IVA Accepted - Thankyou Melanie!!

[stoney]

Today our IVA was accepted and we both feel so happy.Just as though life is now about to begin. I am looking forward to budgeting and living "properly & honestly" for once. We see the next 5 years as a rehabilitation period and we will not go down the credit route again. Once the 5 yrs has passed what savings we will have each month. It will be so good.

Thank you Melanie and your fantastic team. You have done a cracking job and we were quietly confident that the IVA would be approved. Your track record is unbroken and could you please thank your team on our behalf for making us feel valued and not like we had crawled out from under a big rock. They are a credit to you as you are to to your profession, answering questions for people like us into the small hours at times.

THANKYOU - Sue

[aguise]

Great news for you Sue. All the very best to you. You will settle into budgeting etc , and will feel the bebefit of not stressing over debt. We constantly chat together about what we will do when the iva finishes it spurs us on.
Well done Melanie and team.

Ang

[Lisa2009]

Well done Sue, im sure you will do just fine.
Well done also to Melanie and her team

[Shining]

Congratulations Sue, we'r with Melanie and her team and got our IVA accepted last Friday.

[stoney]

Thank you both for your replies. Its funny but the phone calls seem to have just about stopped and the letters a bit less through the door. Its such a relief, must admit sat staring into space the day before the Creditors meeting thinking what if it fails? Also quietly thought to myself, have faith in Melanies team. The feedback on this forum is always so positive about her firm and its certainly true to form. Thank you for your support.
Sue x

[Adam Davies]

Hi
Congratulations Sue

[MelanieGiles]

You both deserve the result that was achieved today, and we are all immensely pleased for you both. The road will not be easy into the future, but I and my team will be here to deal with any difficulties and you will be suprised at how quickly the years can roll by - although it probably doesn't feel like that right now!

[Skippy]

Congratulations Sue, that's really good news. Good luck for the future x

[stoney]

Thank you Melanie and Skippy.

Been to Asda with my son today and just had to share what he said to me. He's 12 and we were looking at biscuits and he said "we don't have to have these Mum if they are expensive. We don't mind going without" I had to smile to myself as at one time we would have just filled up the trolly and not really studied or thought closely about what we were spending. We know that the next 5 yrs will be hard but in a way I am looking forward to it, we both see it as a new beginning and learning to appreciate the value of money more and also our closeness as a family. We have our health and that is a very important thing to us. Just hope the cars hold out for a time so that we can try and get some savings behind us, although hubbie will be doing even more overtime as our 2yr fixed rate mortgage has come to an end this month and has gone up quite a lot! Will have to take my son shopping more often to save money. He's a good bag packer too!

Thank you all and take care x

[MelanieGiles]

And just think of the valuable education your son will have in becoming involved in the budgeting process. I suspect that the will learn a lot from you and become a thrifty saver himself as a result - thus avoiding the temptation of using credit to supplement his lifestyle when he turns to adulthood.

[caraf]

Well done Stoney. Did you manage to stay within your budget. Can I ask what your budget is ? we are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children) and we have 400 per month its hard but I can just about do it. Like you we use to go round Asda each week and just throw everything in for things to try but now its much different.

[stoney]

Hi caraf

We have a budget of £445 per month for a family of 4. Today we spent £83 and of that we got 1 item of clothing for my son costing £2, a hair product £3 and a new toothbrush for £3. There were some good offers on, especially lean mince 3 packs for £5 which make some good meals to freeze. Smart Price chicken noodles for 8p and they are really nice are something to try. Asda also sell their own brand Bolognase(sorry cant spell that one) sauce for 90p and its a big jar too. I wish that the smart price eggs weren't from caged hens though, they are a good price but I dont like the conditions the hens live in to enable the eggs to be sold so cheaply!

Anyway theres a few shopping tips for you.

Melanie you are right. My son was talking about playstation 2 games and said he would look at second hand games at a local shop he found with his Dad rather than the new games on sale! That's encouraging for the future.

[Skippy]

I don't mind paying extra for eggs - I can't bear to think of the hens being kept in cages. I saw recently that Tesco are selling whole chickens for £1.99 - I'd rather go without.

Our local butcher sells trays of 4 organic chicken breasts for £4.99, which is the same price as Sainsburys non-organic ones. We freeze them and either grill them with Schwarz seasoning or have them with pasta. It works out quite a cheap meal as there's only 2 of us.

We also buy a sack of potatoes from a local farm - much nicer and cheaper than the ones from the supermarket.

[stoney]

I know what you mean about rather go without with regard to chickens. A friend of mine keeps her own chickens and I am going to ask her to supply us with eggs in future, even if they are a little dearer. Will follow your example and look for a local supplier of potatoes in sacks. Theres always a meal with those!

[emma_t]

Hi stoney

Congratulations on getting your iva accepted, it is a great feeling isn't it!![:)]

I have been experimenting with own brand/value brand foods and am supprised that a lot of them taste the same just without the fancy packaging. Biscuits are a perfect example. I would not buy certain value things and definately not battery eggs.
I have a lady down the road with chickens and she sells them at a reasonable price - and they taste so much better.
For veg and pots I get from a local farm shop at a good price, do you have one near you? Always worth a try if you have one near - I live in the middle of the countryside surrounded by farms so lots of local produce available!![:)]

The only thing with my farm shop is they have a local lady who makes and sells fantastic cakes there and that is so bad for the diet[:(][:I][:0]

Good luck
Emma x