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[quote=Anonymous]OP, I knew nothing about bankruptcy before this, but have been learning a lot.

If you earn less than the median income for your area you MIGHT be able to qualify for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, but you may still be asked to show that you have very little disposable income available to pay off your debt in 5 years.

One question I have is, is your 21 year old daughter in college still your dependent? If she is you can say you are a 2 person household. But if she isn't your dependent then you are only a 1 person household.

Right now your expenses say that you have about $2700 "available" in surplus cash to pay down your debt.  But you may be "thrifting your way" into a Chapter 13 bankruptcy by living so frugally that it is hurting you.

If you look at the expenses considered reasonable in terms of bankruptcy court, you are spending way less in many cases.  (I am only looking at the 1 person amounts, not the 2 person amounts)

https://www.justice.gov/ust/means-testing/20250401

They allow for one person in Adams County PA:

Food $458
Houekeeping 44
clothing and services 87
personal care and services 48
miscelaneous 171
out of pocket health care exp 83

I'm not totally sure I am understanding the housing, utilities and car allowances but this is what I think:

Housing:
Rent 1233
Utilities+ Maintenance (insurance, garbage collection, etc) 583

Car :   
(operating costs- maintenance, repairs, insurance, fuel, registrations, licenses, inspections, parking and tolls.)               285
(lease or car payment)        619

The other things you are allowed to consider as your expenses are:

https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/ust/legacy/2015/03/03/ch7_line_by_line.pdf

-actual federal, state and FICA taxes you pay
- health insurance premiums
- life insurance premiums
- involuntary retirement contributions, work requirements like union dues and uniform)
- deductibles, therapy co pays
- necessary contributions to the care of an immediate relative
- excessive home energy costs
-charitable contributions (WHAT??? up to 15% of gross income!)

When you add all that up you subtract it from your current monthly income. Whatever you have left is what they resume you can be paying towards your debt.

-disability insurance premiums

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