Well, I’ve gone from feeling really down about the wedding and the whole IVA thing to feeling not so bad.

Hubby has a new job and we can keep some of the money to buy him new smart clothes from one month and still get to keep some after the added petrol expenses! Don’t get me wrong, we are very committed to paying back as much as we can, but it’s nice to see a little clink of light as the extra money will come in really handy – especially at Christmas!! Have spoken to cleardebt and explained that cannot send wage slip through within 14 days as hubby’s off work now but would send the payment and they said no problem, send it when you get later in the month!! I’ve already moved the money into the savings account so not to lull myself into thinking we have more money!! I am so glad we’re with a good company after hearing some of the posts on the forum. It’s hard to acknowledge the good service as obviously how good an IVA supervisor is doesn’t pop up in conversation normally!! I filled in a review on iva.com and have said many times on here that I’d recommend them – but it’s hard when nobody knows we use them!!

I was thinking about asking for some space on the forum as I know there’s a complaint section – perhaps we could have an employee of the week / month – where we could just acknowledge good service and more importantly, good reassurance and common sense!!

I’d certainly nominate Mark from cleardebt – he’s made my day!!!

had an invitation yesterday to a really good friends wedding that I’d love to go to – however – it’s abroad!! Feeling really crappy as there is no way on earth we can go. Hubby is also feeling bad as he’s blaming himself for out situation. I imagine that there will be several occasions over the next four years that we cannot attend. I cannot think of an excuse really as I do not want people to know it’s a money thing. Our payment into the IVA is the best part of £1000 per month between us so people think we have loads of money. The dog was a great excuse for not having a holiday this year but I feel awful saying to a really ood friend thats the reason not to go to her wedding!!

I feel bad now that hubby feels bad – I have never thrown it back in his face although his gambling has put us here. My wayward spending could have been covered if we were not trying to pay back £100K+ on credit cards for online gambling. I agreed to enter this jointly and part of that is not blaming eachother about it. The first year has flown and we managed birthdays and christmas and felt really positive. Hubby is hopefully getting a promotion at work but even the extra money cannot get us there! I wish she was getting married here!!! Hen party is a weekend abroad that I also cannot afford.

Writing about this is making me feel better. It’s hard sometimes to get things off your chest at one person as I do not want hubby to be upset either.

12 months in!! Annual review done and payments remain the same. Hubby will hopefully have a better paid job soon so will have to review again as expenses will also go up. It’s been good to read so many blogs recently. I feel so much better now we’ve got through a year and that we’re not alone!! I do still read the forum posts at least twice weekly but don’t really post. Not had that much time since having the puppy really.

I do feel like we’re a million miles away from the place that we were 15 months ago. The budgeting thing is getting there and although we’ve often been left with less than £10 come payday, we’ve not been overdrawn for the first time in over a decade – how amazing is that!! No holiday this year to speak of, we have been and stopped with friends but now we have the pup we have a great excuse of not being able to leave her!!

went to B&Q last night and got 10 litres of white emulsion and 10 litres of magnolia – crown and only £10!! Have spent the day painting and really pleased at how fresh it’s looking now – and it’s given us an excuse not to have to go out twice over the weekend!! I don’t know about everyone else but I do find it hard to keep coming up with plausible reasons why we cannot go to places, get take-aways etc etc. I’ve said I’m stopping drinking and dieting and I’ve had several headaches!! I really cannot wait for the next 52 months to pass!!

That said, hubby and I have discussed today how much better things have been during the last 10 months compared with the last few years. It is a worry making the money stretch, but we know it’s our money and we’re actively reducing our debts and not seeing them rise. We have swapped worrying about loosing the house, cars and jobs if we had to go bankrupt – and that was alot more stressful. If anyone is reading this, I certainly do not want to give you the impression that an IVA is easy – it’s far far far from easy, but, with careful planning and creativity, it has been manageable. We had money in the bank the day before payday again – admittedly hubby has lost it since!!

