What to expect

[Anonymous]

Going to our bankruptcy consultation today.

what should we expect?

wihat kind of stuff will we have to give up?  We own our home, but are planning on keeping it.  

What at will they include as normal expenses?  Will we have to give up cable & cell phones?

how does the process work?

we have about $40000 in cc debt.  Make net about $4000 a month.  Can't pay everything!  

Feel like a failure, because i was in charge of paying bills (

any my advice is appreciated

[MarineVietVet]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Going to our bankruptcy consultation today.

what should we expect?

wihat kind of stuff will we have to give up?  We own our home, but are planning on keeping it.  

What at will they include as normal expenses?  Will we have to give up cable & cell phones?

how does the process work?

we have about $40000 in cc debt.  Make net about $4000 a month.  Can't pay everything!  

Feel like a failure, because i was in charge of paying bills (

any my advice is appreciated

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I felt neither ashamed nor proud of the BK I went through. It's just another part of my life.

This legal procedure you're going through is not a sign of failure.

All I would say to you is from this point forward you must be determined to not make the same mistakes and go down the same path that brought you to this decision.

Good luck to you and your future.

[Anonymous]

My BK was discharged about a month and a half ago and believe me I understand how you feel.  BUT, don't think that way.  We have all made mistakes in the past, what matters is that you learn from them and don't do them again.  

You can keep your cable and cell phones,  and you can reaffirm your home and cars if you want to also.  I chose to let my car go in the BK because my payment was really high.  Then I went out and bought a used car 2 times the size as my old one for $150 less a month and I love it.  

[0REDSOX7]

I never once felt bad about it - for me, I knew the law was there for people in my circumstances. I was anxious for sure, unaware of the processes and what not, but as mentioned above, it's a decision that will make you feel better in the long run.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the reassurance!!

we have to go buy a car!  Crazy but our lease is up in May and we would be car less.

[Anonymous]

Hey Coopercw,

Acknowledging I needed help was the first and hardest step for me - so kudos on making the appointment.  I filed ch 7 on 9/8/14 and had my Trustee meeting on 10/29.  

The initial meeting with the attorney was a little over an hour.  I had a car, credit cards, payday  and other loans, but no home loan so things were pretty straightforward.   Asked basic questions about my expenses to ensure I passed the means test.  I provided prior two year tax returns and that was it!  A day later I got an e-mail from my attorney with a date for the Trustee meeting.

I completely understand your feelings.  I'm still sorting through them myself and definitely carry a level of shame - which, I think, is natural.  I just registered with this site after  reading posts the past few days and I'm learning a lot.  A number of things led to my debt (irresponsible spending, no savings and then, BAM, no job), but I'm learning to learn from my mistakes, take some of the advice from this forum, and forge ahead to a smarter future.  

Let's keep each other posted on our journey.  Teamwork makes a dreamwork.