OK, so the plan yesterday was to work on my budget, but I did not. Shame shame on me. I did make a start, I balanced my check book, looked at my incoming cash flow, looked at my outgoing cash flow. At least faced up to it a bit. I just have to plug in the numbers.
I'm waiting for a payroll summary to arrive from my payroll department. Then that goes to my attorney (or I should say, his paralegal) and then I sign the forms. I did look at my ever growing file on the bankruptcty and realized I have to take classes. I think I can do them on line, so if that is the case, I'll try and start this weekend. I want to just get this done and over with.
What has been frustrating about this whole experience is I feel like I'm being told a bunch of things I need to do sort of after the fact. Hum, I thought I took very good notes in my two meetings with the legal office. Guess I did not or was soo overwhelmed I did not hear everything. The paralegal must think she is dealing with an idiot.
For those in a money crunch and you don't want to end up where I am. Here are a couple tipsI strongly suggest you do the following things AFTER YOU CUT UP AND SHREAD YOUR CREDIT CARDS.
1) Take a serious look at your credit card balances. Open those envelopes, write down the TOTAL amount owed and the percentage rate. Remember, I told you to organize your files so you can find your bills? This is one reason why.Then take a deep breathe and exhale.
2) If you are not deliquent, call your credit card company and ask for a lower interest rate. Make some phone calls. If you are having trouble paying the minimum, tell them, work with them see if they will work with you. Many will, they'd rather work with you than spend tons of their time and money sending you to collection.
3) If you are deliquent and are having problems, call Consumer Credit Counseling Services. They are a not for profit agency that will evaluate your financial situation and help you set up a repayment plan. Word of warning, these are no nonsense folks, they cut up your credit cards, you pay them, they pay your creditors and if you fall behind with them, you are on your own! Check your phone book for an agency close to you. Make sure they are licensed to do business in your state. I wish I had found them sooner, I did not.
4) DON'T fall prey to these other credit agencies that claim they can help you. Do your reasearch before you committ to any agency. There are agencies that claim they can clear your credit and give you a fresh start within months.
5) Be prepared to give up the extra's in your life, meals out, tons of new clothes, travel, etc. Remember, the goal here is to pay down, pay off your debt and get out of trouble.
6) Find a way to pay off a little extra on the minium balance to each credit card.
7) Keep a running total of what you owe and what you have paid off. Track your progress.
Karyn Bosnak eliminated her debt with her on line grubbling via her web site. Excellent idea, got her on the Today show, a book deal, and she is debt free and donated the money she got from folks to charity as well once she was debt free. I'm four years too late stealing her idea, I'm not reccommending you set up a web site for the sole purpose of getting out of debt, but she does have some excellent tips for budgeting, etc.
DISCLAIMER:The information given here is not to be in place of or in lieu of any professional advice you get from a financial advisor or other legal entity. These are some tips I have researched from other blogs and web sites and are tips based on my own personal experience. They are not the be all end all to financial planning. Every person and situation is unqiue and I strongly reccommend that you seek professional advice when dealing with your financial situation.
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