Will you look over my expenses and give help

[tobee43]

I have 6 boxes of receipts, I am the receipt queen. Hubby not so much but I will call the doc's office and get receipts. I had to buy one kids shoes on one pay check and the next kids on the one that came 15 days later. Her shoes did not fit and one size too small, so I had to keep her home from school for a few days till the paycheck came.

ahhhhhhh fallon...i'm sorry to hear that. that is so terrible...

even tho we are going through hard times we always try to help our kids...i'm NOT Letting my grand children go without shoes....i'll turn my lights off first!

[Fallonedward]

Thanks BTS, I'm in Michigan so not sure if 401K will be allowed. I have receipts for everything except the last few months of doctor appointments but with others advice come Monday I'll have those in hand...

My gas is expensive as I travel 52 miles to work. My transportation expense is all gas no repairs and I have receipts.

Here are the expenses I think will be questioned:

1. Your 401k expense. Many districts do not allow this even though there have been rulings in favor of allowing it.

2. Most districts do not allow the $200 old car allowance any more.

Everything else looks fine to me. I would have receipts for the diabetes expenses, but they should not be questioned. One other thing to note, UI is counted as income in many districts.

[backtoschool]

Thanks BTS, I'm in Michigan so not sure if 401K will be allowed. I have receipts for everything except the last few months of doctor appointments but with others advice come Monday I'll have those in hand...

My gas is expensive as I travel 52 miles to work. My transportation expense is all gas no repairs and I have receipts.

I filed in Michigan. 401k contribution was not allowed. Gas expenses will be fine. In Michigan UI counts as income. (mine did when I filed last year).

[Fallonedward]

Tobee, I just love your posts...I felt bad that I had to keep her home but my diabetic son needed his supply of insulin that I though had already been purchased, so that was an extra $187 gone that I needed for shoes and food.

When my little one told my uncle, he felt so bad and was mad that I did not call and ask for help. That is not how I'm wired my dad taught me to be independant and not depned on others. My dads brother sent us gift cards in todays mail for Target, Kroger, Sams Club, Macy's and Finish Line to buy clothes and shoes for the kids. My uncle said by sending gift card's I could'nt say no and that way he could help us. He said these are early Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter and New Year gifts for the kids. God love him...

ahhhhhhh fallon...i'm sorry to hear that. that is so terrible...

even tho we are going through hard times we always try to help our kids...i'm NOT Letting my grand children go without shoes....i'll turn my lights off first!

[Okieblue]

As far as housekeeping supplies, that includes detergent, I do about 3 loads a day, and use fabric softener, bleach, Clorox2, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, various chemicals to clean tub, bathroom, kitchen, air freshener, paper towels, Clorox wipes, yadda yadda, adds up quick. And personal items, razors, shampoo/conditioner, soaps, deodorants, toothbrushes/paste, hair gel, body lotion, yadda, yadda...so those costs don't seem out of line at all.

[Fallonedward]

Those housekepping supplies add up. Between fabric softener, detergent, bleach, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, various chemicals to clean tub, bathroom, kitchen, air freshener, paper towels, toilet paper, Clorox wipes, and hand soap, I'm amzed how much this stuff costs now that I'm tracking everthing like crazy. I am buying this stuff on sale and its still expensive. I think with 5 people in the house, the supplies go like water.

I do 8 loads a day on the weekends and 1 a each weekday.

Thanks to everyones help, I think I will do fine. The last of our cash reserves will go toward paying off the lawyer and the paycheck I get right before I file will be used to pay the big ticket items, mortgage, cell, food, utilities, so that on the day I declare I will have very little on hand, not by choice but the way it is after paying everthing on one paycheck

As far as housekeeping supplies, that includes detergent, I do about 3 loads a day, and use fabric softener, bleach, Clorox2, dish soap, dishwasher detergent, various chemicals to clean tub, bathroom, kitchen, air freshener, paper towels, Clorox wipes, yadda yadda, adds up quick. And personal items, razors, shampoo/conditioner, soaps, deodorants, toothbrushes/paste, hair gel, body lotion, yadda, yadda...so those costs don't seem out of line at all.

[debee]

The UST position on the Means Test line-by-line is available here: www.justice.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ if you click on this title : USTP Position on Legal Issues Arising Under The Chapter 7 Means Test.

