Debt

[Tracy 0]

We are still waiting to receive packet 4 and have no idea when it will come...hopefully soon.

My question is how is everyone handling their debt? We are falling quick trying to pay our bills. We have already lost one car and are trying to make a settlement on the left over amount but other bills are coming after us too. My husband in Canada works and I work here in the states but with the decision to move to the US has caused us to take new jobs and we just not able to make ends meet anymore. We are both trying to get second jobs but we know once he is here in the states it will be a little bit before he gets a job and a paycheck coming in and that just might be our breaking point. What options do we have? Can we file bankrupty in Canada from the US. Will our Canadian debt come after us and garnish our US wages? We just didn't expect not to be able to pay our bills and it is hurting our marriage as well as our credit. Any suggestions would help

[no one 0]

I don't know your situation so not sure why you both needed to get new jobs, but in our case, I refused to file the K1 paperwork until I'd amassed some savings as a safety net. Now that I'm in the States and without an EAD or green card, I can't work, so I'm relying on my savings and my husband's (USC) paycheques. Now... my husband still has student loans to pay off, so we've come up with a new budget plan in which at least half of his monthly paycheques will go towards paying off the loans. We'll just have to do without frills, but in the long run, it's worth it.

I've had friends/acquaintances who have filed for bankruptcy and they all agree that IT IS NOT WORTH IT. Stick it out and pay off your loans, even if it'll take you a decade or more.

People ask me "how's married life?" and I usually tell them "oh, it's like unmarried life"... but I think the hardest part of marriage so far is merging our finances and creating a new budget that works for the both of us...

Good luck!

[Tracy 0]

I wish we could come up with a budget. It would help but we don't have enough left for a budget. I (USC) lived in Canada for the last few years we filed DCF and I came back to the US to get a job and what not for domicle. I took a cut in pay for a new job. About a month ago my mom had a heart attack and I have to take off time here and there because she is in and out of the hospital with problems. Montreal would not rush the interview because it was not me who had the heart attack. My husband had to get a new job because his job required him to cross the border daily and when we talked to the POE they told us they would refuse him entry and ban him if he kept that up during the process so he quit and took another job with a cut in pay over half. Right now we are thinking this was the biggest mistake of our lives because slowly we are loosing everything we have because we just can't afford it. We don't make enough to pay bills and eat and put gas in the car. However I need to be here for my mom too. It is completely tearing us apart.

[no one 0]

That really sucks about your job situations.

Since you can't turn back time... what are the options that you're both willing to try?

Are you willing to abandon the immigration process for the time being? (Not sure if that's a good option since you've come so far!). Not sure if I'm getting this right... but you're both in Canada now? And your mom whom you'd like to care for is also in Canada? What are your reasons for wanting to move to the U.S.?

As for "budget"... it really depends on what you mean by it. A completely new budget can mean downsizing to an even smaller home, or even renting a room for the short term... doing without TV/cable/internet/landline/cell phone/etc. Cutting down electricity bills by lowering the thermostat by a lot, not using a dishwasher, ... Do you *have* to have a car? Or is it possible to bike to work (I know, it's winter and it's finally starting to snow...)?

[Tracy 0]

Nope I'm in the US he is in Canada my mom is in the US. We have thought about stopping the process but then we are at the point of no return. We just didn't think my husband would have to quit his job and we would have had no problems paying on and even off our bills but everything went to hell in a handbag. We thought of debt help places, bankrupty, and have even made some calls to try to settle with creditors without luck there. We have nothing at all. We live with family and use their tv, cable, internet etc. I guess you learn from your huge mistakes and we will be digging out of this one for years to come not matter what happens.

[zyggy 9]

Nope I'm in the US he is in Canada my mom is in the US. We have thought about stopping the process but then we are at the point of no return. We just didn't think my husband would have to quit his job and we would have had no problems paying on and even off our bills but everything went to hell in a handbag. We thought of debt help places, bankrupty, and have even made some calls to try to settle with creditors without luck there. We have nothing at all. We live with family and use their tv, cable, internet etc. I guess you learn from your huge mistakes and we will be digging out of this one for years to come not matter what happens.

Your mom is in the US? Is she a CItizen... Was she born in the US... How long did she live in the US...

Depending on your answers, you may be a US CItizen and not have to go through Immigration..

Have you gone to a Credit Consuling Service... be sure to get a reputable one... they may be able to negotiate a debt retirement schedule from your creditors for you...

In reality, all the creditors want is their money back. They're usually willing to waive all sorts of fees, portions of interest, etc as long as they are fairly sure that they're going to get their money back... The last thing that they want is for you to go into bankruptcy and they get pennies on the dollar or even nothing...

Edited January 17, 2007 by zyggy

[girl 37 7]

zyggy: She said she's the USC. Her mom's probably a USC too.

Nope I'm in the US he is in Canada my mom is in the US. We have thought about stopping the process but then we are at the point of no return. We just didn't think my husband would have to quit his job and we would have had no problems paying on and even off our bills but everything went to hell in a handbag. We thought of debt help places, bankrupty, and have even made some calls to try to settle with creditors without luck there. We have nothing at all. We live with family and use their tv, cable, internet etc. I guess you learn from your huge mistakes and we will be digging out of this one for years to come not matter what happens.

Your mom is in the US? Is she a CItizen... Was she born in the US... How long did she live in the US...

Depending on your answers, you may be a US CItizen and not have to go through Immigration..

I (USC) lived in Canada for the last few years we filed DCF and I came back to the US to get a job and what not for domicle. .... My husband had to get a new job because his job required him to cross the border daily and when we talked to the POE they told us they would refuse him entry and ban him if he kept that up during the process so he quit and took another job with a cut in pay over half.

[zyggy 9]

zyggy: She said she's the USC. Her mom's probably a USC too.

Nope I'm in the US he is in Canada my mom is in the US. We have thought about stopping the process but then we are at the point of no return. We just didn't think my husband would have to quit his job and we would have had no problems paying on and even off our bills but everything went to hell in a handbag. We thought of debt help places, bankrupty, and have even made some calls to try to settle with creditors without luck there. We have nothing at all. We live with family and use their tv, cable, internet etc. I guess you learn from your huge mistakes and we will be digging out of this one for years to come not matter what happens.

Your mom is in the US? Is she a CItizen... Was she born in the US... How long did she live in the US...

Depending on your answers, you may be a US CItizen and not have to go through Immigration..

I (USC) lived in Canada for the last few years we filed DCF and I came back to the US to get a job and what not for domicle. .... My husband had to get a new job because his job required him to cross the border daily and when we talked to the POE they told us they would refuse him entry and ban him if he kept that up during the process so he quit and took another job with a cut in pay over half.

Ah yes.. my bad... I switched the he with the she in my mind...

But the rest of it still applies...