Chapter 7 Questions

[NOVA]

Hello All, first of all I wanted to thank everybody on this forum for sharing your stories and giving advice. I've been "lurking" for a few days now and I do have some questions. From what I have read, you ladies and gentlemen would like all the $ breakdowns to help better, so here I go:
Filing - in Viriginia
income $7679 ( $550 over median income per month)

Standards for VA:

food $ 1370
housing $ 2103
car $ 230 & $489
health care $ 240
Utilites $ 516

If I add my other expenses to it:
Daycare $ 325 (no receipts - friend - but can get them if needed)
cell $ 110
flute for son school $ 35
taxes $ 1701
back taxes $ 80 - have not started to pay them yet, waiting on letter from IRS

union dues $ 109
Camper/RV $ 200 (which brings my housing allowance down to $ 1903)
car payment $ 640 (which nulls my ownership allowance)

incl the Chapter 13 % for camper/car $ 83

which leaves me w/ $ 137/Disposable income

We have around $ 45K in unsecured deb/medical bills. ($137 x 60 =8210.00)

now to my actual expenses:

7679 (both of our income)
-1701 all tax
-80 tax (have not yet started to pay)
- 40 extra Tax taken out of my check
-1325 rent
-640 car
-169 ins
-60 storage
-40 travlers
-1000 food
-180 cigs (4 cartons/month - 2 smokers)
-100 gas
-175 cable
-110 cell
-36 flute
-200 entertainment
-20 books /magazines
-30 animals/food (cats/bird)
-100 med/dr
-150 gas (was $ 126 - bumped it to $ 150)
-126 ele
-30 trash
-30 water
-200 camper
-190 clothes/shoes/ for 4 people
-30 home improvement
-10 atm fees
-20 boyscout dues and campouts
-30 car maintnance
-110 union dues
-25 property tax
-325 daycare
-20 lawncare
-20 oldest child /allowance
-60 haircuts
-30 housekeeping
-25 presents/holidayes
-17 detergent
-15 over the counter meds
-30 hygiene
-50 parents/help w/ rent (no receipts - I mail cash)
-5 school supplies
-10 phonecard to call parents

leaves me a disposable income of $ 106

Here are my concerns:
I think, I have to many expenses - $ 1000 for food (4 pp) and my entertainment is $ 200

on the Daycare situation - my babysitter is worried, that she would have to provide HER tax returns - I pay her cash, but she is willing to supply me w/ receipts. If I file in June/july, I would have 6 months/receipts and her 2008 tax return would be save - but what about her 2009 return?


I need to come up w/ $ 1300 incl fees for my lawyer - how do I show this, saving up? I mean, if I save up i.e. $ 300/month and cut down on my other expenses - will the trustee look at that funny? i.e. If I could save up $ 300/month I should be able to pay for my c.c.?

Or do they understand, that I needed to cut down on food, to save up the laywer fees?

What else can I do to booster my expenses?

Term life?

- my housing allowance is $ 2103 , minus my RV $ 200, which leaves me $ 1903, BUT my rent is only $ 1325 - will the trustee take the IRS standard or my actual rent payment? ( I think I already know the answer, but would like to double check)


And one last Q: I have not started to save receipts, but we pay almost everything w/ debit - will bankstatements be enough or do I need to wait 6 more months and save receipts?

I've red a few threads about this, but wanted to ask just one more time

I just can not believe, that the court/trustee would make me wait that much longer, b/c I didn't save receipts - we just recently thought of filing for BK.

anyway, thanks for reading this far, I'll be looking forward to your responses.

Thanks
M

[StartingOver08]

Since you have been paying everything with a debit card, you have receipts for most of those things.

I'm thinking you may have to use your actual rent rather than the allowance - this is a good attorney question.

Some of your expenses will not fly - like housekeeping () .... others you are going to want to group into larger catagories.

[NOVA]

Thank you for the early morning response!

oh - housekeeping - that's my cleaning supplies/t-p, paper towel......I guess, I need to re-phrase that. sorry.

Good to know about the receipts, I read on thread on here, where 2 pp were discussing that, and the one poster kept insisting that receipts are needed, which freaked me out. I can't/don't want to wait another 6 month! UGH - to many sleepless nights.

[novayalife]

In my area, the actual rent/house payment ammount could be used as an expense. Also, try and group more things together like starting over stated. For example, lawncare, group with home maintenance, presents/hoidays, group with entertainement and so on. Lastly, not paying on credit cards when you plan to file to save for attorney fees and pay for repairs, maintenance, stock up on food, etc is common practice and most attorneys advise you of this.

[StartingOver08]

Re-reading your post - I think you will have to provide day care receipts. But the babysitter does not provide her tax returns! LOL

The Trustee is looking at you and your assets/liabilities - the receipts for the daycare are to prove that you actually have this as an expense.

[NOVA]

another question please:

Is it ok to pay the babysitter cash? or does it have to be checks? I just talked to her and she IS ok to get me receipts, but we have been paying her cash. Just wondering, if I should start writing checks or if cash is still ok?

THANKS