Got a raise - what to do

[bkinfoseeker]

Well I have been thinking of filing, at the earliest, later this year and my boss, out of the blue, gives me a raise of an additional 5K per year. That is over $400 per month or ($300 after fed taxes). I have already been struggling with the I & J schedules and I thought I had it set BUT with recreation, clothing and cell phone all over $100 each and food over $300. I am so depressed now. Things like this have been happening over the past few months. Random big checks from my old job. Gas prices falling. IRS expense allowances lower. Car insurance went down. Stuff normally that makes people happy have been happening to me recently. With a huge unsecured debt bill and rising minimum payments this is not something I can afford to have happen to me.

I would rather die than go into a chapter 13. There is nothing more stifling to ones career drive than a chapter 13.

[SinkingFast]

When you're young, you don't worry about what will happen during the next 5 years. As you get older you think about those things.

When we came out of the first Consult I wondered if we could make it 5 years without charging anything. My first thought was that our washer and dryer are already 10 years old. Last summer, when we were redoing the laundry room floor, the laundromat took $30 in quarters for a week's worth of laundry.

Since that first Consultation, little things have happened. I had to buy a new coffee maker. The old one, only a year old, bit the dust. $25 Then, I had to buy a new can opener. Not electric. Hand operated. $10!!! I coulda gone cheaper, but I played with 'em in the store. Cheaper ones didn't work so well. Teeth didn't match up. The cutting wheel was "off". The the new coffee maker bit the dust. After only a week! Took it back and bought a different model. $45 this time.

I had visions of having to work with whatever attny for 5 years. A stranger that we were gonna have to be "buddies" with for a long time.

We aren't spring chickens. What if something major medical happens?? I have BKFiler to thank for that thought.

The "What If's" are killers.

[FilingOnMyOwn]

Well I have been thinking of filing, at the earliest, later this year and my boss, out of the blue, gives me a raise of an additional 5K per year. That is over $400 per month or ($300 after fed taxes). I have already been struggling with the I & J schedules and I thought I had it set BUT with recreation, clothing and cell phone all over $100 each and food over $300. I am so depressed now. Things like this have been happening over the past few months. Random big checks from my old job. Gas prices falling. IRS expense allowances lower. Car insurance went down. Stuff normally that makes people happy have been happening to me recently. With a huge unsecured debt bill and rising minimum payments this is not something I can afford to have happen to me.

I would rather die than go into a chapter 13. There is nothing more stifling to ones career drive than a chapter 13.

Well I can at least for one thing tell you how to fix the car insurance problem. Up all your coverages to the absolute maximum and go with a more expensive company if necessary. Up your medical and dental insurance if you have them, if not, buy them. And gas prices are not staying low. I'm sure it'll be well into the $3 per gallon price range this summer.