The journey begins

[ClingingToHope]

Well the Financial Titanic that ClingingToHope's family has become took another blow. The IRS audited our 2008 return and we owe an additional $4,600.

I won't argue. We screwed up the return.

In a way, I'm glad it was caught now and not two or three years from now when the D was done and I was free of her.

But as STBXW talked about it, she let slip that she's preparing to gut her 401(k) again to pay off a bunch of bills.

She borrowed $13K from her mom to pay off her 401(k) loan and she was going to borrow $20K to:

1) pay her mom back

2) pay her legal bills

3) pay off a window loan that should have been paid by now

4) then pay me some of the credit card debt she owes.

I'm not sure she realizes -- or maybe she realizes perfectly -- that by doing it, she's cutting into her retirement total, which means I won't be entitled to as much.

I had this discussion with my attorney a couple of months ago. I wanted to close my $10K IRA to pay off a credit card because that second card was consistently putting me in the red for the month.

He told me not to because the court wouldn't look kindly on it.

Well, now STBXW is preparing to do that PLUS I don't have $2,300 sitting around to pay my share of the taxes.

That, plus, STBXW is preparing to repaint the entire interior of the house. We are $13K underwater on the house. The only way we'll get out of it somewhat intact is to do a short sale. There's no way some new paint is going to raise the value of the house. I know she had to charge the paint, which is only putting everyone in a deeper hole.

I'd really be freaking if I hadn't gone to Financial Peace University and put myself on a strict budget. The only thing that has separated STBXW from financial ruin for 13 years has been me -- and now I'm not there and the ship is sinking fast.

The key for me is to finish this D as fast as possible so I can somehow save the girls' future.