 Could not believe hubby’s phone call from MBNA yesterday!! They have sold our debt on and phoned to ask if we wanted a loan to pay off our IVA early!! They would let us have a secured loan over the next 10 years but as our credit rating is already shot, the payments wouldn’t be that much less than what we pay per month now and it would be for 10 years – the decision to decline was made quite quickly!! Surely people do not fall for this one!! He’s also had a letter from Barclaycard saying he’s been pre-approved for a special offer credit card!! We have said numerous times that we will never again have a credit card or any other kind of credit – except the mortgage. We have also agreed to over pay the mortgage when the IVA is over with some of the disposable income that we get back. Having been so close to financial ruin, we appreciate what security savings and assets actually provide.

 A good thing is that the IVA will be finished as our child does A Levels and gos to university so we should also have cash to help with that. The worse part is seeing your child do without – we deserve to go without but children do not. Our clothing allowance for the month will not even buy a pair of jeans and top from some of the shops his friends use so by the time we have paid for essentials there’s not alot of money left – thank God for M and M direct!! Christmas and birthday have now happened in an IVA and we managed – I think we are becoming more confident as we can say that we survived Christmas, we survived Mothers Day, we survived birthday etc etc. The unknown is the biggest fear and we now know we can manage!

I have just posted how gutted I am that hubby has lost our money but secretly wanted to say out loud as it were that he’s a dozy git!!! I keep shaking my head and wondering why he didn’t take out the money when I told him to!! Phoned and cancelled co-op card and they will send a new one out.

Up til then, all was going well really. New car is fab – thanks Duncton and Cleardebt!! Had a couple of letters advising that MBNA have sold on our debt to Phoenix Recovery or something but that doesn’t effect us. Hubby may have chance of promotion – will mean extra money but also extra costs. Spoke to cleardebt who as always put our minds at rest that if we can provide confirmation of new work place that they can increase petrol allowances and perhaps allow a delayed start to increase payments to allow him to get some suitabl work clothes and shoes etc.

I have said before but will say it again, I’m so glad I found this orum before we contacted any IP’s. Stories on the forum about failed IVA’s a lot of the time start with unrealistic budgets and unsympathetic IP’s. I’m sure that Melanie Giles would have been equally as good but I really cannot fault cleardebt (not advertising for them though!! ).

We will be 10 months in next week and only a couple of months for our first year to be complete and the annual review to take place. Did sort of an annual review though to get hubby’s payment reduced to cover car costs so don’t feel that worried! We are spending more on food each month than the allowance and I intend to put that down and the reasons why and wait to see what happens.

Off for two weeks soon for Easter nd looking forward to Spring Cleaning, gardening and putting a load of stuff onto ebay!!

Happy travels to everyone on an IVA / BR journey!!

well where to begin?

 Hubby has a new car now from Dunctons. Cleardebt have reduced our payment by less than the 15% needed for us to have to have a variation meeting and our utilities have been reduced along with the savings in car tax and fuel (new car is a 1.4 diesel) should be OK to afford it. Had to take some money from son’s account to help towards deposit but hey ho! Bank balance £111.02 with £40 dd to come out until pay day on Friday – have food and fuel so should be OK. Hopefully can start to build up contingency again now.

Said to hubby we’ll be 9 months next week – can’t believe it!! It really has been one of the best things we’ve done in a strange kind of way. We sat down yesterday and looked at what we need to pay out in March together and budgeted what’s left over to cover a weekend at a relatives as I’m sure we’ll eat out at least once. Pre-IA we’d have racked up the credit card or overdraft so never needed to talk really! Our new hobby is planning all the wonderful things we’ll do when it’s over. Trips, purchases and I’m sure things will mean so much more to us as we have now known what it’s like to do without – something we’ve not done before really. On one level I do feel quite guilty that we can just pay for 5 years and walk away with a significant amount paid off but we are trying to pay back what we can and will NEVER do this again!!!!

