Best time to go job hunting?

[yomama]

I had been working temp jobs and haven't worked since the summer. I had been calling the temp agencies at least once a week for awhile there so they'd know that I was still interested. Then when we decided to file BK, I thought maybe it wouldn't a good idea for me to get a job right at this time because of the increase in money. Since I work temp jobs, it's no guaranteed income because the assignments each only last for 1-3 months. So just because I'm making a certain $ amount in a particular month doesn't mean that I will the next month, if any. I didn't want my getting a job to ruin anything as far as thing bankruptcy thing goes. Now that we've just filed, could I go looking for a job, or do you think it would be best if I'd wait until after the 341 meeting on January 3rd?

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

happy hunting

i would wait until after your 341 meeting and dont mention anything, after all your just job hunting? you haven't accepted a position yet? if you've filed your papers already, than they already have a snapshot of your financial picture. depending on how much you plan on making, and if you are going into ch7 - try not to create any disposable income!

i had 2 full time jobs, originally i was filing ch13, now that i quit 1 job, im eligible for ch7. i had another 341 meeting and the new trustee did not ask for anything extra, i even got my tax transcripts and copies of my paystubs back! ive even worked a handful of overtime.

happy hunting, catchmeifyoucan

[yomama]

i would wait until after your 341 meeting and dont mention anything, after all your just job hunting? you haven't accepted a position yet? if you've filed your papers already, than they already have a snapshot of your financial picture. depending on how much you plan on making, and if you are going into ch7 - try not to create any disposable income!

i had 2 full time jobs, originally i was filing ch13, now that i quit 1 job, im eligible for ch7. i had another 341 meeting and the new trustee did not ask for anything extra, i even got my tax transcripts and copies of my paystubs back! ive even worked a handful of overtime.

happy hunting, catchmeifyoucan

I was kind of thinking that maybe that would be best, and now that you said that, that's what I'll do. Re: "don't mention anything" Mention what? Job, what job? lol Nope, I haven't accepted any position. Jobs are pretty scarce in my area actually and I didn't think I'd go off work for so many months, but maybe it's working out for the best anyway. I'm afraid if I'd be working, the courts/trustee would think that we always have that income, and I'm not sure if it would throw us into a chapter 13. I know it could turn out disastrous if that would be the case. If I'd only have the job a month or two (most likely) and then wouldn't have an income for awhile and we'd still be expected to pay a certain amount to creditors, I don't see how we'd do it and we'd end up then having to re-file, and under a chapter 7 like we're doing now, which would mean paying all that money all over again, right? I mean to the lawyer, the courts, counseling. At least I have the impression that you're starting all over from scratch...I think.

As it is now, we don't have any disposable income. Once our expenses were subtracted from our income, we came out about $2.50 ahead, but I wouldn't doubt if we're even in the hole every month. We don't buy things like we should, like what most people would probably expect, like we don't go out and buy clothes every month. The first time we gave the lawyer our expense sheet and he printed up the papers that he was going to file, it showed we have $300 to the good every month! We knew that that just couldn't be, and I don't know what was missed in the translation along the way because we did mention some things that maybe the lawyer forgot to include, but anyway, my husband and I sat down one night and really put our thinking caps on. Lo and behold, we got our income and expenses to pretty much equal out. I know we hadn't included some things previously like car repairs, lawn upkeep, things like haircuts, just some oddball things here and there that we hadn't thought of the first time. Thank goodness he could print them out for us to look over and approve or disapprove!

I don't blame you one bit for quitting your one job. Sometimes (well, most of the time actually) our laws make no sense to me. A person works two jobs trying to get ahead, or at least keep his head above water and then he's punished by having to file chapter 13 because it throws him up in another "bracket", so I guess you have to learn to play their little games. Fine, you want me to only have this much of an income, here ya go, now I can file chapter 7! It's like people aren't rewarded in our country for their hard work and willingness to be a productive citizen. A girl where my husband works said she could make more money staying at home and so she quit and is collecting money sitting at home, as far as I know. I'm not working right now, but I'm also not receiving any kind of money from any government funds. We don't have any health insurance (haven't had for half a year now) and my husband called about getting low-cost insurance and we were put on a waiting list and it will take two years before it gets to us and even then they couldn't promise that we'd be able to get it. Hows that for uncertainty! The way things have been going to us, I'm having doubts of ever getting insurance again. Our luck has been lousy, and I hope that the BK at least goes okay.

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

I don't see how we'd do it and we'd end up then having to re-file, and under a chapter 7 like we're doing now, which would mean paying all that money all over again, right? I mean to the lawyer, the courts, counseling. At least I have the impression that you're starting all over from scratch...I think.
No extra money from me THATS for sure! Not another class either. It is considered a conversion, so I didn't owe any more, in fact I would think the lawyer owes me! HAH ! I even got money that I paid the trustee towards my original ch13 plan back, but of course he had to take his share out.

We don't buy things like we should, like what most people would probably expect, like we don't go out and buy clothes every month.
I don't expect to be buying clothes anytime soon, I don't need any (hmmm, that didn't sound right), you know what I mean! I live a very frugal lifestyle. Actually I bought plenty years back for pennies on the buck when I worked for a major dept store. A handful still have tags on them - just stored away in bins. They ain't cheap clothes, but I got great discounts, so I just took advantage.

