semester. I do worry about him though. Because of his extracurricular activities he has never been able to have a job during the school year, only at summer break. He is going to have to have some sort of job when he goes off to northern Arkansas. I might be able to send him 20 or 30 a week for gas, but that will be the limit. And only if I am able to figure out where I can get our expenses down more to make up for the loss of SS income for him.

And havent caught up on posts yet so I dont know- what ever did you end up doing about your bridesmaid?

[dscurlock]

have a talk to my wife...

It has been a long and pretty terrifying road with having to file chapter 7 and I learned a few hard lessons in humility, but I am working toward correcting what I did wrong. I wrote an honest assessment of my budget in an excel program and I am inputting the information every month so I don't lose track of where my money goes. I canceled some unnecessary cable services (digital box and a premium channel) that will save me about 20 bucks a month. I applied for 1 secured card and was approved and will pay that off each and every month and only use if for gas. I canceled a virtual line with my vonage phone service (I heartily recommend Vonage to anyone trying to save money on phone bills - I call anywhere and everywhere I want night or day, have a fax line that is needed for work, and my bill is less than 45 per month). I have disputed incorrectly reported items on my credit report with transunion and experian. I am still working on equifax. I do my shopping at Aldi's for major grocery items and save a bundle. A little less convenient but worth it in the long run. My daughters and I treat ourselves to an occasional movie (viewed at home) and an occasional pizza on the night we watch the movie. I am learning to do things with them that are NOT expensive...no more 60-dollar dinners out. I am also teaching them their way around the kitchen from time to time. If we have roast chicken one night, we have chicken soup or chicken and dumplings 2 days later. AND I am staying away from online casinos and shopping and no more payday loans. It will take me months to years to get back to where I want to be and the climb will, no doubt, be uphill, but simply being able to answer my phone without fear and my door without fear and go to the mailbox without fear has been a godsend. I am putting my faith in God and friends and family who supported and commiserated with me through it all. I have renewed faith (and a small but positive amount in my checking account.)

You need to have a talk with my wife, do you know what a dinner for two
costs at TGIF's... plus several glasses of alcohol...we can blow $75-100 easily.. which im trying to put and end to all this spending she does...I just helped save her credit, and she wants to piss it down the drain, and im waiting for my BK to start....