www.iva.co.uk

Just thought I'd pass on a tip of a program I have just started to use to help me budget. We have tried a few programs over the last few weeks, but they were all either too clunky or too complex.

If your lucky enough to have an iphone or an ipod touch I came across a nice little application (£2.99) called Home Budget, which we have started to use to keep us on track. granted we have only been using it a few days, but its absolutely great, and were able to keep right on top of our budget.

Takes a bit of time to get the initial budget set-up etc, but now we have done that its so simple to keep track of how much we have left on our food budget or if we've gone over on the clothing budget etc. Obviously it suites us, but they also have a "Lite" version which is free so you can give it a go and see if it works for you.

Hi Diddy, I have the iphone and will look at the lite version, I have lots of apps but not yet bought one. I'll take a look though as it might be worth the cost if I like it.

Must admit that I do all of my budgeting via the bank as I know exactly when every DD comes out. By the middle of the month I know what is left.

I don't have an iphone anyway, but I wouldn't pay for any applications.

I want the bejewelled blitz app, but can never warrant the £1.79 to buy it.

I'm waiting for October to upgrade to an iphone - I'm with Vodafone, hopefully they won't run a credit check when they are upgrading us - otherwise I'm stuffed!!

If you already have a contract with Vodaphone then you should be ok. If they are the same as O2, they will just check that your payments are up to date.

I've never had a problem upgrading.

Good - could never afford one now that we are in an IVA, Vodafone are giving them free with 24 month contracts - something to look forward to.

I'm sure you will be ok with that.

I like my iphone I must admit, it's my bit of luxury whilst in an IVA x

I have a Samsung Pixon at the moment, which I am quite happy with - it's got a brilliant camera as well.

I may look at the iphone in 18 months when my contract is up for renewal.

Be warned - Vodafone only give their top phones free to new customers. My phone would have been free to a new customer on my tariff, but I had to pay £30.

I'm with Vodafone and recently upgraded to the phone I wanted which is usually only available to new customers.I also got the price plan I wanted. I just pointed out that I'd been with Vodafone for 11 years and my bills were always paid on time and that I'd change providers if neccessary.........it worked [:D]

Meant to add I'm paying £21 a month not £30

lesley, keep an eye out for bargain apps, i paid 59p for bejewelled a while a go, links to my facebook so i can play against friends etc..

For budgeting i stick to my banks online software, works ok for me, i just do the math on payday for the month and transfer the excess to a cashpoint account each payday, once i spend all that on food, petrol etc its gone, but getting quite good at this now, end of the pay period only 2 days left and i still have £20!

I'm fortunate in the fact that my phone is supplied by my employer, I recently changed to the iPhone 4 and have to say that as a telephone (its primary use) it sucks! It's on the Orange network which I know isn't brilliant, but so was my old Windows phone; the reception at work is rubbish but at home it's appalling. I rarely have a signal at home (which has the advantage of very few calls from work at night) and although my old phone had a poor signal, it was a constant poor signal.

Having said that, for everything else I use it for (e-mails, calendar etc etc) it is brilliant; just glad it's not my money paying for it.