Thanks so much foggy..and you’re absolutely right about it being a life saver..I think it might quite literally be..for me anyway. I will have a good look around the forum and will definitely be reading your blog...good to not feel quite so alone..
It is very scarey, but believe me it is the best thing I have done. I wish I did it years earlier. I owed over 46,000 but am now into my 6th year and can see the end is in sight. Use this forum to ask questions, discuss what is worrying you and you will have all the support you need. It was a Godsend to me as I never told anyone about my situation (family only). Good luck and it will fly over.
Thanks so much Allywally..like you no one else knows our situation..I’m literally trying to paste a smile on my face in work etc while hyperventilating under the surface! Especially hard while listening to a colleague talking about spending £500 on a meal out (one meal!!) for her and her hubbie at the weekend (which she always does) - it’s great she can do that, but I just have to work on my poker face rather than showing I’m mentally budgeting what I could do with that money lol
Meech wrote:Thanks so much Allywally..like you no one else knows our situation..I’m literally trying to paste a smile on my face in work etc while hyperventilating under the surface! Especially hard while listening to a colleague talking about spending £500 on a meal out (one meal!!) for her and her hubbie at the weekend (which she always does) - it’s great she can do that, but I just have to work on my poker face rather than showing I’m mentally budgeting what I could do with that money lol
Anyway, thanks again
You never know --- could be that this colleague is also serene on the surface but paddling like hell below ! Wondering how this meal is going to be paid for in the long run ---- many people are just a hair's breadth away from being where you are.
My opinions are merely that .. opinions based on experience. Always seek professional advice.
IVA Completed 23rd July 2013 .... C.C. 10th January 2014
Firstly it is scary as it’s the unknown but it is a weight off your shoulders when it is sorted. You have no creditors chasing you (and if you do - just explain to them that you are in an IVA and they usually accept that). Living through an IVA isn’t easy - you just need to budget and you will manage it. Luckily when I have had tight months I have been able to borrow a bit from my mum or best friend (like £50 not massive amounts) so I have been lucky. There are times when you can’t do what you want to do - been many a time when I’ve said that I can’t afford to go out and it’s annoyed me BUT I think that also teaches you that you can’t do what you can’t afford (which was how I lived on credit cards etc) and that this is the way you should live anyway (even after an IVA) and credit should only be used for emergencies. I am not saying it’s easy - there have been times when I have been soooooo fed up that I am budgeting strictly at the supermarket - even times when I’ve not been able to afford wine at the end of the month but it does get easier and it becomes a way of life that more often that not you forget about it. You just have to think of it being another very important bill you must pay and that’s that. I get basic brand at the supermarket, shop at Aldi, you’ll be surprised how much you can save. Just try and put a little bit aside for emergencies like mot/car repairs. All my bills are paid my monthly direct debit even the small ones like tv licence and do they are always paid. I also have a bank account now with Think Money and as much as they get slated they have been a godsend to me. Your money goes in - they keep back enough for your bills and what you have left is in your cash account - means you can’t be tempted to spend money that’s for your bills. I work out my budget at the beginning of the month - a certain amount for petrol; a certain amount for food; a certain amount for pets and what’s left I transfer to a savings account. Not easy but is doable. Good luck!
Thank you so much Katherine - it really is the starting point that is so frightening, and that is where we are now. Date for the creditors meeting is next Tuesday 8th and I feel physically sick and in limbo. It's the first month of not having the "safety" net of credit and we have almost run out of oil before having a contingency fund, typical. But I cannot complain - I am realistic enough to know it will take a few months to bed in and sort out...I have no complaints about living in a budget as I want to pay as much as I can, but just be able to live and that is the main thing. Thanks again for all the support and positivity. I know I am holding my breath until next Tuesday. Hopefully we will get our lives back after then.
