Expenses ........help

[pa308]

I'm trying to do my expenses and am pulling my hair out. I am stressing myself sick on this part. I'm going through piles of receipts for the past 5 months and categorizing is killing me. Do i need to break toothpaste into its own category. Do i take last one year of car maint plus break job i need to get done on monday and average??? i'm filing very soon and this has got me sick.

Any tips on how to do this without being too anal, or do i have to be very anall???

Home maintenance, what goes there?? I dont have any receipts for what i might consider home maint but am sure i have to spend something on it????????

[justplaintired]

This was tough for me too. I stressed, re figured, stressed some more and about drove myself nuts. Things are lumped together from what I have read. Toothpaste can go into hygiene items along with shampoo...., and from what I read on here it's a round figure. For instance, car insurance divided into a monthly, car reg divided into monthly, car repairs divided into monthly. For instance we have work needing done on one car, we know what the repairs will cost, so we broke that down into 12 months. Our truck needs tires sometime before next winter, we priced them and broke that down into 12 months. Newspaper down into 12 months. Do you need some work done on your house? Do you know the cost, break it down into 12 months. Call and get your budget payment on your utilities, most will give you this, this will give you a 12 month avg. I left clothing blank, well that wasn't right, so, clothing I upped to $100 a month for a family of 4, still probably not enough. I know this is tough, I kept worrying myself and still am to a point, but when I called our attorney and spoke with the paralegal, she informed me not to worry, when she came to our schedules she would work with us to get the figures correct.

I found this website that helped me. Actually found it on here.

https://www.goainc.com/fraley/calculators/expense_calculator.html

Hope this helps you some.

[pa308]

Thanks JPT. I need to do the online credit counseling before going in to the signing meeting with the atty I believe so I'm trying to get it done so I can get filed. I've got a creditor threatening arbitration and that has my pants on fire.

[keepmine]

Thanks JPT. I need to do the online credit counseling before going in to the signing meeting with the atty I believe so I'm trying to get it done so I can get filed. I've got a creditor threatening arbitration and that has my pants on fire.

Slow down. Arbitration is not a fast process. Before anything really bad happens, the arbitration award has to be transfered to your local court. You got several months.
Home maintenance-AC/heating unit repairs or servicing, lawn care, appliance repair. Does your home have any siding that needs replacing?Those are just a few thoughts. Walk around inside and outside your house and see what the condition looks like.

[pa308]

And do I have say for example the siding done then add it in or get an estimate and add it in? I definietely need a new garage door opener, its like its possessed. It'll start bouncing up and down, lights flashing....Scares the %&($ out of you sometimes........

[keepmine]

I'd try and get a written estimate for any major work.

[JRScott]

Don't rush as someone says. Arbitration and courts are not very fast. For example Aspire contacted me last in Dec 2006 just before Christmas threatening to sue if I didn't pay. I didn't have money so I didn't pay. I got served papers in late march or early april of 2007. I then had like 30 days to respond which I did by retaining a bankruptcy lawyer. So don't feel rushed, make a good decision and see 3-4 bankruptcy attorneys before making your decision on who to use.

[pa308]

Thanks JR. I actually do already have an attorney who is almost paid up. I had planned to file late May because I had a payment to my mother in law that I hoped to get a year in between. The letter said that if they dont hear from me by May 18th they will seek binding arbitration.

I'm trying to do my credit counselling at this point and that is why I have the expense questions. I do do the CC before the filing right? According to my atty when i go in to see him next we will be filing so I need to get it done now and then will be ready to file at that point.

The expense thing is so confusing because you see all these lists of different expenses but the actual schedule J doesnt have many of them listed so i guess i need to categorize. Also my attoney said actual but we have been scrimping to pay him his 350 a month so it skews the 6 months.

[keepmine]

I'm trying to do my credit counselling at this point and that is why I have the expense questions. I do do the CC before the filing right? According to my atty when i go in to see him next we will be filing so I need to get it done now and then will be ready to file at that point.

