Two years Down!!!

[louisa.s]

We've have completed 2 years of our IVA - thats just 3 years left so almost half way through.

I have to say that although the first year and a bit were tough it has got so much easier (excluding current probs with landlord!) and it has really helped having the support knowledge and wisdom of the forum as it has helped me take control of the joint IVA and become very pro-active in its management.

So I think we are going to crack open a bottle of something and raise a toast!!!

[kal]

Congratulations, and enjoy your well deserved glass of bubbly.
Here's to the next 3 years being as successful.
k.

[e.h]

Hi Louisa

Well done on getting through 2 years.

We will be coming up to our 2nd anniversary in October. How has it got easier for you after the first year and a half? We are really beginning to struggle now what with the increase in fuel bills, utilities, food and just about everything else and any budgeting tips you could suggest would be really gratefully received.

Does it sound better to say 36 months rather than 3 years?

Many thanks, and well done again.

Liz
x

[thanna]

Hey Louisa well done we are the same our second year is up in June and i keep thinking that by Christmas its the half way point.I get what you mean about utilities though the oil prices are really starting to worry me as its getting hard to find the extra for the increases Good luck lets hope year three brings easier times xx[:)]

[thanna]

Liz i find that looking on the tesco website before i go shopping helps as you can write down all the bargains and look out for them instore also tesco run a christmas savers club which means they keep all your vouchers until November then give them to you,it fair builds up over the year plus you can put a few pounds on per week and then you get it all in vouchers in nov its great for all the extras Tracy

[Mrs Positive]

Congratulations Louisa,

We are just coming to the end of our first year and year three seems an age away!! hope it flies by[:)]

Hope your next year is problem free, the end will soon be here[:)]

Well done[;)]

[Lisa2009]

Louisa, congrats on reaching another milestone.
Keep going, it will be worth it in the end xxx

[singlemum]

Well done louisa!! I am 2 years into my IVA too from March, found the first 2 years ok but it was hard to not have the overdraft or credit cards to rely on. I find I worry about something going wrong with my car more than anything else as need my car for work and the cost of repairs is so variable.
However, I have now decided to see the next 3 years as a challenge to see how little i can spend instead of complaining about lack of money! It makes it seem more interesting and less depressing!![:)]

I hope the next 3 years go as quickly as the first 2!

[cat 1]

Has it gone fast?I'm about to make our 6th payment, but have another 66 to go as ours is a 6 year haul.However, the last 6 months, although very testing at times as actually gone very quickly.There isn't much spare money around and I keep looking for a bargin sunshine holiday (there are none for £400 for all 4 of us though[:)])Perhaps I'm more resigned to it now it's well underway, but I stil feel very shocked that it's real and I really am in this position. Cat

[louisa.s]

It feels like it has absolutely flown past although been a struggle in parts.

Liz - we have got separate basic bank accounts for different parts of the budget and everything is either done as monthly DD or SO. It was the only way we can do it and have money for food!!! We also do all our shopping in tescos, reuse our bags, recycle printer cartridges and old mobile phones and about every quarter get back about £20.00 in vouchers and have signed up to every club possibly (not allowed to sign up to the baby club yet as hubby won't have his wicked way with me[:D])

Oh and I have started to cycle the 8 miles to work!!! (done 2 weeks so far) so saves a little bit on fuel/parking)

[Wizzard]

My one tip re food etc is grow as much as you can, shop at Aldi's and Lidl's rather than the main Superstores. Petrol and utilities we have no control over but for those of you on IVA's isn't this classified as an expenditure increase and the IVA peeps should take note of it and decrease your monthly payments accordingly, or am I being naive??

[Skippy]

Congratulations Louisa!

[Julie]

Well done Louisa and everyone else....we've just made payment number 15 and it's getting easier in as much as through this forum I have learnt so much more. Just knowing we're not alone is a comfort.

The major thing we learnt was not to panic - our IVA was original scheduled to be paid the 1st of every month via DD, but as hubby gets paid every 4 weeks it was stressful trying to make sure the funds were there and not to incur any bank charges. We now pay our IVA via debit card and as long as the payment is made by the end of the month there's no problem. Its worked for us anyway.

[louisa.s]

one other we have learnt over the years is during the week we make a shopping list of what we need and what we have run out of and then only buy what is on the list. The result is we actually spend less on the stuff that we really don't need and we hardly waste anything now.

We also grow our own veg (although the runners are still in the conservatory and attempted to snare hubby bike overnight!!!) We still have runners & courgettes in the freezer from last year!

In answer to ray - i don't think it is classed as an increase as probably 90% of the time the money from your food budget gets used elsewhere if necessary and you are allowed to save whilst in your IVA(just not excessively!!!). Although what we try and save on our food budget invaribly gets spent on wine whenever they have really good offers!!!