This is so sad....

[Liaah]

Here I thought that by not paying my creditors I would be rolling in the dough. Not so. You know those extras like car plates and now lawyers fees not to mention my being behind on my school payment and cable bill. Now I have to catch up. Don't get me wrong, in the end we will be able to pay our bills and have "some" money leftover, but it has been such a real eye opener on how we were living way above our means. So those other needed repairs will have to wait like my dishwasher doesn't work, my sink doesn't work, my car needs new tires and a oil change. This is so pathetic. So I am sitting here working on my future budget. Just hope I can save the money for the lawyer in a month or two.

Just needed to vent....

[keepmine]

It's not sad. It's a good reality check.
Been there myself. I contend that filing bk is the easy part. The hard stuff is what you do post bk. Living below your means and on a budget is good but the only real longterm solution is to raise your income. You and your husband need to start looking for better jobs or even pt work. Anything to get out of that paycheck to paycheck rut with money in savings for emergencies.

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

Get Rid Of ...

Here I thought that by not paying my creditors I would be rolling in the dough. Not so. You know those extras like car plates and now lawyers fees not to mention my being behind on my school payment and cable bill do you really need cable?. Now I have to catch up. Don't get me wrong, in the end we will be able to pay our bills and have "some" money leftover, but it has been such a real eye opener on how we were living way above our means. So those other needed repairs will have to wait like my dishwasher doesn't work do dishes the old fashion way - reapairs can wait, my sink doesn't work hmmm, my car needs new tires and a oil change. This is so pathetic. So I am sitting here working on my future budget. Just hope I can save the money for the lawyer in a month or two.
What your paying to creditors - STOP - put that aside to the lawyer. Most have payment plans, at least have enough money to retain him (I even heard some let you pay em' back through a Ch13 plan!), that usually stops creditors in their tracks for the most part! as they say in here, don't throw good money after bad.
Things will work out in the long stretch YOU'LL SEE !

Best of Luck, Catchmeifyoucan

[BKTango]

I agree with keepmine it's not sad it's a reality check. I am a total believer in living BENEATH your means, we always have tried, but the problem is unfortunately the cost of living just keeps increasing while salaries for lower income families are not. It's getting harder and harder to stay beneath your means you are now at the bottom and there is nothing beneath you.

It's hard to keep up, but once you get on board with making it a priorty it all works out. Take care of your vehicles at the proper time, a small maintenance cost now will turn into a bigger cost later if ignored. Take care of your home, take care of your family, provide clothing, and food. The rest, will fall into place or you realize you don't really need it. Trust me in the end, you will realize you don't need alot of things and you will have more fun and breathe a heck of alot easier without it and all the debt load that comes with it. From my personal experience, since the beginning of the bk process and having just finished making our last payment to our lawyer for his services, I have become the biggest tightwad imaginable. We are now a family of tightwads and we love seeing that little "cushion" growing in the bank because we never had more than $50 cushion to our name before. We choose to go to the park, ride our bikes, or go for a walk instead of going out and spending money. We go to a used library book sale an pay 50 cents to a $1.00 for books instead of buying new ones. There are tremendous ways to cut costs it's just hard to see them in this day and age. It does become an addicting thing to see that you have money and know you do not have to pay bills with it and you choose not to blow it in stuff you don't need.

[demismom]

Boy, do I hear ya! We haven't paid any creditors since January and we're STILL living paycheck to paycheck. Dr. appt here, dentist appt there, it's amazing, but those are things we didn't do before because we didn't have any money for it, now the money I was giving to the CC companies are going to things I should have done. As soon as we're done with BK - I'll probably be going back to work and then we'll be fine, but man talk about a reality check!

[wayne-o]

i know this is the chapter 7 section. I filed 13, I will get my fresh start in about 6 more months. The good thing I can say about it is that it helps you learn to live on a budget since the trustee gets all leftovers. Its been tough, but its been an eye-opener as well.

[Minnymouth]

Many of us found out bankruptcy was a 'REAL EYE-OPENER" AND REALITY CHECK.............. hopefully we all learned from it..... I know I sure did.....

[Liaah]

It's been a good

learning experience for me. Now I just need to get my husband on board. He makes decent money, especially for our area of the world, we live in a poor county, but we are both in school to better ourselves. That's an added expense. I currently don't work so that adds to the no money problem. I plan on taking a part time job until I finish school to help us out after all this is over. Now onto my husband. I agree with the cable. We pay $100 a month on cable alone. I think it is ridiculous, but my husband thinks he has to have it. I think he is now beginning to see that if he continues to have all of the "extra" luxuries, it is going to cost us our daily living expenses.
Having 200+ channels or have some money to have a night out together. I vote for the later. I think he will to in the end. It's been a real eye opener for him. He would rather just hand it all to me and let me deal with it, but now we are in too deep for me to pull us out, so he has to get involved.
I really can't wait til this is over and I do have a brighter future planned with NO credit card debt again!

Oh PS Catchmeifyoucan, My hubby broke the drain trying to fix it... it had a small leak, now it runs all over the floor under the sink

[NYCountry]

You could always comprimise and get just the basic cable package. I have that and there is no end to the programs to watch.

[CATCHMEIFYOUCAN]

I live in an apt complex and cut my cable about 2 years ago, I don't watch much tv anyways - just the news. Funny thing is THEY never cut off my cable (I had basic anyways). Now I have even more channels and haven't said a word (because I work practically 24/7) a tape a couple shows. A neighbor of mine told me the same thing, she cut off her cable awhile ago but its still running plus some. Someone told me if you live in an apt complex, the cable company doesn't pay too much close attention who has it and who doesn't I GUESS. Why don't you try cutting it off (if you live in a complex). It's a long shot!

Best of Luck, CMIYC