Prior, during, and after how did your life change?

[hamburgervol]

How much change did you experience after you filed for BK. How was life compared to before BK?

[AfraidOfBK]

GREAT question I would LOVE this one answered - I can speak that BEFORE - you watche very move you make to make sure you don't make the wrong move that would merit dismissal.....from that point on, I am waiting to learn the hard way

[pa308]

I find that I am trying to do most everything on a cash basis. I have a Cap one card that I use for small purchases then pay off right away in the hopes of rebuilding. Not to get into trouble again but to have options.

Doing bills is a lot easier these days, not as many to write

I have moments where I wish I could have done things differently, but that is not productive. It is what it is.

In my position at work I could probably get a promotion but that would mean I would need an AMEX corporate card, something from what I understand will be unattainable. I like my job and would be able to take the next step, but the BK puts a cloud over my future due to this. The price I pay I suppose

My marriage is solid, my kids are healthy, so my core is good.

Just a few thoughts........

[freshstartfl]

I worry and fret a lot less now. The bills I couldn't afford are now gone, and I've learned the difference between wants and needs. I feel better about myself every day as I get into my paid-off, 8 yr old vehicle instead of a 5 yr old vehicle I was paying $400 a month for. I actually have a balance in my savings account; $1400 and growing! I could never have saved this much before. My phone rings a lot less and I don't hate checking the mail every day.

On the down side, I do worry that one day I'll run into a problem with a BK affecting my employment. I figure if I ever come across that, I'll just be honest and upfront right off the bat.

[athomas]

Before bankruptcy we were completely in denial. We waited right up until it was absolutely necessary to file to deal with any of it, which we both regret. Prior to filing I was extremely stressed, embarrassed, and anxiety ridden. There were times I actually feared the debt could take my life.

During...we're actually still in this phase. For the most part it has been positive. I got my life back, lost the fear and anxiety. Unfortunately (depends on perspective) my husband changed jobs during our bankruptcy. We've both worked very hard to try to rise above this all and take the needed steps to make a better life for our family. We're well on our way...DH landed his absolute dream job, and I found a job I am very happy with that has allowed for a lot of personal and professional growth. The biggest problem and frustration for us is not paying our plan, but rather the fact that we need to relocate and cannot sell our house during our plan. Our lawyer is not helpful, and any options he has proposed would cost us thousands of dollars...just to get permission to list our house for sale. While we are grateful for a fresh start and to be shedding this crushing debt, during has been hard. Especially this last stretch. We're at month 53 of a 60 month plan and have needed to move for about 1 1/2 years now. We're now waiting for discharge around the end of the year beginning of next so we can sell the house. Problem is, we learned this week that it could take another year after that just for everything to be wrapped up by the trustee. So let me just conclude by saying that "during" bankruptcy has been extremely difficult on us as a couple and a family, but not for your typical reasons.

After...I can only wish for at this point! It will be a cash only life for sure, as I am never ever coming back here again. I just literally sit here and dream about how good that freedom will be, how nice it will be for our family life to become much more normal when we can relocate.

[blankslate]

I can speak on the before and during process. Before, it had been building for years but one judgment put me over the top and they were going to garnish even more of my wages. If I hadn't filed for bankruptcy, it would've made me homeless because there wouldn't be enough to pay rent and feed us let alone any other bills like, electricity. I was already struggling before that as student loans were taking 15% of my pay. My self esteem was zero and my health was at risk too from the constant worry and struggle. Already working two jobs so "work more" wasn't the answer.

As soon as I filed there was a tremendous relief. The garnishments stopped and I had enough to pay the rent and utility bills and feed us. I'm still getting calls from collectors who have me on their auto dial and claim they haven't gotten notice of my bk. It doesn't bother me now. I got my hair cut for the first time in two years, bought some decent clothes for the first time in 5 years. Of course they were clearance items and I had a 25% discount on top of that so I only spent $50 and got several outfits for it. I'm finally getting back to "me" again and reclaiming my life.

I have also learned the cash rule. When we moved to another city last month because of a job transfer I knew my 15 year old furniture was not going to make the move. Stained, falling apart.. time to go. It was tempting to get a really nice set when the furniture store offered the "no credit check payment plan" where they would debit $100 from my account each month until paid off. The set that I really wanted was more than I had in cash and I was tempted. But then thought about how the past 5 years have gone and realized I couldn't promise anyone payment for tomorrow when nothing is certain. Instead I bought the set that was on sale that I wasn't crazy about but could afford. It actually looks beautiful in our apartment. I finally have a home that I'm not ashamed to let people see again. That is very important to me. My car has been hanging on with duct tape and a prayer for a while now. The duct tape is finally starting to crack and prayer won't help. It broke down last week and the mechanic actually was very kind, only charging me $70 to repair it and threw in an oil change. He was honest though and told me he wouldn't let his daughter drive a car in the condition mine is in and said he'd help me keep it running as long as we can. My moving expenses will be reimbursed and it's tempting to put that down as a good size down payment on another vehicle. In thinking it over, I'm going to use it to buy a decent used car for cash instead. I don't need to worry about paying anything but rent, food and utilities if the worst happens.

Sorry this is so long.. but there you go. The changes I have been through are feeling relieved, wiser and more cautious.

[jibb3r]

Prior to filing, I was a mess, in denial as well. Always borrowing money to make payments, to keep my utilities on, not thinking about how I would pay them next month; I would worry about them when that time came. My utilities were all shut off at one point or another, my house was on the verge of foreclosure. I was living a fantasy life. Had the new Jeep that I wanted and couldn't afford. Had the new Harley that I wanted and couldn't afford. Not to mention the new SUV that I had just leased that same year. I got myself wrapped up in $1000 a month in vehicle payments alone. My credit score was excellent and I was approved for everything I applied for, until I hit the wall. When they repo'd the Jeep and the bike, I knew it was a downward spiral.

I waited until the last minute to file as well. Until I had three creditors file lawsuits against me in a single month. Figured it was a good time to put the end to it. I walked out of the courtroom one day from a creditors lawsuit, and walked right into the lawyers office. From that day on, I've been a different person.

Like the others, I've learned how to live without credit (I have no credit cards - 6 cards were included in my bk). I've learned and continue to learn, how to budget, and am still working on saving money. It's not so easy, but it's possible.

Now, today, I'm waiting for my discharge. I am going to fix all the errors (addresses, occupations, phones etc) on my credit report, and actually aim for a high score. Where before, I didn't care what it was, as I knew it was in the bottom ranks.

I, too, will never be back here in this position again.