Summer Camp

[arlington]

Question....If I want to change my kids summer camp program next year to one that cost more than what I paid this year do I list the cost of the new program in the Schedule J or the cost of what I paid this past summer in the Schedule J?

Also...my youngest child will be attending camp next year...do I include that cost now in the Schedule J or do I make an amendment next year?

[lrprn]

Question....If I want to change my kids summer camp program next year to one that cost more than what I paid this year do I list the cost of the new program in the Schedule J or the cost of what I paid this past summer in the Schedule J? Also...my youngest child will be attending camp next year...do I include that cost now in the Schedule J or do I make an amendment next year?

Arlington, I hate to be the bearer of potentially bad news here, but your trustee is not likely to accept a listed Ch 13 plan cost for summer camp because it's not a requirement that kids attend summer camp.

If you can bury the money in your family entertainment expenses, that might work. But most trustees aren't going to allow more than about $50/month - not enough to pay for most summer camps I'm aware of.

Ask your lawyer what how he/she thinks your trustee is going to react to adding in this kind of cost and where you might be able to bury the costs in your expenses and stay under what the trustee is going to accept.

And I'm not saying this to hurt your feelings....far from it....but one of the hardest things about filing Ch 13 bankruptcy is the need to examine current expenses and where we can, to reduce spending by giving up 'wants', not needs, to free up money for emergencies that are bound to happen over the life of your plan.

I'm a mom too and completely understand not wanting to disappoint your kids. But this is also a golden opportunity to teach the kids a valuable life lesson as well - you can't spend more than you have. When you do spend more, then you have to give things up until your finances get better.

If you all work together as a family to save the money for camp next year by cutting out things here and there, think how much more that will mean to the kids if they get to go!

[Granny]

Would camp be in lieu of daycare perhaps?

My granddaughter is in a mother's day out program, 2 days a week. I was prepared to argue this one as it gave me time to earn the measly income that I have, at least as far as they were concerned.

[arlington]

Would camp be in lieu of daycare perhaps?

My granddaughter is in a mother's day out program, 2 days a week. I was prepared to argue this one as it gave me time to earn the measly income that I have, at least as far as they were concerned.

HI Granny. Yes...the summer camp would be in lieu of daycare and after care...just more expensive.

[MOMof3]

Don't have your lawyer list it as a summer camp. List it as child care expenses. Find the most expensive daycare in your area and get their price list for regular full-time care & use that number as your daycare number. We were expecting our 3rd child when we filed, so we used daycare numbers from the most expensive daycare that we could find (infant care is expensive)!! I also included daycare expense for my other to school aged kids for the summer...we just averaged it out for the year. Also make sure you include any random other daycare expenses as well, like hiring a sitter to go to meetings, school breaks, etc... Our daycare costs were one of our budget items that wasn't even questioned.