I know we hadn't included some things previously like car repairs, lawn upkeep, things like haircuts, just some oddball things here and there that we hadn't thought of the first time.
I hope you were able to finally list those things you forgot in the end just before you filed!

I don't blame you one bit for quitting your one job. Sometimes (well, most of the time actually) our laws make no sense to me. A person works two jobs trying to get ahead, or at least keep his head above water and then he's punished by having to file chapter 13 because it throws him up in another "bracket", so I guess you have to learn to play their little games.
Yeah, congress really did a dooozy on us, but coming to find out the creditors are being dooozied to! WHO CARES, they still claim to make billions (off the high interest rates, late fees etc!) Im punished every year in taxes for having worked 2 full time and being thrown into a higher bracket! And YES, I decided to play the Bk judges game, since he said in court "we're not forcing to work 2 full time jobs," so after much thought it made sense to just quit for a minute instead of commit myself the next 5 years!

Well Good Luck to you my friend, time to get off the night shift !

Catchmeifyoucan !

[yomama]

When my husband and I first started looking into bankruptcy (before we knew much about it), I actually wanted to file chapter 13 (I thought a person had a choice) because for one thing, I didn't want to lose everything (I didn't know about all of these exemptions then), and I also felt bad because we'd more or less be stiffing the credit card people, but ya know what, it's like you said, they make billions of dollars anyway on these outrageous interest rates and the ridiculously high late fees. The credit card companies didn't seem to show a bit of remorse over charging us $39 late fees when our payments were supposedly late (which maybe they were a time or two, but sometimes I really wondered). They seem to want to rip off the American public right and left, so I got over my feeling bad about having to file chapter 7. I know we couldn't do a payment plan in a chapter 13 because we're barely getting the bills paid now. I'm upset that our finances have gotten to this point, but after being used by the CC companies, I'm ready to get out of this rat race of CC life and get back to normal living. We've lived without credit cards for a year now and I know we can do keep doing it. I feel more relaxed now than I have in a long time because I'm hoping that there will soon be an end to even having to think about creditors. Practically all our creditors are the credit card companies (six of them, to be exact).

Oh, I guess I misunderstood then. I thought when you change from one type of bankruptcy to another, a person would have to pay the lawyer all over again. Wow, I bet you're happy, being that you'll be getting money from your chapter 13 payments back.

You're really lucky that you had a chance to buy clothes awhile back for very good prices! I could use a few outfits but make due with what I have. As long as I have a change of clothes for every day of the week, I guess that's good enough. I don't have what you'd call a full wardrobe and neither does my husband. You must have really worked at a generous department store. I think the ones around here only give their employees a 10 or 15 percent discount on clothes.

Yes, thank goodness, we could change those things in the list of expenses and added in the ones that we hadn't thought of before. In our haste to want to get this ball rolling, we rushed through it and should have really sat down and thought more, but at least we could amend those papers. I saw the final papers and it was only a couple bucks to the good each month, which sounds more like it. Like I said, it's probably actually in the negative though.

Yes, why bust your butt when you're more or less penalized for it anyway! If working two jobs does that, then one job will certainly do. I think you made a very good move quitting the one job. Why commit yourself for 5 years and run yourself ragged working so much while the creditors are probably sitting there laughing about the whole thing. Well, maybe not laughing, since I guess they wouldn't be getting the full amount "owed" them, but they'd probably rather that you bust your rear working two jobs and filing chapter so they can have more money than they'd like you to file chapter 7.

I'm sure, like us, you're glad for a chance to get a fresh start. As much as I think things in the U.S. are so screwed up, at least the government does give people like us a chance to get back on our feet again.

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

but after being used by the CC companies

i dont feel one bit bad about filing BK, after all were not paying good money for nothing to happen, and my credit is tainted for the next 7-10 years, so we are all paying a price of some sort, but i will have to disagree about "being used by the CC companies," after all no one forced me to get credit, i did it all on my own and one still needs a cc (at least ONE cc) just to rent a friggin' car

Oh, I guess I misunderstood then. I thought when you change from one type of bankruptcy to another, a person would have to pay the lawyer all over again. Wow, I bet you're happy, being that you'll be getting money from your chapter 13 payments back.

I think it cost more when you convert from a Ch7 to a Ch13 rather than from a Ch13 to a Ch7. Ch7's a bit cheaper (rather, less expensive I WOULDN'T say CHEAP!) than Ch13. Now if your case happens to get dismissed than the process and the fees start all over again and you have to wait a certain period to file again!

You're really lucky that you had a chance to buy clothes awhile back for very good prices!

the trick with the clothes is being able to start a "cycle," buy winter clothes in the summer, summer clothes in the winter. once you get a cycle going like that (AND your not into keeping up with the latest FAD) you save sooo much money! i find a lot of deals at those outlets (even the premier ones!). when i worked at this major dept store of course my taste were expensive way back than. but now that i really am not trying to put myself out there i go for the least expensive stores (old navy is my favorite!)

As much as I think things in the U.S. are so screwed up, at least the government does give people like us a chance to get back on our feet again.

Yes our govt may be screwed up, but I'd rather be here than under a govt like N Korea or Iraq for that matter!

Nice chattin' widcha' ! ! !

Catchmeifyoucan