Just a bad month or bad start to a new year?

[missyp]

Paid my IVA today for this month and it has left me with absolutely nothing.

Well it's the middle of the month and I can honestly say that I have £40.88 to my name.

So far since the beginning of January the zip on my work boots has broken (cannot afford new boots), I have had four days off work with a chest infection and some sort of virus that turns you into a zombie, have a massive spot on my chin due to being run down after the virus (this is depressing the hell out me more than the virus if honest), then low and behold the filling in my tooth falls out this lunchtime! Rang the dentist for emergency appointment and looks like it's going to cost me £48.00 tomorrow (as need what is left of the tooth extracted). Work that one out and I will have -£7.12 left to the end of the month.

Thank god for inlaws, sympathetic employers and very good friends otherwise I don't know where I'd be.

January is always a tough month, there is no question about that, even when you do cut back at Christmas.

With a self employed husband with no work (due to the time of year) times are tough.

I know quite of lot of people, whether in an IVA or not, are going through the same things as I am but at least I can hold my head high as this Christmas, and the two previous ones to that, were not paid for by credit cards and overdrafts etc, but in cash, yes actual physical CASH!!!

I am now more than half way through my IVA and I can honestly say I did not think I was going to get here. The first year is the worst, trying to adjust to a new way of life, coping with the budgets and learning to 'manage'.

It's my birthday at the end of the week and I normally go out with all of my friends. This year (due to not having any cash) everyone is invited to my house for a party! Conditions are bring a bottle and some food. I still know how to have a good time even if I am skint!

To anyone who has just ventured into the world of IVA, it does get better. Some months are harder than others. It wont always be an easy ride and be prepared for that. But, and this is important, whenever you have serious problems and issues, always contact your IP. They are the most helpful people and will always do their upmost to assist you and help you through tough times.

Happy new year folks!

x

[lem]

Hard month for me too, I get paid in 10 days but only have £80 left (after fuel costs to get to work are taken off) we have enough food to last but will need some milk, bread, veg etc, but we'll cope, at least it's £80 that I HAVE got and not £80 left of an overdraft before I go over the limit

[Foggy]

Sorry to hear of this run of bad luck -- but well done on getting this far. Maybe your IP will allow a break to pay the dentist!

Happy birthday x

[lukeofyorkshire]

What a run of bad luck indeed but at least you can still stay positive, that is very important!!

I have been paid today and had £80 left which is some kind of miracle given it was Xmas, but then again this was by far my most frugal one (Helped I worked all of the weekdays in December so meant I could not be in the pub like most people lol)

Expensive month for me this month so my wages already spoken for and 4.5 weeks until the next one, ouch!!

[missyp]

It is hard sometimes to stay positive but let's be honest, theres no point in getting upset and depressed about it. I try and look to the future at every opportunity as I know things can only get better.

Onwards and upwards!

[Pandy]

I dont get paid until 31st January, we were last paid on 13th December, it's being a long 7 weeks in between pay packets. I have £34 to last until then, but we have food etc in only need enough for bread, milk, and fresh veg so it should last.

We get paid on the last Thursday of the month, but Dec was paid early because of Christmas and the last day of Jan happens to be a Thursday. Never good when that happens...

[Foggy]

I have been spending my evenings standing under the lamp post at the end of our street with my trouser legs rolled up .... no takers though ... oh well, here goes the other kidney !

[Shining]

lol @ foggy!

Missyp a run of bad luck especially the tooth but through that you remain positive about the IVA and I feel the same.

Happy Birthday for the end of the week and you've a party to go to enjoy!

[esgt1967]

A week into our IVA and our toilet sprung a massive leak which cost £130 to repair - NOOOOOOOOOOOO! But, funnily enough, I wasn't anywhere near as stressed about it as I might have been before the IVA. Today, I had to have my car MOT'd so that was another £35 and had to tax hubby's car (although I had already saved £90 of the £100 we had to pay). Luckily, as it was early in the month, we had the money available in the bank to pay the plumber but it means that our sundries/emergencies savings for this month and the next two months are wiped out already so fingers crossed there won't be anymore disasters until later in the year. Typical really but not surprising given our luck! I think you have to look at things over the year, rather than a month at a time, to keep it all in perspective and get through it. To add insult to injury, hubby is a driving instructor so this snow means he can't work very much and being self-employed he doesn't get paid very much - roll on the summer.

[missyp]

Sounds like we are all having a costly January. Well I have to have my tooth extracted on Friday as cannot afford to have a crown fitted. It is £202 for a crown and £48 for the tooth to be extracted. Maybe one day I will have a false tooth fitted, when I can afford it.

Also my birthday party was cancelled as no one could get to me because of the snow, so a very disappointing birthday really. On a positive note I am out with the girls (16 of us) on the 9th of Feb to celebrate mine and two of my friends birthdays so that will make up for it.

Foggy if I could sell a kidney I would, but I don't think anyone would want one of mine as I have kidney disease! I too have thought about standing under a lamp post but I don't think I can afford the refunds!

[mothergoose]

January has been a long month especially as we got paid early in December ..We are only 4 months into our IVA and its been so hard but when we look at the choices and options their are none ..so we are stuck..Hopefully it will get easier it takes time to adjust and our first payment was in October so it didnt really give us time to sort xmas out and then the heating went up we got a payrise and declared it so they took a extra £57 a month off us straight away and we could really do with that extra..Its not been easy ..Roll on spring so we can turn the heating off alltogether..

[Foggy]

Hi Mothergoose ... yes, the next Christmas will be better. You will, as you say, have more time to get organised, save points / vouchers etc.

The pat rise was good -- I hope you did get to keep half of it. Taking the rise straight away was a bit harsh. Remind me ... who are you with ?

[MrsKnight]

Hi mothergoose, Christmas's will get easier as you will adjust to your budget & learn to save bits from here & there. It's not easy but you will do it, then after a while you will wonder why you ever relied on credit!
I agree with Foggy that was abit harsh taking it so soon, please do remember if you start to struggle and things get unbearable within your budget & find its being stretched to much, you can have a review of your income & expenditure at any time, not just yearly reviews to change/amend your needs.

[mothergoose]

I think when its review time we will need to ask for extra expenditure but we should get a pay rise by then which should cover it..They didnt seem to add on prescriptions ,glasses and i know its our fault we got in this mess but every month we seem to struggle more ..We dont want a review before the time or miss a payment as we just want to cope ..But as yet we havnt been able to save anything for emergencys ..so you just hope you dont get one..Most of our money has been going on food as we are not near shops i was doing a monthly shop online but then we were running out and fetching too many odds and ends in so i have now started shopping fortnightly and see if that brings it under control..We havnt been out anywhere socialising and no money has been wasted on entertainment ..We told them we had a pay rise we are honest people so we knew they would take some which they did ..what a mess to get into.....still at least we are not as poor as those using food banks ..every cloud has a silver lining i guess...Thats me trying to be cheerful....

[luluj]

Mothergoose..be proud of yourself ...the steps you have put in place now will help in the future...it is very hard to adjust and it took us at least six months to build up any contingency, and even then we would have a couple of hundred max in the savings account.....you swapping your shop to fortnightly might help as well .....we are all here for you wen you need us !