Re: What to do next?
Sell one or both cars if possible and borrow the difference + enough to buy one or two 3000 or less cars. This reduses 24,000 to 5 or 6 + upside down amount, which should still be much less debt. Dad needs to get a second full time job.
You both need to sit down and write out a budget that pays only for necessities, no beer, ciggerettes, candy, meals out, movies, dingdongs etc. Only needs.
Sell everything but the baby.
Then, save up an emergency fund of 1000.
Next, list your debts from smallest to largest, while paying the minimums, put every extra penny towards the smallest debt and pay it off, then move to the next.
Once you have payed all the debt ( do not add any debt while doing this) save up enough money to fund your emergency fund to 3 to 6 month expenses.
Then you can think about college funds and investing at least 10% of your gross pay.
If you are not able to do this. Make a priority list like this:
Food
House
Gas
Utilities
7500 car payment.
Sell 16,500 car no matter what.
HELOC payment
Lowest CC balance
And so on.
Pay in this order as your money comes in. You have to get mad at debt and desire to get rid of it over anything else. Cut up your cards. Here is a healthy financial plan.
First, 10% of your income goes to funding an EF and longterm investing. FIRST.
Second, Only buy a home you can afford on a 15 year note and only 25% of your take home pay.
Third, make a budget that tells every penny you earn where to go.
Fourth, only buy cars, tv's, anything after you have payed for food, clothing, insurances(including life and health) and only with cash.
This is how you prosper. Good luck. Get the second job until you are debtfree.
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