Hello everyone. Just wanted to introduce myself, been browsing on here for quite a while now, I must say it's a fantastic forum and has been a great source of comfort and advice for me over the past year. Thanks again! Hopefully I will be able to help others goin through or just starting their IVA journey, as much as everyone on here helped me. [:)]
Hi and welcome to the forum. Your ahead of me - how's it going?. Yes, this forum is excellent and I'm actually addicted to it!.. I just love reading the posts from everyone and the advice given and seeing people going through the different stages I went thru. I've learned so much in the space of 6 months.
And yes, it's good to offer our support to others where we can.
Hi winter_blues. Thankyou for your welcome! Really settled into my IVA now, at first it was really hard to budget....something I had never done before. I've been browsing on here for nearly a year, only really felt confident enough now to share what i've learnt so far! I must say time does go fast within the IVA, nearly a year for me now! Wishing you well with your journey.
You too Saltkitten15. Everyone (well 99%!) of members are very friendly and supportive. This forum does attract some individuals out to make a point or anti IVA people but by far its used by people like you and I surviving in an IVA. I agree with you - the budgetting is hard. It's down to the last penny at the end of each month which is just not me!. But it's a whole new world and actually quite exciting. I'm sleeping so much better now I know that my debts are taken care of and the positive nature of being in an IVA - REPAYING OUR DEBTS but in a way that allows us to put bread on the table (and still the occasional glass of wine!..ha ha ) and live a fairly normal life. It's weird my best friends and family don't know about this side of my life. They don't need to but that's why this forum is so good. It allows me to share that secret side of my life with others and get the vital support and advice to see me through.
You will be made most welcome here - and whilst we professional posters do our best to hand out technical advice, the real experts on here are those who have been through the experience themselves and therefore can really say how it is. It is admirable that you want to give up some of your spear time to help others - well done!
winter_blues, yes I agree it is a whole new world and an exciting journey, it's taken me quite a while to face up to the concequences of my over-spending so to speak, but this IVA is a lesson learnt to myself, I truly feel that I will never ever touch any form of credit again, and yes, I have taken the positive steps to repaying my debts. This forum is such a lifeline to people starting out on this journey, I remember how scary it was back then, I like the fact people can take some comfort from others, especially as you say when you have no one else to turn to . x
Thankyou Melanie for your warm welcome. This forum really helped me when I was starting my IVA, It means alot to think that there are others out there with the same worries and problems as myself. x