Has anyone done 60 months with not a Hiccup

[dontlookback]

I have three dogs and have managed to look after them and continue with my IVA and would not be without them - I would struggle myself before letting them down.

You're obviously not a pet lover Hippo.

well they are my children that live out doors and being that i make my own hay and grazing is cheap i am fortunate that i can afford them by going without myself , indeed if anything my animals have kept me sane for the last five years ,walk amongst them you forget all hardships

[Skippy]

I have to say I don't understand how some people (and not just people with financial problems) find it so easy to rehome an animal. When we adopted Harry it was to give him a forever home, not to offload him if I got bored with him (impossible!) or times got hard.

[missyp]

Hi folks,

It has been interesting reading other peoples views, experiences and thoughts on the IVA process.

We started our IVA in May last year and our lives have been completely turned upside down.

The first major incident was my husband losing his job after 4 months and not being paid his final salary, it took months waiting for the redundancy pay to come in from the Government and then not being able to receive all of it.

Because of this we had to take a payment break for two months. We still have to pay this back at some stage.

The next incident was being investigated by the AAT and possibility of not being able to continue with my accountancy studies. That broke my heart and affected me at the time and I failed one of my exams. However in the end the AAT agreed I can continue to study and I ended up passing my re-take and all subsequent exams after that. I am now in my final year.

The next major hurdle was my husband losing his job to redundancy a second time in May. This time we have not taken any payment break, we have just managed. Hubby is working self employed but his earnings are very up and down. A lot of the time we have to accept food parcels to get us through the month. I constantly have to raid the 'spare change' jar for bus fares.

I have to say that I have been lucky and have not had to go without, as such, but I am so envious of friends who have had numerous holidays and when someone asks you out for an evening I have to see how much money is in the bank before I get paid.

I can say that Ebay and vouchercodes.com are good websites. I have bought some nice clothes from Ebay and always look out for the discount vouchers for meals out, food discounts etc.

I need a new coat and shoes for work this winter and I am worrying how I am going to purchase these. Perhaps Ebay will come to the rescue again.

I also need new glasses, its been three and a half years snce I last had an eye test. I hate having to go without, like not being able to afford the dentist etc!

Being part of the IVA process is not easy, at times it is down right hard and depressing but at the end of this process I hope to walk away with my head held high knowing I will be debt free.

I do wish the allowances were fairer, the cost of living is increasing weekly yet our allowances dont go up. Perhaps the IVA companies and creditors should be fairer on this. After all, we are trying to do our best in paying them back.

I think the long term issue is that more IVA's may potentially fail due to the ever increasing day to day living expenses, the threat of job losses and living in very hard times.

[kallis3]

dontlookback - I am a big softie where animals are concerned and our dogs are everything to us.

I also have a child as well - the dogs are much easier to look after!!

[Shining]

One rescue and one from a puppy here but I don't know what the future holds for me and my family and although they're a huge part of my life at the moment with the training etc., I never say never, learnt from that one. I wouldn't rehome due to being fed up with them, it'd have to be something that I can't even give an example for right now as can't think why I would but I just never know.

[Skippy]

Lesley, I hope you don't think my post was directed at you - yours wasn't there when I started typing x

[Foggy]

I have to say I don't understand how some people (and not just people with financial problems) find it so easy to rehome an animal. When we adopted Harry it was to give him a forever home, not to offload him if I got bored with him (impossible!) or times got hard.

Even my little lionhead (RIP) was definitely a member of tha family and her needs were foremost, couldn't have rehomed her.

[kallis3]

I didn't mean to have a knock at you Lesley - I know you love your two.

[Shining]

No no ladies not at all x

[oscar]

I love my 3 dogs we have gone without to make sure they are OK and would do again. Oscar my oldest (12) got me through a very tough time 11 years ago when I was quite poorly I wouldn't have come out the other end as good if it were not for him. I realise though that not everyone sees animals/pets in the same way that some of us do. I can't even imagine my world without labradors/dogs in it. They also don't kick you in the teeth like some people do and their love is unconditional.

I appreciate others' views but I still will continue to have a look in the odd skip if I'm passing one I don't mind. I'll also continue to go to the supermarket at a set time when I can to buy reduced quality items and freeze them. I have never said anything about raiding bins for food or old sandwiches though so I share your views on that one Andrew.

Our IVA has been tough but it has made us the people we are today and we will never forget how lucky we are. We certainly have learned to appreciate what we do have and focus on the positive side of things instead of the negative it's this and the support of each other and our IVA company that's kept us going.

Best wishes everyone. All the best Andrew.
[;)]
Oscar
x

[animaleyes76]

Wow, some of you have been through some crazy things whilst in IVA's. My story is pretty much completely boring in comparison lol.

I think the only real problem i had was about 6 months in where i had to take a payment break for 3 months (the reasons for which i can't really remember), but probably at some essential dental work involved.

I was really worried my IVA would fail due to the 3 months thing but it all worked out okay and Accuma arranged a variation meeting.

I think moving to Prague at the end of IVA year 2 kinda helped me quite a lot. My salary went down about 25% and I always thought that most things would be cheaper but in reality most things are quite close to Western Europe prices.

The two things that really helped me were the cost of eating out and the price of alcohol. Eating out could often be cheaper than cooking yourself and all of the restaurants have daily menus that cost about £3 for the kinda meal most people eat in the evening in the UK. Beer costing £1-1.40 DEFINITELY helped too and actually enabled to me to have a social life.

The other thing that i've been really lucky with is that inflation here is only about 1.8% so i haven't noticed the price rises quite as much as most of you guys, still awaiting the nice 14% increase in electricity though.

I've had my ups and downs with my IVA though. Sometimes I'd get a bit down that I couldn't do the things that i wanted to do but then you have to try and think about it rationally.

I'll be sorting my debts out and after the IVA finishes my future is in my own hands again, that is something i can't wait for. To have proper savings and to be able to afford the things i want (and not on credit) will be awesome. Not that I'm gonna go "totally" crazy.

I think I've learnt my lesson, and maybe that's the purpose of this crazy IVA life, along with paying the creditors off...

[lem]

I have no problem with charity shops at all and occasionally have a browse in there but as we have a clothing allowance anyway, find that generally I can buy what clothes we need from the shops we like to shop in (albeit in far less numbers than I used to!) I have discovered Home Bargains and B&M though, a few years ago I wouldn't have been seen dead in these kind of shops but then I started shopping there a couple of years back long before the IVA and so I am an avid bargain hunter now.

As for pets, we have chickens a rabbit and a dog whom I love dearly, but at the end of the day if it boiled down to feeding them or my family, my pets would have to go, there's no contest at all, it would break my heart to lose them but life is damn hard sometimes.

Still couldn't bring myself to rifle through someone elses skip though

[komakino]

That's a holiday a month ... save up for a while and get a car !!!!! The possibilities are endless

Sounds good in theory but I'm not really a holiday person apart from enjoying the odd weekend in the Lake District about 5-6 years ago when I had the money. Not had a holiday since! I don't drive either...never been interested.

I do need a new classical guitar though...my old one is knackered!

[lem]

oh I love my holidays, I'm not a lounging around on a beach person at all but there is a big wide world out there that needs exploring!!!!, if I had the time (and money) I would be off somewhere every weekend

[kallis3]

I love my holidays as well.