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When in an dmp or an IVA if you’re shopping budget is £250 for a month do I have to provide receipts to prove that’s what your spending?

I would be grateful for any help.

Hi harry3033 and welcome to the forum, I have never been asked to supply receipts for shopping

Me neither.

IPs have to eat as well - fortunalely we have one who knows what is like to live in the wilderness with two food shops - but no - we have never been asked to supply food receipts not even when my husband's proposals were being drafted.J

How many people is that budget for Harry?

Blimey, that sounds like a tight shopping budget especially when you have to include toiletries and cleaning products too. £57 per week. As kallis said, how many people is that for?

Hi

The budget is for two people

is that what you spend Harry and is that comfortable to you?

Our budget is £290 and that's for two people as well.

Make sure that you have put down everyting that you spend on your shopping.

£250 is quite low for an adult couple, but if that is what you spend then fine. As the other posters have said, it is vitally important to put down what you actually spend rather than what someone tells you you can. That right lies only with the creditors who have to vote on your proposal.

Totally agree Melanie, from my experience, I think some IPs must dictate your budget just to get the IVA through regardless of whether it is realistic or not.

I was originally told that creditors would not like the fact that I pay for after school childcare...don't know whether that's the case or not but my thought process was if we don't pay it we can't work the hours we do!

There are companies who dictate the budget unfortunately and we do see a lot of posters who cannot cope with the restrictive allowances and who have to let their IVA's fail and go bankrupt.

It is always best to put down everything that you spend. You may have to trim some things back, but a good IP will make sure that you have enough to live on.

I have never met a creditor who refuses to accept after school care - and simply just don't know where some of this nonsense comes from. If you work, then it is more than acceptable to pay someone to look after your children before you return home.

I would advise all forum posters to be very wary of any firms who try to dictate or steer your budget. The law of averages says that the IVA will not work in the long run.

I am with cleardebt who did question why I had put down after school care for our 13 year old but when I explained that he attended a grammer school and that he couldn't make his own way home safely (it's quite a few miles away and no public transport) it was allowed with no further questions. I've never been asked to provide receipts for shopping either. We've taken to shopping in our local market and never even get a receipt!

Wow, I'm a single chap and my food allowance is £190 a month, and I live frugally, it's not meat every night, a couple of nights a week I go veggie, and I always watch out for the reduced labels.

If I had to survive on £145, I think I'd have difficulties, especially as prices seem to fluctuate quite a bit on some items.

I do now go to about five different shops on a Saturday morning to get the best deals, but I don't think I could cut my budget any further.

My only food extravagance is having a kebab delivered once a month, it nearly makes up for not being able to go out for a meal!