Oh, the 500 is what is allowed in our state..both our vehicles are 10+ years old and there is some expenditure that allows so much per vehicle that are that old...my husband commutes 50 miles each way three days per week and I communte 120 miles each way one day per week...We each easily spend $60 per week in gas, so our actual expenditures are over 500 if you factor in the alternator that went out last month in my van and the tie rod ends my husband had to replace month before last on his truck....
Also, about our phone situation. We have to have a home phone line in order to have internet...because all we have available to us is DSL..so we have to keep the phone line...the internet is $50 and the phone line is $80.....We have three cell phones and I use mine for business calls....which I deduct from my taxes...we have an unlimited plan along with unlimited texting (kids) and the actual monthly rate is $191...add a few calls to 411 here and there and then taxes and fees it gets boosted up to at least $240
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Our house is 1800 sq feet and those are actual numbers...this winter our electric bills were $250 and our Gas $200...we live in 100 year old house that is drafty...also, our state allows for $420 for utilities...the tt did not question this.
Groceries...I honestly spend at least $250 per week on groceries..I have three kids that eat and eat and eat...a husband who takes lunches to work and so on...I did have $1050 and the trustee did not question it..our state allows us $1632 for food, housekeeping supplies, apparel, personal care and other miscellaneous...with the food total at 1,200 and adding in the other...I am still under the 1632 amount.
School lunches: I agree these are low..but I dont' want the tt to question it...It's actually at least $60 per month..over $3 per day per child.
Thanks for all the help! I wish I had done this first!Leave a comment:
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I looked at your expenses again, and I would lower the food expense to around 800 a month max, after googling some posts to see what people were claiming.
I also would make sure you have receipts for that 500 a month in transportation costs. Gas is under 3.00 a gallon now and it would be hard to spend 500/month.
Because you are amending your schedules, and some of your discretionary expense categories are high, you might be at risk for being pushed into a chapter 13. To fly under the radar more, I would lower the expenses that are above the average for what a family of 5 would spend.Leave a comment:
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Honestly, some of your amounts seem quite high to me. Surely your attorney knows what will fly with the trustee in your jurisdiction-- I would run all of these past him/her.Originally posted by berrymom35 View Post
So what are your numbers like? Are you in the negative? If so, by how much?Leave a comment:
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I don't really know how these things work but if I was the trustee, a few things would jump out at me. $450 a month for electric and gas on a $688 a month house. I think that would be a red flag. Also, $1,200 a month on food. Holy cow, what is the size of your family cause I am fat and we don't usually spend more than $600 on a family of 4. $700 is the most we've ever done. You have $500 for transportation and then $264 for an auto. Is the $500 the standard allowance in your state? Another thing I see that I would question is are three cell phones at $240 a month necessary?
I am rather new to all of this, but I am almost positive that food, clothing, personal expenses, etc. are all lumped into the one deduction which in LA where I live is $1,370 for a family of 4.Leave a comment:
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40 a month for school lunches seems low. The cheerleading seems high. I would put some of the cheerleading cost elsewhere.
The hair costs are fine, but take off the word "highlights".
The cell phone seems high. This is the type of trustee that will want to know why your kids are not on the ten dollar add on plan.
I am sure there are more expenses associated with your stay-at-home business that you can claim to make up the difference.
All the rest of the expenses look good to me.Leave a comment:
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New Schedule J..please look and give opinions
Okay..so I redid my schedule J expenses...could you guys please take a look at them and tell me what you think?
Mortgage: 688.95
Electricity/gas: 450.0
Water and sewer: 60
Telephone and Internet: 130
Cellphones (3): 240.00
Cable: 90.00
Trash: 20
Home maintenance: 75
Food: 1200.00
Clothing: 200.00
Laundry/dry cleaning: 50.00
Medical/dental: 200.00
Transportaion: 500.00 (we commute)
Recreation: 150.00
Home Insurance: 58.33
Life Insurance: 77
Car Insurance: 79
Taxes (personal property/house/self employment): 250.00
Auto: 264
80
Son's (2) activities: 105 (karate/football/baseball)
Daughter's activities: 102 (competitve cheer)
Preschool: 100
Business: 50 (office supplies)
School lunches: 40
Personal Hygene/hair-cuts/highlights: 85
the hair stipen, lunches, food clothes, laundry...should be lumped into the $1600+ I'm allowed per IRS standards right?
Please let me know any thoughts on this new schedule!
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