XPosted from SO. Help with money?

[Deleted]

**You guys don't know my past, I normally lurk here, and I've had it rough for the past few years. I'm currently pregnant, and trying to get the show on the road with my shit coming together. I live with my BF. These are expenses I pay. Just a quick background**

Okay here's the deal. I'm better with money now since I've been living with J. I don't have a huge cushion, but I've been trying to pay some debt.

Please bear with me and I will be patient with responses. I know my past has been shitty with money.

I am claiming Chapter 7 bankruptcy. I've been working with an attorney since last July. I have been having a hell of a time getting the money together for him because I need to give him $1300 (including retainer and filing fees) before he can start filing my bankruptcy. In the past year I had given him $225.00. So I owe him $1075 before we can get this ball rolling and my bill collectors will stop harassing me.

My budget looks like this: $1500 a month.
I pay:
$260 for my car
$80 for insurance
$110 for phone
$250 for groceries
$150-200 for gas
and probably $200 on extras...helping with rent/netflix/eating out sometimes...I don't *have* to pay rent. J pays the mortgage, but I try to help out or bring him dinner to work or if we need anything like paper products/shampoo/non food essentials.

What can I do to not be so frivolous with my extra every month so I can pay this off. Once I'm paid off, I will be comfortable with putting any extra in a savings account.

The underlined are things I cannot change right now.

What do the ladies of MM say?

Right now, I pay cash for everything. I've been pretty good with not over spending, but I'd like to cut back a little more to get this going.

[phunluvin82]

Uh oh...MM would have a field day with the $110 phone bill.

[cjeanette]

Can you cut back on the extras for a couple of months? I am seeing you have $400 left over each month so if you cut the $200 down to like $50 that should get you there faster. If helping with rent is not 100% essential I would see if your BF is okay with you not paying him until you get your lawyer paid down.

[Deleted]

Dec 7, 2012 16:37:09 GMT -5 @peggyolson said:

Yikes.. good luck with the answers on this one.

Why are you spending $250 on groceries for yourself?

Cut the $110 phone bill.

How much do you owe on your car? Can you sell it and get a beater? You can't afford the car payment or gas.

Cut the extras completely.

ETA: I have signatures/images turned off, so I can't see if you have a ticker. How far along are you? Baby stuff adds up fast.. are you having a shower thrown for you? What are your childcare plans?

The groceries are for the household. Myself, BF, and 2 dogs. I don't pay mortgage, so I buy groceries and necessities.

I'm 15 weeks and a few days pregnant. My BFF is throwing me a shower and my mom is helping me with a lot of baby expenses.

[midwest07]

What are the bills/debts you aren't showing here that would support a bankruptcy filing? Are you paying on those? Is it possible to avoid filing?

[Deleted]

Dec 7, 2012 17:32:41 GMT -5 midwest07 said:

What are the bills/debts you aren't showing here that would support a bankruptcy filing? Are you paying on those? Is it possible to avoid filing?

Nope. I have been delinquent for 6+ months on roughly $30k in credit card debt/hospital bills.

I haven't been paying on those bills and that has been making me able to survive the past 6 months.

[zacksbride]

what are your plans for work/childcare after the baby comes? assuming you had a similar budget when you got yourself into credit card debt for which you are now filing bankruptcy, you need to come up with a better plan for bringing in money or reducing expenses so this does not happen again. do you have medical insurance? (not sure what the "insurance" line is for - car presumably?) have you looked into how much a delivery will cost you?

i agree with others that there is no way you can afford a $260 car payment or $110 phone plan. you need to look into selling your car and buying a beater and reducing your cell plan to basics - calls only, no texts/data/etc.

[macmars45]

You need to cut Netflix and get to a cheaper phone plan/pay as you go type phone as soon as you can. Cut eating out from your budget. Unless J is paying for it. You cannot afford it.

GL

[Deleted]

Does anyone have experience trading a new car for an older, cheaper model? I don't know how this works.

[liveintheville]

Are you guys purposely keeping finances separate? In a lot of cases I can see a reason for this. But in your case, having a child together and one of you is floundering, why not combine finances?

[cjeanette]

Dec 7, 2012 18:47:31 GMT -5 liubot said:

Does anyone have experience trading a new car for an older, cheaper model? I don't know how this works.

It may not be possible. First you need to figure out the value of your car and compare to what you owe on it.

[trident0]

Dec 7, 2012 17:35:24 GMT -5 liubot said:

Dec 7, 2012 17:32:41 GMT -5 midwest07 said:

What are the bills/debts you aren't showing here that would support a bankruptcy filing? Are you paying on those? Is it possible to avoid filing?

Nope. I have been delinquent for 6+ months on roughly $30k in credit card debt/hospital bills.

I haven't been paying on those bills and that has been making me able to survive the past 6 months.

If you have medical bills and no insurance, might it be worth it to wait until after you deliver to file for bankruptcy? You may want to talk through the options with your lawyer.

[vmars]

Instead of your mother paying for baby things can she front you some money for the lawyer so you can pay him and then pay her back?

[Roc A Bee]

You need to track your money more closely because you have money missing. You also can't afford that phone.

[Balki.Bartokomous]

I think the bigger issue here is that you don't make much money. You need to fix that. What do you do now and what can you do to earn more money? Can you take a second job for a little while? Get another job over the holidays, at least.

Why is your phone bill so high? Call the phone company, ask them for the lowest # of minutes available, get rid of data, and go with the lowest texting plan possible.

Have you tried negotiating your hospital bills down & getting on a payment plan? I'm wondering if that isn't a better plan than paying a month's worth of your salary to an attorney.

Stop eating out. You can't afford it.

And if you don't *have* to pay rent, then I wouldn't. I'd just put that money in savings.