Life deals you lemons over and over and over!

[justplaintired]

Well this past weekend was interesting for us.

Our fridge bite the bullet, probably because of all the storms. No we can't claim it on insurance our deductible is too high. The fridge was 15+ yrs old and it wasn't worth trying to get it fixed. Today we found a scratch and dent model marked down, so we have a fridge again. We had a bisque colored stove, not very old, and we wanted a matching fridge, well bisque is not the "in" color, so we looked all over for one. Tried to find a used one, no luck, this is Tuesday and I guess we are spoiled, but not having a fridge just doesn't work for us. We got a nice fridge for $799.00, used what was left of the stimulus check to buy it. Now atleast we can file. DH hours have been slow so we are under on income right now, things are tight and I want this over with.

Oh and the same day the fridge died, my back wheel fell off my lawn mower. It wasn't a good day here. I am typing this thinking about crying. Why does it feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders sometimes? I guess we should be happy, we have a fridge again, my boys are thrilled. They are home for the summer and no fridge wasn't working for them. We were lucky we had no major damage from all the storms, other then we lost our fridge, I guess it could have been worse.

Anyway, sorry for being such a bummer, it's just been so much fun here lately and I just balanced the check book and now I am even more depressed. If that trustee wants that stimulus check after we file, I wish them luck, judging from our income level now, they will have to take it in blood, cause there isn't nothing left. Gas here is now $4.00. Groceries for a family of four, $125 a week just isn't doing it anymore!

[my4devils]

Have you tried Craig's list? Great place for appliances and you may find the off color every now and then too. We had a 1000 oil bill and 1000 ambulance bill this week (hopefully insurance will pick up most of this), too. I feel your pain!!

[Cali]

Sorry you are having hard time right now. I bet your new fridge is nice.

Just think soon you won't have any of this to worry about and you can go on with your life.

I will be waiting for my invitation to the after discharge party. LOL

[justplaintired]

Thanks! I knew someone here would bring my spirits back up. It's just been one of those weeks, we all have them, but when it's your turn sometimes you just have to feel sorry for yourself! Anyway thanks for the replys, now I can go stand in front of my dented fridge, and admire it. The dents not too bad and it's on the side no one sees but me, so I don't really care. And this one even has ice in the door! And water! It'll be alright, it always is. Just sometimes it does seem overwhelming!

[justplaintired]

Have you tried Craig's list? Great place for appliances and you may find the off color every now and then too. We had a 1000 oil bill and 1000 ambulance bill this week (hopefully insurance will pick up most of this), too. I feel your pain!!

Ok you have it worse. Atleast my problems were under $1000, DH thinks he can fixed my mower and in the mean time, I can borrow one. Things do work out, somehow!

[FreshLikeADaisy]

Justplaintired, I'm really sorry you had such a crappy weekend.

But on a brighter note, there are two silver linings to this I can think of. First, old refrigerators are energy guzzlers. I was watching "This Old House" a week or two ago, and they were doing an energy audit of a house, and the guy who was doing it hooked up an energy meter to the fridge and you could see the numbers just flying. Since a refrigerator is responsible for up to something like 10 or 15% of your total energy bill, and yours was 15 years old, your electric bill might actually decrease a bit, believe it or not.

The second silver lining is that *in general*, if you have received and spent your tax refund and/or stimulus check PRIOR to filing, the trustee will not require it of you. But be sure to keep the receipt for that fridge and anything else you bought with it, because you may have to demonstrate that it was not used for luxury purchases. I think Southernbelle had to go through this recently, and there are others who have posted here about that as well, so just be prepared. Chances are REALLY good you won't even need it, but just in case...

It will get much better for you, in terms of stress, almost immediately after you file. You're in the hardest part, right now. The period just before filing is usually the most stressful of everything, and that's right where you are today. It WILL get better. I wish you every success!!!

[Minnymouth]

Welcome to the world of "sit and wait" till you file and get the 341 over. It's the hardest part of the whole process and the most nerve wrecking.

Hang in there, chat with us, got problems or concerns, tell us about them, that's what we're all here for. To help each other thru the process.

Most of us have been there and done it, so we know how you feel. Its so frustrating to "not know what's going on" or how it will end.

But you will be okay, we are all survivors and many of us often wonder now "WHY DIDN'T WE DO IT SOONER"........we could have prevented a lot of stress, sleepless nights, family fights, etc. And really filing was "painless" when it was all over...... just nerve wrecking and frustrating.

Once you get the excess debt discharged, and your back to everyday living expenses again, life will be a lot better and more enjoyable.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, you just can't see yours yet!! But it's there!!

So visit often, let us know how you feel, how you think, and whats going on with your case.

We here on the Forum are here to offer suggestions, support, and general advice regarding what bankruptcy is all about and the process you will go thru from start to finish.

Your "boat" might be rocking right now, but we won't let it sink!!

Just hang in there with us............

[justplaintired]

Justplaintired, I'm really sorry you had such a crappy weekend.

But on a brighter note, there are two silver linings to this I can think of. First, old refrigerators are energy guzzlers. I was watching "This Old House" a week or two ago, and they were doing an energy audit of a house, and the guy who was doing it hooked up an energy meter to the fridge and you could see the numbers just flying. Since a refrigerator is responsible for up to something like 10 or 15% of your total energy bill, and yours was 15 years old, your electric bill might actually decrease a bit, believe it or not.

