www.iva.co.uk

[:)]Over the Last Week i was suffering with IVA Stir Craziness and it was really getting to me.
I know that when your IVA is first Accepted you are Relieved and find yourself on the Financial Track back to normality even though you are slightly better off but have to live Frugally.
I think it is when you get past the 3.5 year mark that it really begins to hit home and the living Frugally seems to be going on and on and on especially when you have tough months where you have a lot to pay out such as Car Tax and Insurance or MOT and Hence the Stir Craziness Sets in.
I went on the Forum the other day and didn't care what i wrote or said as i was so frustrated that i thought Sod It!!!
Now i have took a reality check and realized that i should see the IVA out as i am now 40/60 and would be Mad to have come this far and Jack it all in.
Melanie and her team are like having Angelo Dundee in your Corner and have been brilliant all along but i just felt i needed to let off some steam.
Having an IVA accepted is a Great Relief at the Beginning but it is the Long Haul near the End that provides the Greatest Challenge

It seems that mid way through a lot of people feel like giving up. I am hoping I remember that and just keep my head down and carry on. It would be shame to undo all the good work you have done in making payments.
This forum is the right place to let off steam and we have all done it!
Just keep thinking about when it's all over and every penny is yours to spend as you wish, with no money owing to anyone else!!
[:)]

I remember feeling the same as you at about the same time into my IVA. That was when I found this forum

Its so hard but just stick at it and come on here and rant your head off when you need to.

Its such a good feeling when its all over and done with, its worth it xx

Hi andrew - Glad you feeling a bit more postive - dont worry about letting off steam - we all do it!
IVA is not an easy option and can be heavy going a lot of the time, but there is an end to it. And after you come out through the other side with a different outlook to things /spending - you wonder what all the "fuss was about"

Best wishes

Hopefully the frustration has subsided a little now that you have a good blast out! Its like climbing a hill for a view isn't it in some ways - you know its going to be worth it but there are times when the head kicks in to say actually is it really worth it? As you'll see the feelings are normal and its great you can come on here to let off steam - remember you've got us on the end of the phone too to call if you need us anytime.


Your steps the finish line are shorter than the steps you've taken already so KEEP GOING!

The Thing is my Friends is that before i was in an IVA i was quite Generous with my Money like here's another round on me lads or treat the Missus to new clothes or Book an Holiday to Spain No Fuss.
OK I was like everyone else who fell into the Credit Trap!
But Now i am a Right TightWad and Scrooge and it is this Fundamental Change to my Outlook on Money and what it can do to you if you are living without that has really hit home ,
Even if i spend a Fiver i feel Guilty and Upset as it like a Fiver i could have kept.

But that can only be a good thing. I would buy things for my niece and nephew and be the lovely auntie. Now I explain that dut to my illness I can't afford it and they think no less of me. We all used to treat people, I'm sure, but of course it wasn't our money!! I have a savings jar I shall use to save loose change in and they can spend that when they spend a few weeks with me in the summer. I think if you turn into a miser it shows you have learnt a lesson and that's fab for the future.

I completely understand your frustration, it's exactly how I felt at that point, as you're so near, yet so far from the end of it.

The last two years were really difficult, but I persevered, and am now enjoying the fruits of my endeavours eight months after finsishing the IVA, and can't believe only 6 years ago I was incredibly unhappy and depressed because of my finances.

Just keep focused, and think of the good times ahead, I promised myself I'd buy a new TV with my first months money that was my own so it was something to look forward to, and I did, and it is so satisfying to know it's mine and doesn't belong to a credit card company!

I think it's a good idea to promise yourself a treat, as it gives you a goal to aim for.

We bought a new telly off our contingency fund! Risky as something is bound to break but we hadn't bought anything for 2 years.
It is a tough slog and shouldn't be undertaken lightly but the benefits of an iva outweigh the bad points!

Paul

Over-geneorosity is what gets a lot of people into a trap of living beyond their means which is hard seeing as its bourne frmo good intentions. Its great to have a new outlook on things but try and find other ways of being generous so you don't have to feel like a scrooge! Time and yourself is the most generous gift of all.

Regards,

Andrew - glad to see you're in a better mood. We've all been there. I've just had my fourth annual review and I've dreaded each one. I feel like a naughty child who has to account for their actions. Stupid I know as each time there has been no problems. I got in a right tear over the bank holiday as we’d just been paid and with the good weather it was hard to stay in the house but I couldn’t justify spending any money. Like you I’ve become a skinflint and I hope that it continues after my IVA is over – apart from the odd treat, of course!

I`m just 9 months in and, touch wood, things have been ok up to now.
My main concerns are how I`ll navigate a big repair bill for my car or house, when the need arises.
I also feel really bad about being unable to financially help my sister who is going through a really bad time.
Having to go in work when you`re ill is something that stresses me out...Unfortunately I had to come home from work last Sunday after an hour, I get double time on a Sunday so I lost £200 for that shift alone, so I had no choice but to go in work still ill for several nights after that.
Not to worry, onwards and upwards.

Don't you get any sick pay Goosed? That's not good!

kallis3 wrote:

Don't you get any sick pay Goosed? That's not good!

I get sick pay kallis, but we have 3 waiting days and and then it is based on a 39 hour week. I actually work a 49 hour week, of which all hours after 39 are paid at time and a half and Sundays double time, so I would be well down wages wise.

That's not good - I get paid full wages for the first six months I'm off then it goes down to half pay for six months and then none.

I even get my shift allowance and enhanced pay for Saturday working even when I'm not there. The only thing I miss out on is an 'on call' on a Sunday.

I fully expect a lot of this to change though when the Winsor review comes into play properly.