amazon/ebay purchases

[okiemom2008]

I am not trying to be nasty, it was more of a joke than anything else. Perhaps in bad taste.

But it does reveal a mind set...I am not saying you should be a miser and only buy necessities, but the mind set of "I deserve a little luxury" is what gets most people into there financial problems, becuase where does that "justification" end. Its a few books and DVD's now, then it becomes a couple of expensive nights out, a couple bottles of wine each week, then it moves to larger items, vacations, home remodel, new cars. So, you have all this stuff, your in debt, and bam, something happens, job loss etc...and now your at this forum.

No hard feelings.

[welovedis]

Just to add my .02 about the library issue---ours is great! We can go online, reserve up to 30 items per library card and have them sent to our local branch right here in our little rural town. Each item costs .25 to have sent, but it is worth it not to pay to rent DVDs or buy books.

They even rent out video games for GameCube, PS2 or the Wii. We have a Gamecube and our son gets to try out some that he's never seen before.

Anyone looking to same some $$ on entertainment should check to see if their library system offers anything like this.

[dingdong]

I don't know if you live near a University, but most Unis/colleges allow locals to get a non student library card, and they usually have HUGE resources available. Most of them have cute little cafes where the cost is pretty reasonable. You could get a coffee and a bunch of books for way below the cost of the Amazon prices and have a little time out away from the house.

Just a thought

[Flamingo]

I am not trying to be nasty, it was more of a joke than anything else. Perhaps in bad taste.

But it does reveal a mind set...I am not saying you should be a miser and only buy necessities, but the mind set of "I deserve a little luxury" is what gets most people into there financial problems, becuase where does that "justification" end. Its a few books and DVD's now, then it becomes a couple of expensive nights out, a couple bottles of wine each week, then it moves to larger items, vacations, home remodel, new cars. So, you have all this stuff, your in debt, and bam, something happens, job loss etc...and now your at this forum.

You are correct...plus when one is in financial distress, one finds all sorts of ways to cut corners to survive (i.e., food on the table, necessary car/house repairs) for which money will be needed. Prior to our filing, we cut out our cell phones, travel, nights out, eating out, shopping online, shopping from catalogues (all went into recycle when they arrived), magazine subscriptions were not renewed, newspaper delivery stopped and we did not renew dues to organizations we belonged to - we figured we could do it later when we had the extra money. We did not suffer without the above (not even without cell phones for 3 years). We saved toward things we knew we would need cash for that were necessities. Got friends with books/CDs/videos? We did a lot of borrowing/swapping stuff back and forth.

[momof3b1g]

This is a good topic. I just posted somehting similar. But for me i would stop them until after you have been discharged. I just wouldn't risk the possible questioning of transactions. Can you send money orders for things on ebay?

[hereforinfo]

Didn't you just post the other day asking if it would be ok to use your credit cards to buy groceries because you have no money for food? If so, then regardless of whether you think you "deserve" these books/dvds, the fact is you CANNOT afford them. I don't want to be harsh, but you are completely broke and you are bankrupt. That means that you really should not be spending money on anything other than the basic necessities. You need to change your habits and your mindset, otherwise bankruptcy is not going to help you AT ALL.

[Kansas1960]

I am a little confused on planning the BK. Some say to cut all expenses except what is for survival. I am already very frugal and it is killing me not cutting back more but I am afraid if I cut back more I won't have enough expenses to spend all my income to qualify for chapter 7. My question is should I allow my expenses to stay up or cut back? Examples

1. Utilities. We could set thermostat at 62 and wear sweaters or keep and 70 and show the expense it needed.

2. Kids can buy lunch at school or take peanut butter and jelly to school.

3. Cut out cable or keep it for the expense.

4. Stop driving 2nd car, drop insurance and park in garage.

5. Eat lots more rice and beans as opposed to "regular shopping"

6. Wear worn out clothes and not upgrade kids school clothes.

My point is we can all live like we are in the depression and survival is the only thing that matters but in doing this would we be preventing our ability to do a Chapter 7?

