Welcome to the myFICO family. You came to the right place looking for help. These fine folks helped me build my credit back from the mid-500's to the 700's club in a year and a half. I paid attention. Even when I didn't like what I was hearing. Building your credit is hard work when you've made a mess of it. There are no easy ways to do it.
You have got some great advice and some tough love from lowkey and PNW. One take away from all of this should be that we have all been there. Some of us have succeeded and rebuilds are complete; some are still rebuilding, You are not alone. There are many single Mothers and Fathers struggling with the very same, very real issues.
If you owe copious amounts of money, then there is no way to avoid it. If you are serious about rebuilding your credit, then find a place to begin and dig in for the long haul. IT WILL BE A LONG HAUL. Seems you have three options: Look into bankruptcy again, ignore your debts and hope they don't sue you (wouldn't be my first choice), or start somewhere and begin to pay it back. There is no easy fix to your situation; however, more credit isn't the answer. Better credit is what you need. Since you have already stated that you spend more than make (not a judgement, it's a fact from your previous post). If you can't increase your income, you have to find a way to cut your expenses. Shop at the dollar store for your staples and get your produce from the market or vegetable stand. When I was a kid, we had beans (made many different ways) and eggs and potatos. We drank powdered milk (yuck). There are ways to cut your expenses. Shop at goodwill or consignment stores for your family's clothing. Get a cheaper phone plan. Drop your cable bill, if you have one. Find a way.
Funnel any cut backs into savings. I'm with lowkey....you need an emergency fund, before you can truly begin to rebuild.
You are going to have to change your thinking and the way you've been handling your money. Your debt in not insurmountable. With discipline and time you can overcome this. I know it feels overwhelming right now. You CAN get out from under this. Set a goal and work towards it, rinse and repeat. That's the best advice I can give you. That's how most of us have come through it.
I wish you the best of luck on your rebuild. We are all rooting for you!
It sounds like you are newly divorced? Is dad paying child support. Not to get in your personal business too much, but I made the mistake of not going for child support for years because I didn't want to rock the boat. It made things harder on the kids because of that. Also, have you looked at whether you will qualify for the Earned Income Credit? That can be added to your paycheck but you need to speak with your employer about that. I never did that so I'm not sure how it's done. I was single mom working multiple jobs so I understand! Hang in there, it'll get better. Just take things one step at a time. Right now, instead of focusing on paying off the old debt, focus on how to either increase your take home pay or decrease your regular bills. I switched from cable to Netflix, that was a huge savings. Took my cell plan to it's lowest allowed, got rid of the home phone and learned to be creative with casseroles because they are cheap and you can eat them for days! Adjusting your thermostat can save a lot on electric bills too. I also found that renting from individuals that I could explain my situation to helped. If you have a good rental history and job, many individuals will give you an opportunity.
@medicgrrl wrote:It sounds like you are newly divorced? Is dad paying child support. Not to get in your personal business too much, but I made the mistake of not going for child support for years because I didn't want to rock the boat. It made things harder on the kids because of that. Also, have you looked at whether you will qualify for the Earned Income Credit? That can be added to your paycheck but you need to speak with your employer about that. I never did that so I'm not sure how it's done. I was single mom working multiple jobs so I understand! Hang in there, it'll get better. Just take things one step at a time. Right now, instead of focusing on paying off the old debt, focus on how to either increase your take home pay or decrease your regular bills. I switched from cable to Netflix, that was a huge savings. Took my cell plan to it's lowest allowed, got rid of the home phone and learned to be creative with casseroles because they are cheap and you can eat them for days! Adjusting your thermostat can save a lot on electric bills too. I also found that renting from individuals that I could explain my situation to helped. If you have a good rental history and job, many individuals will give you an opportunity.
I did the same thing, and now that I filed for joint custody and make 3x the income he does (after struggling for 7 years all alone, sometimes working 3 jobs and being on food stamps), I'm paying HIM child support. 
