Advice for Ox

[Ox1987]

I have to survive to have a chance of it and it could be this year or not until next year
I just need to make sure that happens for the sake of the kids but as people have seen our budget and think its ok may be I worrying over nothing and its a lifestyle issue and that is that and we have to deal with it

[josu]

Thats just it i'm afraid Ox, it seems most people on this forum earn a lot less than you do and have a lot more debt so it is hard for us to understand why you think you cant do it. You have to buckle down now, work out your finances, and as harsh as it sounds its time to stop feeling sorry for yourself now buddy and move on with your life. Sounds like you have a pretty good one!

[Ox1987]

I understand I am trying to be positive but its hard, i just worry about everything but my mum says I am a born worrier.

I need to make the budget work and the wife is confident we will in fact she is already taking about saving a bit here or there to put away

Just need to get the IVA approved

One question my childs trust funds are with my bank who is a creditor Are they safe they are the ones you used to open with the 250 cheque

Done first bit of ebaying aswell at £140 at the moment so that will help with communion coming up

[Shining]

All positive and keep the faith as your wife is. Well done on Ebay.

[Foggy]

The Trust Funds will be safe -- these are in your child's names and belong to the children.

[luluj]

Trust funds will not be touched !

Look on facebook and see if you have a local facebook site that allows you to advertise items / sell things - you don't land up paying ebay sellers fees this way and it all becomes profit - ebay is good but sometimes the fees can be silly and you don't realise until later - you think you have earn't £140 but take the fees off first before you go spending it....

Car boot sales can be fun and the kids can be challenged to sell some of their unwanted / unused toys and then they can go shopping with their takings and buy themselves something - teaches them the value of money at an early age too!

[josu]

That sounds better Ox!

[Hyperdrive]

As I said before Ox, get rid of the depression and life will be better. You`ll be able to see solutions instead of problems. I was there and know it took over my life.
It is so worth fighting for and you`re on the way[:)]

[abbiesmum2003]

It is a case of lifestyle i believe Ox. If i earnt 100k then lost 30k id be panicking too but your single income is more than our joint income! our debt is more than my annual wage! oops! Your budget looks very reasonable and like people have said you will see where savings can be made. and little bits add up. I wish i had payrises like that! I had a trmporary promotion last year and ended up working extra hours...more responsibilty and grief for an extra 50p a month after tax!!! You dont want to know what i do for a living! Your wife seems to have the hang of it. Follow her lead Ox. The kids wont even notice the budgeting i bet. Dont worry about the creditors. We missed 3 months of payments before they started getting stroppy so try and relax. if you speak to yhem explain iva...give thrm IPs details and hang up. Letters can just be filed. the 'nice' thing about iva is the protection from creditors...dont get that in a dmp! Do you have a date for creditors meeting yet?

[Ox1987]

See about to get ready to go to work and stress levels are increasing again, back worried whether it will get accepted and also worried about creditors who are hanging about wanting there money.

least you think my budget is ok i had convinced myself that the mortgage and SL would get us in the end and BR was the only option to remove these aswell, but that would have other issues etc

Makes it so hard to go to work

[luluj]

Ox stop panicking..you have the answers and reasurrance ..let your IP do the work to get it in place and you focus on yiur family and adjusting to budgeting ..it will happen !

[Ox1987]

I know Luluj i am trying to focus on the family but its very hard

I am extremely worried about the creditors in this in-between phase

we are using the budget this month and it is ok though is tighter as we have birthdays and a communion but i did get a bit extra cf from march last month so that has helped.

I just want to keep our house if i can afford it otherwise we are doomed

[josu]

I know i am a stuck record but i can clearly see the saving!!! Car car car!!!! Even if you had to pay for six months its better than permanantly. If you are in debt and struggling seems mad to me to have an expensive lease car. Can you get to work any other way? Is it on a public transport route? All i am thinking is, if your wife drives it might mane more sense to get rid of the big car, have a little ceap run about for her to do the school run in e.t.c rather than it just being parked at your work all day. Cost it up, might make sense.

[Ox1987]

I agree Josu and would love to get rid but there is a penalty for the rest of the term (fee times no of months) and I have no money to even buy a banger.
It does concern me that do you think we cant survive i we don't sort car.

The wife does not drive that is why she gets buses, there is a train to work but it would possibly be more expensive that the car, its not that big a car and in reality is very fuel efficient a whole weeks driving excluding weekend for 40

I am also not sure they may take car back anyway due to IVA so could be out of my control

I really do question whether we can really survive and thats when I start worrying about the children again

[Hyperdrive]

We started the IVA with two cars but in January mothballed one - for later use by our sons - cos when we worked out the insuruance tax MOT etc we saved £1k just by planning our journeys a bit more. They are expensive to run.
Anyway, what about the life cover I mentioned?