www.iva.co.uk

Well I checked my bank first thing this morning and my first IVA payment has gone. It's a weird feeling knowing that I've finally got everythng under control (I hope). I'm also looking forward to living witin a budget - have I gone nuts!?? lol

With that in mind if anyone has any budgeting tips feel free to share! [:D]

Doesn't it feel weird not having any monthly payments to worry about/make apart from your IVA payment ?

I used to rob Peter to pay Paul involving 8 creditors every month for 8+yrs and then suddenly...BANG....nothing to pay apart from the rent and the IVA payment.

I've just paid my 12th payment - so only 48 to go and I am so happy !

Before this all started life was awful - always looking at the post in dread and not knowing how petrol and food was going to be bought the next week - now I am in a budget that is manageable - I have been able to have a week away camping, had a few drinks, eaten out and started to buy xmas presents, knowing all the time that I have money in the bank and I am not overdrawn!!!!!!!!

Just wished I had woken up earlier and this was sorted before now!

Still 48 payments to go, 80% left to pay, 4/5ths left ----which ever way you look at it - it's going down and not up and boy my holiday to Cyprus is getting ever closer!

Just paid my 2nd payment today my mortgage comes out today as well and yet I`ve still got abit of money in the bank and enough in my wallet to do this weeks shop![:)]
I would have been into the credit card for sure usually by now.

Budget tip for this sunday,buy news of the world paper,get a £5 off a £30 tesco shop voucher(buy more papers if you like,you can always split your shop into £30 lots).You will save £4 for each paper bought(think they cost £1 each)

Oh and use the newspaper as loo roll,I wouldnt waste my sunday reading it.

hey,great tip.will be buying one of those! getting £5 off the weekly shop actually makes me look forward to going grocery shopping! i used to feel sick every week coming out of tesco after putting the shopping on my credit card.but not anymore!& the coin section of my purse is bursting.i keep tipping it out&counting it all.its funny what being in an iva does to your brain!! im just not used to dealing in notes & coppers! im going to create a 'road tax' fund &keep putting all my loose change into it[:D] [:D]

Yeah my first payment came out today and i have to say i feel rather ok about it, relief in fact. I'm looking forward to a quiet life now, and adjusting more to living on a budget.So no you are not going nuts, it's a great challenge, shop for bargains not because you can is the way forward, i love standing at the till with a walloping great piece of steak, with a yellow label on it and other folk staring in envy at me.I can get a lush meal out of about £4.

My 4th payment came out today. It does seem to be going quite quickly as well.