Some district breakdowns are given re: 200 old car expense (the allowed districts are specifically named), the ownership expense for paid-off cars (allowed districts specifically named), it also says you can't claim UI as SS benefit and the UST will object, blah blah, must be declared as income.

[debee]

oooops

[Fallonedward]

Thank you, I appreciate this info. Now I'm worried that all of my actual expenses will be disallowed. Now I'm an over the median filer ( adding in hubby's UI) that can not even afford to buy school shoes for her kids. I thought I had everthing figured out and now I feel like I'm back at square one...ugh

The UST position on the Means Test line-by-line is available here: www.justice.gov/ust/eo/bapcpa/ if you click on this title : USTP Position on Legal Issues Arising Under The Chapter 7 Means Test.

Some district breakdowns are given re: 200 old car expense (the allowed districts are specifically named), the ownership expense for paid-off cars (allowed districts specifically named), it also says you can't claim UI as SS benefit and the UST will object, blah blah, must be declared as income.

[debee]

I just read a blurb that referenced In re: Sorrell which was a southern Ohio judge's decision allowing UI to be claimed as an SS benefit. The means test doc at the UST website prefaces their position info by stating, "unless a circuit court has decided an issue to the contrary"

[Fallonedward]

Thanks Debee, I really appreciate your help.

I'm a bit stressed as we have been hearing rumors that my company is going to have large layoffs in the next month and since I'm the only one working and hubby has been looking since march with no offers, the thought of both of us being on UI scares the jebbers out of me

I just read a blurb that referenced In re: Sorrell which was a southern Ohio judge's decision allowing UI to be claimed as an SS benefit. The means test doc at the UST website prefaces their position info by stating, "unless a circuit court has decided an issue to the contrary"

[backtoschool]

Thanks Debee, I really appreciate your help.

I'm a bit stressed as we have been hearing rumors that my company is going to have large layoffs in the next month and since I'm the only one working and hubby has been looking since march with no offers, the thought of both of us being on UI scares the jebbers out of me

In Michigan UI is counted as income. I sympathize about your fears of being laid off, but don't let it paralyze you. Concentrate on getting through this bankruptcy filing and don't let things you cannot control take up your precious time and energy.

[Fallonedward]

I try to not freak but my ulcer and divertickulitis (not sure on spelling) are not cooperating. My biggest fear is the trustee trying to put me into a 13 with me having no visable way to support it...

thanks, I do appreciate the help. I have my appointment in a few days with my attorney to finalize the docs and then we are off and running

In Michigan UI is counted as income. I sympathize about your fears of being laid off, but don't let it paralyze you. Concentrate on getting through this bankruptcy filing and don't let things you cannot control take up your precious time and energy.

[backtoschool]

I try to not freak but my ulcer and divertickulitis (not sure on spelling) are not cooperating. My biggest fear is the trustee trying to put me into a 13 with me having no visable way to support it...

thanks, I do appreciate the help. I have my appointment in a few days with my attorney to finalize the docs and then we are off and running

I had an ulcer too, which is finally healed. During my bk process last year it became a bleeding ulcer, and then it put me in the hospital for a few days, which finally scared me into taking care of myself mentally and emotionally. I am 11 months post discharge, and my life is so much better now. Things do get better, I promise. Your expense numbers looked very conservative to me. I think there is room to add more medical expenses, household expenses, insurance expenses and other legitimate expenses to offset any income you have to declare from the UI.

[debee]

We've gone back to square one a few times, read more, recalculated, read more, reconsidered and so on. There may be ways you can improve your family's security and fare better on the means test - term life insurance for both parents (more coverage, longer period), reassess your home & car insurance policies (lower deductible, increase coverage), are you tracking biannual dental visits for teeth cleaning for everyone in the family? annual check-ups for everyone? specials women's visits? endocrinology appointments? glucose tabs? Glucagon injectables if you use those? alcohol wipes? can you increase your medical coverage at work? have you ever considered continuous glucose monitoring for your type 1 child? That runs $350 per month from medtronic minimed, is an rx and therefore a medical deduction and provides peace of mind as well. We're also over the median for our area but after some adjustments that I feel really good about (better for the family) we passed the means test. Keep looking/thinking/crunching.