what about dancing expenses

[helpsoneeded]

I have 2 daughters that dance and pay about 200 a month for that. Is this a deduction that i could use?

[woeisme]

I doubt it unless you have a really nice trustee/judge. You could try padding some of the other expense items that might be allowed though, and using it for the dance lessons. Maybe childcare?

[AboutToBK13]

You are allowed a certain amount for entertainment. At least we are in PA. We are putting down $250.00 per month for a family of 5. That cover things like soccer, dance, etc.

[shadowb]

We got nothing

We got nothing, zero, zilch for entertainment. In order for me to pay for a tutor and further testing for my child, I am going to have to squeeze that out of our grocery allowance. Apparently our trustee doesn't believe children need entertainment. We are in Louisiana.

[Flamingo]

We got nothing, zero, zilch for entertainment. In order for me to pay for a tutor and further testing for my child, I am going to have to squeeze that out of our grocery allowance. Apparently our trustee doesn't believe children need entertainment. We are in Louisiana.

Unfortunately it's difficult to do lifestyle changes during a Chapter 13. Many things you or your family did before have to come to a stop for a while. Happens to us all. If your trustee will not allow that expense or any others as to the children, explain to them that it will just have to stop for a while but that they will continue when finances will allow. Unfortunately, it's hard but be proactive about the situation and see if you can form a group of the children in your childrens' dance class to maybe get together on weekends at someone's house to dance and practice. That would give your children something to look forward to and not have to give up dance during the interim.

[BKOnce]

Dancing is luxury item. When people are happy/rich they dance. When they are sad/trouble, they should not.

[Flamingo]

Dancing is luxury item. When people are happy/rich they dance. When they are sad/trouble, they should not.

Dancing is not a luxury item for children it is an activity and learning experience and is what the children want to do and not pushed upon them by parents. Unfortunately, it is something not provided by schools and covered by school funds (i.e., football, basketball) so children interested in dancing or similar activities (i.e., ice skating) suffer from the loss of the activity, and other activities where a cost is involved, if parents have to file Chapter 13 and there are no funds to pay for continuation of the activity. In those situations, you have to be proactive for your children and your family and find an alternative or get a grandparent or relative, if possible, to help out with the dance costs so the children can continue. Or, as I stated in my previous post, organize a weekly dance group where all the kids can get together and dance. That way the kids won't feel it so bad.

[rilbrianne]

Lets not go on about luxury or not. Look on your means test or the local schedules/forms for your area. There should be a place for things like that although I'm not sure what "category" it falls under. We did have a column for that, as well as magazine subscriptions, eating out, etc. The trustee doesn't expect you to get by with food and clothes and that's it. You are allowed a few extras, especially when you have kids.

[MomIcantFindmy]

Our trustee would never allow stuff like that. She won't even allow $250 for medical insurance. (That is a common sense item to me). She won't allow cable or anything like that. She states that the debtor is not contributing all disposable income to the plan and the judge has agreed with her so far. A huge percentage of the chap 13 plans fail. Hence, the reason we have not filed yet.

[AboutToBK13]

Schedule J, Line Item 9, has a line item for "entertainment."

http://www.usdoj.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/defs/docs/samples/BK_Form_B6J_V1.pdf

[arkienurse]

I have 2 daughters that dance and pay about 200 a month for that. Is this a deduction that i could use?

Like the others said, probably not as an outright expense. However, our lawyer budgeted 100/mo for "entertainment". I cut my daughter's dance classes back to the point that that 100 covered not only the dance tuition, but also the costumes. Harder to do with 2 girls, I know. Perhaps have each one chose the class she loves the most and let her keep that one, then cut out the others for a few years. There is also the "beans and rice plan" where you skin back your grocery bill to the absolute minimum it can be and still be nutritious.

My oldest is looking forward to this fall, when I have told her she is no longer limited to 2 classes, but can take a few more. Youngest DD started dance this year, so hasn't been a problem with her yet.

[arkienurse]

Our trustee would never allow stuff like that. She won't even allow $250 for medical insurance. (That is a common sense item to me). She won't allow cable or anything like that. She states that the debtor is not contributing all disposable income to the plan and the judge has agreed with her so far. A huge percentage of the chap 13 plans fail. Hence, the reason we have not filed yet.

Excuse my language please, but how the HE** can health insurance be disposable income??

[SANRA308]

I Noticed That The New Irs Allowances Give Like $56 Per Person Under The Age Of 65 [this Does Not Include The Cost Of Insurance] This Is For Presciptions Ect. When We Filled We Put Down $225 For Presciptions Of Which We Had Even Provided Proof Of. That Was Cut Back To $100 Even Though These Were Asthma Meds For Kids They Thought $225 Seemed To High

[MomIcantFindmy]

Excuse my language please, but how the HE** can health insurance be disposable income??

That is exactly what I said and what has me worried the most. I read many cases from this trustee and it seems she trys to squeeze out every drop of blood from people. The percentage of her 13's that are dismissed part way through the plan is around 60-70. Yet the judge keeps agreeing with her. Yet you look at the 7's and they seem to sail right through with very few problems (different trustee and judge). It has me scratching my head and holding off to file. At this point I would rather take a judgement if I have to file a 13.

[woeisme]

Could some of those that are bare bones CH 13 be because there is a high amount of secured debt? Sometimes if the CH 13 schedule shows such a small amount of payback that the creditors would get more $ if the debtor filed CH 7 instead (for example, in cases where homes have lots of equity or are other high value assets) then the CH 13 trustee/judge have to have a plan where the creditors would get at least as much as they would if the debtor filed CH 7 and had to liquidate their assets. Just a possibility as to why some CH 13 require higher paybacks and have little allowances for expenses, may not be the case in all situations, but sometimes a CH 13 budget has to be bare bones and requires a lot more $ than normal to save some assets.