Are you saying that bankruptcy should be the 'least of my concerns'? I'm not real clear on that point.

Thank you,

Dean

No, worrying about what the bankruptcy judge is going to think should not be a concern. You haven't done anything that would be considered fraud. You stopped using your cards, so there won't be any major purchases just before declaring bankruptcy (if that becomes necessary).

The facts are simple: You were living beyond your means, and have accumulated significant debt for your income. It is a story that the judge has heard many times.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^So . . . should we be 'heros' and try to pay it all of ourselves . . .(now that supposedly we have learn to live BELOW our means) or is any money we pay them now, just wasted money that could have been saved cashed for later if we declare bankruptcy now?

When does a person know when to declare bankruptcy? We haven't been late on any payments YET, but that seems just right around the corner. A pro-active bankruptcy or a re-active bankruptcy? I guess the best sequence would be if and when we get behind . . . try credit counseling avenues. . . .maybe even a DMT . . . but can't we do the same for ourselves for free? Meaning, can't we call our creditors and say something to the effect of, "We are considering declaring bankruptcy . . .can we change the terms of our deal?"

I guess I am a defeatist (or maybe it is more of a case of realism, I don't know). But, I don't see how we can pay back all this money on such low income (55k per year). Yeah, I know, get a second or third job. That is kind of hard to do in a small town and when one has three children all under the age of ten.

I view the money that we are paying them now . . . as if we owe them a million bucks . . . we could never pay that back . . . so why start? But again, maybe I'm just being too much of a defeatist. Fight the good fight? And if so, and everything works out - great. But if while fighting the good fight, we get SUNK halfway through the game, there went 15k that could have went towards are savings and/or mortgages. Ramble, ramble. Sorry. I guess these are things that I need to set down with a skilled credit/debt counselor and discuss.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Dean