Necessary Expense Limits

[jetskiscott2]

What is the name of your state? CA

I've heard there are limits on certain necessary expenses like food, church donations and so on. My attorney pushed the food cost to 380 dollars and I thought the trustee would kick it back, but it was okay. BTW... I'm single w/no kids.

Do attorneys have an 'unofficial' schedule of what a trustee would accept as a necessary expense for ... lets say food for a single guy vs. a family of 4? Additionally, what about a car payment? Can a guy with a 2,500 dollar take-home pay justify a 600 dollar a month car payment?

[Ladynred]

Don't confuse secured debt with unsecured debt or expenses. Your lawyer should know what 'limits' are tolerated for each category of LIVING expense in your area. In my area, for examply, Trustees apparently don't think much of pets, so expenses to keep and maintain pets are usually minimzed as much as possible. As for groceries, a single guy should have a much lower food expense than a family of 4, but that doesn't mean you have to look like you're starving !

The car payment is SECURED DEBT, its not up to the Trustee to decide its too much, if you want to keep the car, foolish as it may be at $600/mo, then you must keep paying.

[dave7250]

What would be a fair estimate for food expenses for a single person?

[kopes]

Lady is right, all areas are different. I am a single parent with two kids and listed food as $600 a month, plus school lunches as $70 a month. The trustee normally lives in the same as you do and will know what reasonable expenses are. Put what you normally spend and see what happens. Your lawyer, if you have one, will be able to tell what the trustee considers too much. Here in MN you can put expenses for your pets. At my 341 someone did not put any value on her pets or put expenses for them and the trustee asked her why. He said "You feed them, don't you?" She was able to add that expense.