How I have changed....

[meoops]

Well, we still have not filed and still not sure if we are going 13 or 7. It has been over a week since we met with the lawyer and paralegal. The paralegal called with a few additional questions and said she was giving the lawyer our file last Wednesday. She said the lawyer would call us after reviewing the file to advise which way we should file. We are over the Mediun Income but in the red for disposable income.

I am sure she will be calling this week.

Now...what I have learned so far?
1. We now have a budget....never EVER had one before. If we didn't have the money we would use credit. How stupid we were.
2. We are now planning our meals and grocery list for the week.
3. We went to the movies today but chose the matinee to save money.
4. Instead of just eating dinner out, we decided to save the money and come home and eat. Again, save the money.
5. We created a Weekly Spending Tacker....we write everything we spend cash, debit, ATM or check on so we can SEE WHERE OUR MONEY is going and to TIGHTEN UP where we need to.
6. We have learned we are having FUN with our money now. We are a team with our finances now whereas before my husband just let me do the bills and blow cash like crazy. We keep each other on the straight and narrow now.
7. We are now thinking WANTS vs. NEEDS. There is a huge difference in them. Before, we just wanted and got with no considerate that the money had to come from somewhere.

We are in a better place now than we were before we spoke to the lawyer. We are now acting like responible adults for the first time in marriage. We are not happy that we are forced to file BK but we are happy that we have learned a lesson, even at our age.

Hugs to all and I am so grateful to all you as this site is so enlightening to us. Thanks so much and I will keep you all informed of our progess though this journey.

[lrprn]

Now you know the post-bankruptcy secret about how to NEVER find yourselves here again. It's all about doing whatever you have to to live within what you make every single month, concentrating on have-to-have, not want-to-have, saving any extra for the future so you have an emergency fund to fall back on the months that 'stuff happens' as it inevitably will, and working as a team. Congratulations! Feels great, doesn't it??!!

[TroubleinCalif]

Well, we still have not filed and still not sure if we are going 13 or 7. It has been over a week since we met with the lawyer and paralegal. The paralegal called with a few additional questions and said she was giving the lawyer our file last Wednesday. She said the lawyer would call us after reviewing the file to advise which way we should file. We are over the Mediun Income but in the red for disposable income.

I am sure she will be calling this week.

Now...what I have learned so far?
1. We now have a budget....never EVER had one before. If we didn't have the money we would use credit. How stupid we were.
2. We are now planning our meals and grocery list for the week.
3. We went to the movies today but chose the matinee to save money.
4. Instead of just eating dinner out, we decided to save the money and come home and eat. Again, save the money.
5. We created a Weekly Spending Tacker....we write everything we spend cash, debit, ATM or check on so we can SEE WHERE OUR MONEY is going and to TIGHTEN UP where we need to.
6. We have learned we are having FUN with our money now. We are a team with our finances now whereas before my husband just let me do the bills and blow cash like crazy. We keep each other on the straight and narrow now.
7. We are now thinking WANTS vs. NEEDS. There is a huge difference in them. Before, we just wanted and got with no considerate that the money had to come from somewhere.

We are in a better place now than we were before we spoke to the lawyer. We are now acting like responible adults for the first time in marriage. We are not happy that we are forced to file BK but we are happy that we have learned a lesson, even at our age.

Hugs to all and I am so grateful to all you as this site is so enlightening to us. Thanks so much and I will keep you all informed of our progess though this journey.

Ditto! Welcome to your new life!

[frogger]

4. Instead of just eating dinner out, we decided to save the money and come home and eat. Again, save the money.

We did something last night that is a rare event around our place. We ordered in pizza from the 'hut. To feed 4 people and a child cost us $32.00.

$32.00! I can feed my family for days with $32.00. How people afford to eat out all the time is beyond my understanding.

[OhioFiler]

We did something last night that is a rare event around our place. We ordered in pizza from the 'hut. To feed 4 people and a child cost us $32.00.

$32.00! I can feed my family for days with $32.00. How people afford to eat out all the time is beyond my understanding.

That's a small luxury you deserved!

[Bandit]

Since 1 thru 7 comes natural and has always been a normal way of life for me, one thing I can think of adding would be that I now use a coupon for almost everything I can use a coupon for.

8)Coupons and rain checks while buying mostly when things go on sale. This is another type of networking that works wonders and is fun.

[JRScott]

Sounds like you are well on your way to that fresh new start