[okiemom2008]

I am a little confused on planning the BK. Some say to cut all expenses except what is for survival. I am already very frugal and it is killing me not cutting back more but I am afraid if I cut back more I won't have enough expenses to spend all my income to qualify for chapter 7. My question is should I allow my expenses to stay up or cut back? Examples

1. Utilities. We could set thermostat at 62 and wear sweaters or keep and 70 and show the expense it needed.

2. Kids can buy lunch at school or take peanut butter and jelly to school.

3. Cut out cable or keep it for the expense.

4. Stop driving 2nd car, drop insurance and park in garage.

5. Eat lots more rice and beans as opposed to "regular shopping"

6. Wear worn out clothes and not upgrade kids school clothes.

My point is we can all live like we are in the depression and survival is the only thing that matters but in doing this would we be preventing our ability to do a Chapter 7?

That is one of the things I am worried about. I am trying to show some type of recreation money so I can use it on my sch J. We do not go golfing, skiing any of that. We only have on TV channel!!! and that is just because we have bunny ears! So we have no recreation, miscellaneous item purchase history other than 40 every other week which is not much.

[okiemom2008]

Didn't you just post the other day asking if it would be ok to use your credit cards to buy groceries because you have no money for food? If so, then regardless of whether you think you "deserve" these books/dvds, the fact is you CANNOT afford them. I don't want to be harsh, but you are completely broke and you are bankrupt. That means that you really should not be spending money on anything other than the basic necessities. You need to change your habits and your mindset, otherwise bankruptcy is not going to help you AT ALL.

I did post but about it but did not use them. I do think we deserve it to be honest. I also have to show some type of recreation/entertainment costs to put on my SCHJ since we have no luxury items. We do not have satellite tv, we do not go golfing, out to eat, or any of that. I don't think 10 bucks a week is living a luxurious life.Can you honestly tell me you do not spend 10.00 a week on yourself...

[HHM]

I am a little confused on planning the BK. Some say to cut all expenses except what is for survival. I am already very frugal and it is killing me not cutting back more but I am afraid if I cut back more I won't have enough expenses to spend all my income to qualify for chapter 7. My question is should I allow my expenses to stay up or cut back? Examples

1. Utilities. We could set thermostat at 62 and wear sweaters or keep and 70 and show the expense it needed.

2. Kids can buy lunch at school or take peanut butter and jelly to school.

3. Cut out cable or keep it for the expense.

4. Stop driving 2nd car, drop insurance and park in garage.

5. Eat lots more rice and beans as opposed to "regular shopping"

6. Wear worn out clothes and not upgrade kids school clothes.

My point is we can all live like we are in the depression and survival is the only thing that matters but in doing this would we be preventing our ability to do a Chapter 7?

There is the legal side and there is the practical side of BK.

The NUMBER 1 issue for any person is cash flow. Do you have money coming in to pay your living expenses such that you do not have to rely on credit to make ends meet. BK does not require you to become a pauper, but the general point of this thread is that most people really need to evaluate their spending habits and their financial goals. Okiemom reiterated her position that she deverses the books and DVDs yet she has previously stated that she cannot afford groceries, if that is true, then Okiemom is not living in reality.

Everyone can do with a little trimming in there budget. But do you need to go on Rice & Beans if you can afford Chicken and Rice, no.

[Flamingo]

I did post but about it but did not use them. I do think we deserve it to be honest. I also have to show some type of recreation/entertainment costs to put on my SCHJ since we have no luxury items. We do not have satellite tv, we do not go golfing, out to eat, or any of that. I don't think 10 bucks a week is living a luxurious life.Can you honestly tell me you do not spend 10.00 a week on yourself...

Insolvent (broke/bankrupt) people do not do much for entertainment and have to learn to break the former lifestyle habit of past habits in order not to find themselves back in the same place several years later. Entertainment would consist of possibly movie rentals to watch at home or getting them off your cable if you have that service, game rentals (or used purchases instead of new) maybe going bowling or some small hobby/sport expenses, things along those lines. Cutting the lifestyle habits one had in the past is one of the hardest things to do in any BK, especially for those in a Chapter 13.