Hi everyone. My wife and I went to see the lawyer to file the papers. I have come to look at this forum as a bka, Bankruptcy Annonomus. I have learned a lot thanks to the wonderful contributors on this forum, and especially to the moderator, HHM. The decision to file was the hardest thing we have ever had to do. But I have to admit, we went to the lawyer feeling like a failure, and came out with an amount of relief. One can look at it as we did sign up for the ride, and we are taking the dishonorable way out, and in a way they are 100% correct. My idol, the person I have tried my best to follow is Dave Ramsey. National talk show host, and financial genious. We did what he preaches, the baby steps. We had our $1000 emergency fund in place, and started on baby step two, attacking the debt. Somewhere along the way we depleated the emergency fund and resumed our credit card habits. Mr. Ramsey has never outright told a caller to file bk, but he does tell people how he and his wife did.
I prepared a spreadsheet for the lawyer that accounted for our income, living expenses and then debt. If we lived by the numbers, we are about $500+ short for the month. How did we live then? We have been eating macaroni and cheese for months. Living in my parents basement, and not always paying the rent. We became a leach to my parents. Three weeks ago my Father had half his foot amputated due to diabetes. He has been hospitalized since then. Three days ago my Mother was having troubles associated with her COPD, and went by rescue squad to the same hospital. Two days ago she almost died, but was placed on a vent to breathe for her. She is still in a semi-coma, and is nowhere out of the woods yet. We have been getting their mail, and in it was the $196 electricity bill. Until they are out of the hospital, we will have to assume their bills. And then when they are back, we will be paying the rent we should have been for a while now.
For the first time in a couple years, I can see light at the end of the tunnel, and its not an oncoming train. I feel like scum for filing, but my wife and daughter can finally eat something besides macaroni and cheese. Its grilled cheeses from now on baby...
Whoever knew that shredding credit cards could be such fun. I even had my three year old daughter help. I want her to know about this mistake, and what impact it will have on us for the next ten years. She will be in Junior High before we emerge from this. But I hope in the next ten years, we would have been smart enough to save, invest, give and above all, finally enjoy our number one wealth building tool...our income. Its a refreshing change to have more money at the end of the month then the other way around.
Thank you all for your support and advise. I will stick around and update this posting as we live it out. :o
Lou..
I prepared a spreadsheet for the lawyer that accounted for our income, living expenses and then debt. If we lived by the numbers, we are about $500+ short for the month. How did we live then? We have been eating macaroni and cheese for months. Living in my parents basement, and not always paying the rent. We became a leach to my parents. Three weeks ago my Father had half his foot amputated due to diabetes. He has been hospitalized since then. Three days ago my Mother was having troubles associated with her COPD, and went by rescue squad to the same hospital. Two days ago she almost died, but was placed on a vent to breathe for her. She is still in a semi-coma, and is nowhere out of the woods yet. We have been getting their mail, and in it was the $196 electricity bill. Until they are out of the hospital, we will have to assume their bills. And then when they are back, we will be paying the rent we should have been for a while now.
For the first time in a couple years, I can see light at the end of the tunnel, and its not an oncoming train. I feel like scum for filing, but my wife and daughter can finally eat something besides macaroni and cheese. Its grilled cheeses from now on baby...
Whoever knew that shredding credit cards could be such fun. I even had my three year old daughter help. I want her to know about this mistake, and what impact it will have on us for the next ten years. She will be in Junior High before we emerge from this. But I hope in the next ten years, we would have been smart enough to save, invest, give and above all, finally enjoy our number one wealth building tool...our income. Its a refreshing change to have more money at the end of the month then the other way around.
Thank you all for your support and advise. I will stick around and update this posting as we live it out. :o
Lou..