Dave Says: Should my husband and I borrow money to adopt?
My husband and I have been trying to have a baby for years. We’re going to be completely out of debt except for our house next summer. We want to adopt, but the cost can be between $10,000 and $15,000. My husband’s employer offers a $2,500 reimbursement for adoption, but that still leaves us needing around $8,000. We think it’s the right time to have a child. Do you think we should wait?
– Rebecca
Dear Rebecca,
Children are blessings. I have three of them myself, and having them was the best thing I’ve done since I’ve been on the planet. I would never want to come right out and tell someone not to adopt. So it’s difficult for me to really put my feet in your shoes.
I know my wife Sharon and I have drawn a line in the sand, and we will not borrow money. It would be tough for me, though. I’m an old softie, and holding a little baby is one of the most fun things in the world. If there was ever anything that might tempt me to break my rule against borrowing money, it would be that.
– Dave
Dear Dave,
I don’t understand your theory about buying a used car. How will there be used cars if no one buys new ones? Also, if people stop buying new cars wouldn’t it have a disastrous effect on the auto industry and the economy?
– Chevelle via email
Dear Chevelle,
OK, stop and think. First, people aren’t going to stop buying new cars all at once. Second, I’m talking about you. You don’t need to buy a new car because you probably don’t have the money to take the butt-kicking you’re going to get in loss of value over the first three years you own the vehicle.
You’ve got new car fever, my man. Quit trying to discuss theory to justify the fact that you want a brand new automobile. You don’t need a new car unless you’ve got a million dollars just lying around. Let the car manufacturers and everyone else worry about their own problems. This is not a theory, dude. It’s how life works.
– Dave
Dear Dave,
Not long after I filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy my paychecks started being garnished. The debt that is being garnished is part of the bankruptcy filing. I contacted my lawyer about this, and he said he submitted some paperwork to make it stop. After this, there was a period of about two months when the garnishing did stop, but then it started all over again. What can I do?
– Kai in Flint, Mich.
Dear Kai,
The people who are garnishing your checks are in violation of federal law. There was an injunction placed against them when you filed bankruptcy prohibiting them from collecting on this debt. You need to send a copy of your bankruptcy discharge and a copy of your bankruptcy filing by certified mail to the attorney who’s doing the garnishment, and tell him that you’re going to sue him if he ever touches your money again.
If this doesn’t work and your attorney can’t do something similar to help you, then you need to find a new attorney. The people who are garnishing your paychecks are totally in the wrong.
– Dave