just thought I’d take a break from wrapping to update the blog. Search for the car goes on. Christmas presents got. Cut back massively on what we’ve spent before but they all came out of the overdraft so really were presents from Lloyds! This year they are all from us! We’ve cut back the shopping massively and eaten eggs on toast, beans on toast etc but everyone has a something. Got some vouchers from local radio station for £25 with a cash in value of £50. Used boots vouchers and bonus points and gifts from the poundshop – now there’s something I never thought I’d say!! Had so much Christmas wrap and cards left from last year that I’ve not had to buy anymore and hubby’s gifts were from Home Bargains – book of love quotes for 39p and a golf mug that cost 89p!!! Only having one car has saved us some petrol money this month as we’ve had to carefully plan trips and hitched rides with others. Work has been a bit of a pain though so need to get it sorted ASAP. Dunctons have approved us for the lease, just waiting for cleardebt to work their magic with a variation!! I have every faith in them which is such a good feeling. I read people’s stories on the forum about poor relationships with IP’s and companies and feel so thankful that I found this website before we set up the IVA. We are now 6 months in which I prefer to call 10% – it sounds so much more. Four more frugal Christmas days to go!! I read Jan (Kallis) saying that she’d be planning a holiday with her first months money!. Having my family Christmas evening but shopped at Sainsburys’, had £7.50 off when i spent £50 and had £57.50 in nectar points. Spent just over £70 including some presents from their 3 for 2 range that were half price too and had change from £10! I am going to start buying saving stamps for next year as I figure we could always cash them in early if we were ever really stuck!

To anyone reading this, hope you have a peaceful, Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2010.

Hubby’s car gave up the ghost at the weekend and it was confirmed yesterday that the cost of repair outweighs the value of the car! Can’t afford the repairs and can’t afford a new one!! Really stuck as hubby workd miles away and I need to go between sites for my job. Cried alot then thought about the foum. Looked at Duncons and dared to hope it may be a possibility to have a car on lease. Would need a deposit that would clear our contingency an tax / dentist money etc. and still have to borrow the £320 out of my sons account too and spend NOOOOOO money for the rest of the month!! Hoping that we could reduce the monthly payments and get hubby to try to get ANY overtime going (normally some over christmas and New Year in his business) and if still too short at end of term we’d have to extend.

Spoken to cleardebt today who have been fabulous again (special thanks to Dave today). Listened. Advised and agreed and take to supervisor for approval but said we’d think of something if the lease option was a no go – cannot thank or praise them enough and thank the forum because without this site I’d never have found cleardebt.

I am hopeful that we’ll get a reply as soon as possible. People think because we both work that we must have loads of money and can’t understand why we’ve not just gone and got a new car!!!! The pressure of playing wealthy being skint is terrible as I am sure you all know!!!

 Thanks for reading if you’ve got to here and thanks for your support!!!!

just thought I’d update blog as to what’s going on. My grandfathers been and still is very ill so I’ve spent many evenings at the hospital – lots of money spent on car parking and coming up to Christmas I’m trying to save every penny but somethings are too important. Have some presents purchased and have cut back on presents for friends and their children. Been buying so many presents for so long it feels awkward to cut back. Cars are still proving to be a nightmare but we plod on!! 

Head gasket was replaced and only (!!) cost £300. It’s like we save the allowances and they get spent straight away when something comes along. I’ve managed to get a bargain waterproof and windproof coat from TJ Hughes that keeps me warm. Last winter coat I had was a size 20 and this one was a 14 so really pleased with that – although loads of clothes are too big, no money to replace them as yet!! I’m going to really try to cut back to have money for my son for Christmas. It’s certainly not his fault we’re in the position we are although we’ll not be wasting the money we normally spend. Has sardines on toast for tea last night for the first time in years and really enjoyed it – and a really cheap meal on wholemeal bread so quite healthy too.