Hi Joe, I am with Melanie & her team & cannot speak highly enough of all of them. Always there at the end of the phone when needed & nothing is too much trouble.
Tina was the first person I spoke to about mine & my husbands debt problems & I must say I was absolutely dreading it. I think it was the final realisation that we couldn't go on the way we were & admitting it to ourselves. However, I needn't have worried as Tina was great & not a all judgemental. She went through all the options clearly.
Since then we have not looked back & had our IVA's approved on 14/10/2009. I felt as you did about not having the credit to fall back on but to be honest we were already up to our limits & had nowhere else to go. I am really enjoying the budgeting side of things & as others have said it's a great feeling knowing that what is in the bank is a + rather than a - & whatever is left is ours.
We have 2 children aged 11 & 8 & I was not looking forward to telling them no as we've very rarely said it before but they have been absolutely fine & I think they are enjoying having their old mum & dad back. We are spending more time together as a family and enjoying it. I know it sounds corny but we've been going to the park & going for walks, which are things we didn't do enough of before.
I know it's not going to be easy but the feeling of knowing that at the end of six years it will be done & we can live the rest of our lives knowing how to budget & how to save for things (you know, like you're supposed to!!) & our children will also be better for it & will hopefully know the meaning of money.
I too look at our friends & how they always seem to have nice things & great holidays but we were very very good at hiding it so how do we know they're not too?
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
Can I just start by saying that this forum is an absolute godsend, the responses are really helping us cope with the daunting thought of what's possibly coming our way, Thanks for that post sunny2morow, very uplifting. Melanie I did speak to Tina last night and felt very much at ease whilst speaking to her and ended the call feeling a whole lot better about things.
My biggest concern is the fact we owe MBNA more than 25% which sounds as though it could really scupper the IVA route! Also the tactics MBNA use sound really underhand.
Anyway thanks to all who have responded I don't think I could go through with it all if it wasn't for this forum.
JB
I am with Melanie and she got a very complicated IVA through for me at first attempt. I understand Melanie is pretty adept at dealing with MNBA. Have no doubt, Melanie pulls out all the stops.
Sharing from experiences of dealing with debt
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.
Bob Marley. http://kallis3.blogs.iva.co.uk
hey JB hope youre well
you are so right this forum is a godsend.
i cannot belive next month i will have nearly completed my first year although for some strange reason -maybe because its the time of year-i think back to this time last year with dread ! i still need this place really badly. i was a bit naughty in the summer and got a bit low and stopped posting for a few months but now im back and all the good guys kal skip lili DM and lady h and everyone welcomed me back so non judgementally- none of the oi you-where you been you traitor lark lol ! [:D]
im panicking slightly because i have my review next month-although ive been a good girl ! its just feeling a little like the creditors meeting thingy again but i know i couldnt cope without the support i get-sometimes it makes me feel teary just how lovely everyone is. i just hope to god im still posting in years to come because i really do love this place. sorry for going on but i wish you the very best of luck ok take care FD X
