Originally posted by Barbisi
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Carmella, I will amend my response to include that we too should have bought at least one car prior to filing, but since the 2013 Sentra was only 4 years old when we filed, we very logically didn't foresee the massive repair bills we were about to experience, so we didn't try to replace my 2005 Sentra either at that time. Also, I wish we had found the forums much sooner as well - I think we would have been far better prepared for what lay ahead.
I still can't say we should have filed sooner: We weren't late on any regular bills or the mortgage; no creditors were hounding us, nor were we struggling to pay anybody - yet. Had we filed when my mother was still alive, we would have had to modify the confirmed plan when she passed away and worse, and what's far more morbid, we would have had to petition the court for a loan to pay for her cremation which cost around $1100 in 2016. She left no money behind nor any life insurance, so like so much else at that time, her final expenses were funded by credit card. (Imagine asking the trustee to allow us to borrow $1100 so my poor mother could be cremated! Talk about humiliation and shame.)
So, I just can't regret not filing sooner because of the timing of life events over which we had no control, nor could we expect to happen when they did.
We disliked the 1963 investor home so much; I don't know how we would have fared for five more years there had we not sold it after my mother died in the house in April 2016; so many bad memories there and we were so cramped by the outdated layout , the lack of space and the mediocre yard.
At least we really loved the large 1975 house -at first- with its pleasing porch, diner -style kitchen booth, and huge custom built-in office (all of which the investor buyer either gutted or modified), the shelved mantle and fireplace and relaxing fenced backyard. Of course, once the house started needing pricey repairs (e.g. a new furnace , a new swamp cooler, many small-medium plumbing issues,etc.) and we had no budget or credit to pay for what should have been done, all we could do was live like we were in a slumlord special until freed by the BK13 to sell to the waiting investor. And my worsening ankle issues and potentially crippling fall down the stairs in 2021 didn't help : I must now have a downstairs bedroom, full bathroom and closet ; I can no longer live safely where all bedrooms are on the second floor.
Perhaps everything went as it was meant to be : we survived and lived to one day thrive, LOL!
I still can't say we should have filed sooner: We weren't late on any regular bills or the mortgage; no creditors were hounding us, nor were we struggling to pay anybody - yet. Had we filed when my mother was still alive, we would have had to modify the confirmed plan when she passed away and worse, and what's far more morbid, we would have had to petition the court for a loan to pay for her cremation which cost around $1100 in 2016. She left no money behind nor any life insurance, so like so much else at that time, her final expenses were funded by credit card. (Imagine asking the trustee to allow us to borrow $1100 so my poor mother could be cremated! Talk about humiliation and shame.)
So, I just can't regret not filing sooner because of the timing of life events over which we had no control, nor could we expect to happen when they did.
We disliked the 1963 investor home so much; I don't know how we would have fared for five more years there had we not sold it after my mother died in the house in April 2016; so many bad memories there and we were so cramped by the outdated layout , the lack of space and the mediocre yard.
At least we really loved the large 1975 house -at first- with its pleasing porch, diner -style kitchen booth, and huge custom built-in office (all of which the investor buyer either gutted or modified), the shelved mantle and fireplace and relaxing fenced backyard. Of course, once the house started needing pricey repairs (e.g. a new furnace , a new swamp cooler, many small-medium plumbing issues,etc.) and we had no budget or credit to pay for what should have been done, all we could do was live like we were in a slumlord special until freed by the BK13 to sell to the waiting investor. And my worsening ankle issues and potentially crippling fall down the stairs in 2021 didn't help : I must now have a downstairs bedroom, full bathroom and closet ; I can no longer live safely where all bedrooms are on the second floor.
Perhaps everything went as it was meant to be : we survived and lived to one day thrive, LOL!
Long story short it would have been prudent to get another car when we had that 2002 Saturn even though we thought it had plenty of mileage left in it. My neighbor had repaired a few things in it, but when the repairs were over $2,000 that we didn't have we junked it. In hindsight we could have bought a used car for my husband since he drives a short distance to work that could have lasted a while.
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