Hi Andrew
We never had to miss a payment but did resort to what may seem the ridiculous at times.
Things we did included getting a second hand washer, which set on fire. Sellotaping other half's glasses and repairing them again and again – I bet he is the only person to ever have glasses which were Police, FCUK and another make I can't remember all made into one pair! Holes in our socks were a must, as was colouring in the toes on my black shoes and relying oh charity shops to get some half decent clothes occasionally and the cutting of one’s own/each others hair.
I used to tell my dad that I needed dog blankets and towels for the dogs' beds, little did he know they were for us as ours were literally thread bare. Pretending I didn't like the Florist when my mam died because we had no money for flowers, then going elsewhere and pretending to buy a wreath for an almost stranger and haggling the cost down to £20, then putting my own decorations onto it to make it look expensive.
Buying transfers to sew on clothes and looking like a fanatical fan of Jimmy Hendrix and the Who, it disguised the holes in things. Making leftovers from tea the day before into a starter for the following day or my husband's lunch for work. Then the free codes for e.g. free delivery on food shopping have and still are great. I can now make my own dog treats and am able to budget using Excel - I did not know how to do this before. I also realise that whatever your problems there is always someone with bigger ones although it may not seem possible at the time. I am now used to exercising off my stress and have lost some weight and become a lot fitter in the process. I still get stressed though as although my IVA is over I can't stop worrying still until I physically have the actual end certificate and I think I must be driving my husband mad with my constant worrying but I know I'm so lucky to have been given the chance to do this IVA and luckier that Declan from DFD is on this forum.
We have even resorted to looking in skips if we see one, over the five years things we have collected with permission, include a BHS throw over, a huge wicker work basket to store things in, a double quilt for the dogs, towels and blankets for the dogs, a six foot trelliced fence (which my husband carried on foot for 3.5 miles during a dog walk), a cream beautiful shaggy rug to block drafts in the winter.oh yes and the empty wallet to whom we did not know who to return it and it was eventually sold on ebay 2 years later for £65 after we polished it up with black shoe polish! - the person who bought it was delighted by the way we did not dare spend the money for ages incase they wanted a refund.
We have become almost experts at timing the reduction of food items at the local Co-Op store and at one point we managed to get a second freezer which meant we could make the food supplies go to the end of each month by scooping up offers and reduced items.
The running of the car’s been a constant worry about whether it’s been safe to even use basically and I even started saying prayers to myself at one point that my better half would come home safe especially in bad weather as works about 60 miles round trip.
Having no Dyson when you have 3 Labradors is a bit of a tricky one, you’d never imagine a tiny Henry hoover can be so good if u are prepared to crawl round on your arthritic knees!
We now always buy supermarket own brands on things which we don’t think matters, e.g. who cares if you have Smart Price baby wipes for 39 pence instead off ones for over £2 with a make on it, it means there’s money left to buy the more important things and I’m now a pretty nifty cook. Although I can’t sew other half was in the Territorial Army at one point years ago and he managed to make a winter dog coat out of an old denim jacket. Oscar our 12 year old Lab looked really wicked in this and was nice and warm as it had a fleece lining, we thought it was great, until one day someone at the pub who’ve I have always looked up to and admired said ‘wheeze is that owld coat?’ Mmm…
Now our last payment was made in August so our September pay is ours, yes ours wow! We are treating ourselves to a couple of nights camping. Then a settee with some suspension and a mattress without daggers for springs will be fabulous. The 3 years of toothache are looking able to be resolved over time. Best of all, Christmas is coming and I can buy my dad some food shopping he’s a pensioner on his own with very little and after looking after my mam for years, who eventually was an amputee, she died almost 6 years ago my dad’s just recently been diagnosed with cancer, so to be able to give him a little bit of quality in his life with proper food will make me smile a lot, having kept the IVA a secret from both our families and friends basically. However, to my husband’s horror I did have to briefly mention it to my sister in law on the quiet, that we had it last year when my father in law died and we did not have any money to pay for or towards the funeral etc. My husband’s shirt for the day was courtesy of the local charity shop teamed up with a 20 year old suit and shoes with a dog bite at the back (disguised by too long trousers) still looked good on the day though.
I really really have not made any of this up, but I realise it must sound like I have. Also this lot’s just what I can think of off hand really, good job I have to go now or I’d bore you even more.
Life’s definitely a roller coaster, enjoy and make the most of it that’s all I can say.
I hope your day is a good one and no matter how bad your day is, it could always be worse. Keep smiling, apparently laughter keeps you young! We’ve had a lot of tears but also a lot of laughter over the last 5 years.
Thank goodness for our IVA.
http://rollercoaster.blogs.iva.co.uk/
need to smile today? go on check out my blogs - I'll add to them regularly
Our IVA's over YIPPEE unbelievable!Seems like yesterday it was approved despite everything
