My story is the same as many others...
Previous debt from previous bad marriage where husband was laid-off and refused to look for other work, forcing me to make ends meet on a part-time job and credit cards.
Made some poor decisions in current marriage which landed us in deeper debt.
Job changes with lesser pay and unable to make ends meet any more.
I am a Christian and am struggling between the guilt of bad choices and guilt of asking God to help us find a way out of it. Hubby thinks I should declare chapter 7, but I am absolutely terrified of that step, even though things are so tight right now that I feel FORCED to take that step. I've read SOOOO many conflicting things about the process and destruction of bankruptcy and I don't entirely trust the lawyer we went to see for help.
I tried to join Dave Ramsey's forums, but he charges to join his forums and that's money I don't have right now, so that didn't make sense.
My Christian principles are keeping me from making a drastic decision like that right now because I feel it is wrong to wipe out a debt that I owe, even though the lawyer told us (rightfully-so) that it is CRIMINAL to be charging us nearly 30% interest and that is equally as immoral as me not paying back my debts!
We struggle SO HARD to make the minimum payments, but the interest is drowning us and because we have to juggle bills every month, we can never get any help from the creditors when we BEG them for lower interest rates or SOME forms of forgiveness. No matter how hard we try to make ends meet, even down to living on Ramen noodles and tap water, we can't seem to make a dent in the bucket, no matter how hard we try.
Hubby is dead set on the bankruptcy, but I am BEYOND absolutely terrified of that decision. He loves me and will stand by whatever decision I make, but I just can't wrap my mind around such a HUGE, damaging decision like that!
I feel so trapped and hopeless and frustrated and terrified and lost right now and just don't know WHERE to turn. Any form of counseling services cost MONEY that we don't have. Hubby says that all "debt consolidation" companies are frauds and don't work, and we've discovered evidence of that in various places on the internet. We don't know WHAT to believe in all the plethora of information out there in cyber space. We don't know WHERE to start.
I am PRAYING for a sign in the sky to tell me to file or not to file for bankruptcy. Short of selling everything we own to make a dent in the debt and living in a box under a bridge, I don't know what to do or where to go and the idea of filing bankruptcy is so terrifying for me that I just can't seem to make myself go that direction.
Feeling so lost and helpless right now and VERY VERY discouraged.
Thanks for "listening."
Previous debt from previous bad marriage where husband was laid-off and refused to look for other work, forcing me to make ends meet on a part-time job and credit cards.
Made some poor decisions in current marriage which landed us in deeper debt.
Job changes with lesser pay and unable to make ends meet any more.
I am a Christian and am struggling between the guilt of bad choices and guilt of asking God to help us find a way out of it. Hubby thinks I should declare chapter 7, but I am absolutely terrified of that step, even though things are so tight right now that I feel FORCED to take that step. I've read SOOOO many conflicting things about the process and destruction of bankruptcy and I don't entirely trust the lawyer we went to see for help.
I tried to join Dave Ramsey's forums, but he charges to join his forums and that's money I don't have right now, so that didn't make sense.
My Christian principles are keeping me from making a drastic decision like that right now because I feel it is wrong to wipe out a debt that I owe, even though the lawyer told us (rightfully-so) that it is CRIMINAL to be charging us nearly 30% interest and that is equally as immoral as me not paying back my debts!
We struggle SO HARD to make the minimum payments, but the interest is drowning us and because we have to juggle bills every month, we can never get any help from the creditors when we BEG them for lower interest rates or SOME forms of forgiveness. No matter how hard we try to make ends meet, even down to living on Ramen noodles and tap water, we can't seem to make a dent in the bucket, no matter how hard we try.
Hubby is dead set on the bankruptcy, but I am BEYOND absolutely terrified of that decision. He loves me and will stand by whatever decision I make, but I just can't wrap my mind around such a HUGE, damaging decision like that!
I feel so trapped and hopeless and frustrated and terrified and lost right now and just don't know WHERE to turn. Any form of counseling services cost MONEY that we don't have. Hubby says that all "debt consolidation" companies are frauds and don't work, and we've discovered evidence of that in various places on the internet. We don't know WHAT to believe in all the plethora of information out there in cyber space. We don't know WHERE to start.
I am PRAYING for a sign in the sky to tell me to file or not to file for bankruptcy. Short of selling everything we own to make a dent in the debt and living in a box under a bridge, I don't know what to do or where to go and the idea of filing bankruptcy is so terrifying for me that I just can't seem to make myself go that direction.
Feeling so lost and helpless right now and VERY VERY discouraged.
Thanks for "listening."