Yes, you must do the cc prior to filing.
Don't let your lawyer rush you. Nothing says you must file after a trip to the lawyers. You don't file until, you sign the petition. Take your time. Get all questions answered to your satisfaction. Go over the petition carefully and check for accuracy. Only then, sign and give your lawyer permission to file.

[pa308]

I dont think he's rushing me, actually maybe I am rushing myself.

So maybe I am having a lightbulb moment here. Should we have an appointment with him taking all my docs and not sign that day (he will be paid in full at that point)? Work through all the numbers and such, go home do the credit counselling, then?

Do we have to sign the petition in his office or can we sign and mail it back? If we go in and fill out all the forms and wait a month dont the numbers change (i.e. amts owed to creditors)...

keep, i am so appreciative of the advice i get here. The closer and closer i get to d-day I'm stressing over every little item.

[keepmine]

I dont think he's rushing me, actually maybe I am rushing myself.

So maybe I am having a lightbulb moment here. Should we have an appointment with him taking all my docs and not sign that day (he will be paid in full at that point)? Work through all the numbers and such, go home do the credit counselling, then?

Do we have to sign the petition in his office or can we sign and mail it back? If we go in and fill out all the forms and wait a month dont the numbers change (i.e. amts owed to creditors)...

keep, i am so appreciative of the advice i get here. The closer and closer i get to d-day I'm stressing over every little item.

Just relax. I'd take the papers home and sit down at my desk with a cup of coffee and go over them line by line. Sign the petition and return it-unless, there are errors.
The numbers don't have to be exact. Just the name of the creditor and a recent balance is all you need.

[pa308]

Just relax. I'd take the papers home and sit down at my desk with a cup of coffee and go over them line by line. Sign the petition and return it-unless, there are errors.
The numbers don't have to be exact. Just the name of the creditor and a recent balance is all you need.

Ok, not sure how this works so bear with me if I am an idiot.

When I go with my stuff he will fill out all the forms and schedules and work through my expenses with me and I can take them home to review and do my credit counseling course from the info in them?? Or do I have to be completed with the credit counseling course before I go to him to have the forms completed. From what I understand as long as the credit counseling is done beforeI should be OK right??

I really do not mean to be a pain but I am unsure.

[pa308]

Ok, not sure how this works so bear with me if I am an idiot.

When I go with my stuff he will fill out all the forms and schedules and work through my expenses with me and I can take them home to review and do my credit counseling course from the info in them?? Or do I have to be completed with the credit counseling course before I go to him to have the forms completed. From what I understand as long as the credit counseling is done beforeI should be OK right??

I really do not mean to be a pain but I am unsure.

Then once I have done the credit counseling course sign them (if there correct) and return them to him. We dont have to sign in front of him?

[keepmine]

You just have to have done the cc prior to filing bk. Does not matter if you've actually signed the petition or not.
I'd ask to take the docs home and review at my leisure. I doubt you'd have to actually sign in his presence. I hand delivered mine to his para and she just checked to be sure they were all signed.

[PaKettle]

I'm trying to do my expenses and am pulling my hair out. I am stressing myself sick on this part. I'm going through piles of receipts for the past 5 months and categorizing is killing me. Do i need to break toothpaste into its own category. Do i take last one year of car maint plus break job i need to get done on monday and average??? i'm filing very soon and this has got me sick.

Any tips on how to do this without being too anal, or do i have to be very anall???

Home maintenance, what goes there?? I dont have any receipts for what i might consider home maint but am sure i have to spend something on it????????

I think you should ask your attornrey about this.
I'm sure it varies from district to district, but my attorney, for example did not ask for ANY expense receipts or calculations! He simply asked me all our fixed monthly expenses (rent, cable, electricity, internet, heat, etc.) and then he filled out all the rest himself!

So maybe you are being so anal for nothing?

Ask your attorney how anal you need to be about expenses...

I'd definitely write down and have receipts ready for any major expenditures like home repair etc.. But unless you are very close to the median for your state, I wouldn't get too anal about expenses unless my attorney told me to.