Breathing room

[Til]

Morning all,

I don't post too often so sorry for the random post this morning which is part moan and part gratitude but I can't really say all this to anyone else so felt the need to write it down at least.

This week has been awful for us in the sense that until some monies due to me came in just this morning, I had no idea if we could afford food or pay the IVA - it was going to be one or the other.

Needless to say the monies due were paid this morning and I can once again breathe [:I] However it leaves with this never ending sense of being on the edge of a cliff. Just one wrong move could send us into oblivion.

I still think the IVA was our best decision and thankfully our IVA company have been downright great when we've needed them. However as I'm sure you all know there are those weeks or month in an IVA that you wonder how on earth you'll get through.

What I miss the most about this IVA is breathing room. The old knowledge that a credit card in the back of a drawer somewhere could always get you out of the mess - at least temporarily. I know I should hate credit cards but I am honest enough to admit that whilst I can see their pitfalls much more clearly now - I also miss their safety net.

I know we have contingency funds built in but life tends to throw things at us that mean they are never able to be saved or built up - just one of those things I guess and boy am I grateful we have them at all!

What amazes me though and for what I am eternally grateful for is how somehow, often by the seat of our pants, we do get through.

I'm not a religious person by any means, but I have faith that there is often more than we know at work in this world and sometimes it feels like luck, providence, a guardian angel, fate, the universe, or whatever you feel happy to call it, steps in to just push things in the right direction when you need it most. Just a small help here or there.

Many years ago I did not appreciate the value of money and did not appreciate the joy of £10 spare in your purse .... nowadays its not often I ever have £10 spare in my purse but when I do it makes me happier than blowing £200 on a credit card used to do.

So whilst this week has been just awful, I'd just like to say that I am grateful for everything that I have - a roof over my head, a wonderful family, good friends and much hope.

To anyone out there struggling - hold on and you will get through xxx

[miak]

Hello Til

What you feel is to me perfectly normal. I feel the same way and I have been through a couple of tough and scary couple of months since the IVA. My fuel bill came out on a quarterly basis (May) and we ended up completely broke. So I quickly learnt my lesson and put all the fuel bills on a monthly basis.

Like you I am also grateful for the IVA. Its scary, but whats more scary is the thought of where we would be without it. Drowning in debt and problably divorced by now.

Like you said, we do get throught it, by the seat of our pants. I think of it as making life more interesting!! Now I am like you, every penny counts and I think I will remain that way forever.

Its funny, the IVA has allowed me to have some breathing space and I have been able to concetrate on family and friends... and for once myself.

This forum is wonderful and so are the people in it. If you ever feel down or worried these guys will always be there for you.

Keep on fighting, we will get through this.

Hugs xx

[orchid5]

I too have learnt from my IVA and also been able to actually advise some of my friends who have been struggling, just this week i did an income and expenditure for my partner who was quite severely overdrawn but due to a PPI payment was able to pay that off and wants to stay on the straight and narrow, so he now knows what his disposable income is after all his bills etc, he was making the mistake of saying this weeks pay, pays that bill forgetting of course he had other DD and SD going out too, now he knows what and when. Tip here i have written all my DD and SD on a piece of paper which i carry in my purse so get a statement every now and then from the ATM and then work out what's what, it defo works. xxx

[Niobe]

I do all of ours online so its easy to see what has gone out and what is due to come out.