www.iva.co.uk

Can you believe! Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

My debt crept up on me over 15 years of ever increasing pay & house prices, cheap endless credit and a deep rooted desire for my children to enjoy their childhood (no psychoanalysis please, I just believe people should do the best they can for their kids [:)] ).

For me, budgeting "was for wimps" - what a reality check I've had!!

Came out £2.60 up. The I&E demarcations are out and the meagre £50 contingency allowed was swallowed up as I now realise I missed stuff out of the expenses but on the plus side my reduced mortgage helps and it goes down again next month.

My optimism in my ability to get through the next 5 years is beginning to grow but I still dread an emergency cropping up. Better try and get that £2.60 up somehow

it wont be easy stoney.
i think the iva is an excellent financial management education-the peace of mind it gives me is priceless.
just think though youre on your way to becoming debt free
whatever little i have left feels good-no more nasty credit x [:)]

I should have mentioned my starting point of optimism wasn't that high to start with. Much will depend on the attitude at reviews I think.

it depends stoney-as long as your income hasnt greatly reduced/fluctuated and youve done all your 50 % clause stuff if any then your payments shouldnt be too different.

Any pay rises are all mine until review so that should help. For me the bank balance has become top of the agenda and it will remain so until I have some confidence that our spending habits are adjusted to the agreement. On the plus side it is nice to spend the money we do have without the guilt so it's not all bad.

couldnt agree with you more.
i just get this nice feeling of calm-its so nice to see CR on my tiny but nice bank balance rather than the DR i had stuck with me for years [:)]

Couldn't agree more. I love having money left at the end of the month, rather than the other way round!

We've done our shopping today, went with a list, and even though we put some stuff in that wasn't on there, it still came to less than £50 for the week. Shouldn't need to get anything else till next week now.

First time in 15 years we have been in the black after christmas [8D]. Single figures, but it's all ours!!!!!

And isn't it wonderful not to dread the postman coming in January as well?

First time in years for me that.

Unfortunately I'm still useless at budgeting and never seem to have any money left at the end of the month. I think I'm going to accept that I'm never going to be any good at budgeting, but the difference is whatever I'm spending is mine, and it's cash!