The second silver lining is that *in general*, if you have received and spent your tax refund and/or stimulus check PRIOR to filing, the trustee will not require it of you. But be sure to keep the receipt for that fridge and anything else you bought with it, because you may have to demonstrate that it was not used for luxury purchases. I think Southernbelle had to go through this recently, and there are others who have posted here about that as well, so just be prepared. Chances are REALLY good you won't even need it, but just in case...

It will get much better for you, in terms of stress, almost immediately after you file. You're in the hardest part, right now. The period just before filing is usually the most stressful of everything, and that's right where you are today. It WILL get better. I wish you every success!!!

After reading your post I did get the books out and read on this model and it has an energy star rating and it says the fridge should run us about $56 a yr to run! That is good news, maybe our electric bill will come down a little. I think you're right I need to look at the positive.

So far I have kept a ton of receipts. I had my dog fixed, had repairs done on DH riding mower for his mowing business, paid off a huge gas bill, brought extra groceries, and bought a fridge, that pretty much spent the check. I think the trustee will be overwhelmed with this stack of receipts. I know I am. Anyway the fridge is up and running and we have food in it now. It's even made a batch of ice! So all in all, things could always be worse, we could have not had that money to buy this fridge. We went to Sears tonight to look at fridges, they were pushing a cc on us, we have one, but we are filing on it. My DH spoke up and said we are trying to stop that life, no cc anymore. I was proud of him for that. We ended going to a local hardware store and bought our fridge, we kept our money local not to a big chain and they cut us a much better deal then the big store could.

Now all I need is DH to fixed my 3 wheeled lawn mower back into a 4 wheel lawn mower and I'm set.

Thanks everyone, I feel better now, atleast for the moment. LOL

[BigJohn]

The title of this thread is "Life deals you lemons over and over again"!

I have a friend who takes the lemons and makes lemonade.


I am glad events have turned around and you are seeing the roses. Just think what would have happened if this happed before you got your stimulus check?

[justplaintired]

The title of this thread is "Life deals you lemons over and over again"!

I have a friend who takes the lemons and makes lemonade.


I am glad events have turned around and you are seeing the roses. Just think what would have happened if this happed before you got your stimulus check?

I know that saying well, I have even used it most of the time, but yesterday was a bad day. Today, I feel better. I know without the stimulus we would have had to settle for a used fridge that would have ran our electric bill up (what we had before, used fridge, higher bills), so today I kept thinking in the long run, we might save a little money. We have a fridge that will hopefully last us longer then the used ones we have always had. So I do feel good today. I loved coming home from work and being able to make a glass of ice water out of my new fridge and being able to cook supper.

Thanks!! Today was a lemonade day!

[PaKettle]

Yeah, stuff happens...
I was just feeling good about saving some money up, finally, after our discharge in March, and now they say my job is ending. I'm still figuring out what to do about that... but I guess things will work out somehow, once I figure out exactly which direction to go.

"Life isn't about the cards you are dealt, but rather about how you play the cards you are dealt."

Good luck!

[Minnymouth]

The way our society is right now with its ups and downs and high cost, IT IS SO IMPORTANT to have that "emergency fund" that we here on the forum talk about so much. Often that "emergency fund" is what keeps us from caving in under all the pressures that life throws at us. I know it sure helps me get out of tight binds every now and then. I call it my "safety net"!!!!

As soon as your bankruptcy is over, or even right after you file...... MAKE IT A POINT to start that emergency fund and don't touch it for ANYTHING other than emergencies. You won't be sorry you did.......

[$$only4ever]

I feel your pain. It always seems like "stuff" is happening when you are in bankruptcy. I would like to share my story:

Back in February, I thought that I had landed my dream job. Well...............It was the worse mistake that I ever made. The organization was horrible and they treated the employees terrible. It was awful....After going to work for 30 days with a headache and a sick stomach (stress), I decided no job was worth this so I resigned. I had a few dollars stashed away for an emergency fund so I was able to continue making the trustee payments.

To make a long story short, I start work next Monday with a brand new job. I decided to get out of the banking industry after 33 years and landed a job with a national healthcare provider. Good money and great benefits! The people seem really nice too. Funny, how things work out.

I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. You just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move on.

FYI: This company did an extensive background check and my bankrupty was never an issue.

[JRScott]

When it rains it pours sometimes. I'm glad you were able to replace the fridge . I went without a lawnmower for 2 years....borrowed the neighbors was finally able to buy one last year after filing bankruptcy.

[twuoo]

I've had so much bad stuff happen to me that I've just learned to 'not sweat the small stuff' anymore. I probably appear sometimes as noncaring, but it is an act of self preservation.

For instance, I wrote out a check to pay my water bill. It was around $15. No big deal.

I completely FORGOT about the stamp increase.

By the time the post office sent me back my letter for the extra cents postage, my water bill was LATE.

So that extra couple cents cost me $10 late fee. They used to charge $25 late fee.

My water company doesn't mess around either. Once you are late, the next bill comes in a nice bright red color letting you know the shut off date.

Oh yeah, they also charge $15 if you want to call in a credit card to have that processed.

My car is falling apart. I've been turned down for a new car loan. Several times

So I just embrace whatever is coming my way.

I'm not terribly religious, but I've been thanking the Lord for the good things I have in my life. Family, pets....objects are always replaceable.

Take care