www.iva.co.uk

I know entering an IVA means your lifestyle will change etc and it's your own fault to some extent on being where you are, but are you expected to not have a holiday or any life during the IVA lifespan ?
I know it's a vague question and I am not expecting to go on lavish holidays, but can/do people with kids still manage to go on hols to spain or such like ?

Hi Terminator - yes they do and some of the posters on here have great tips for making yourm oney go that little bit further. If you can make small savings in your allowable budget and treat the family to a cheap trip away then that is fine.

An IVA is not designed to make life unbearable for 5 years, it should be manageable and in some cases people find they are better off on the budget agreed than before they entered into one.

Regards,

It's not an easy time by any means, however it's definitely not as bad as that either.

The allowances are fair in most respects and you should be able to live rather than just exist. IVA's would surely fail a lot more if they put people into just existing.


As Tina says, there are loads of people on here with lots of tips to make all the pennies count. You'll be surprised how fast time goes by!

Animal/Tina,
Again thanks for your advise and reassurance and agree that I am probably not being realistic in thinking of things that I am going to have to miss out on as if I were to have them they would have been on credit or such like and that's why I am where I am.
Guarantee that if I get out of this hole I will never get a credit card or loan again and I will do my uttmost to ensure my kids don't go down this route.

Hi terminator,

If you budget carefully and wait for the good deals I'm sure you'll manage a short break, especially if your income increases during the IVA. Usually you get to keep a percentage of any increase.

Hi interesting thread. they way we were before starting the IVA process we couldn't really afford holidays abroad,my hubby couldn't make all his min. payments. now we are working to the IVA figures we got with Tina's help but i still don't feel we'd be able afford to go abroad,income is limited . my hubby has never worked to a budget like this before where you put money away for things like emergencies. it's a life lesson -big time!

in all honesty,i am truly not bothered that we can't manage that but to never have a short break say 3-5 days would be hard. i know newspapers sometimes do cheap breaks if you collect tokens,has anyone tried them?
i am adamant that we must,even when this is all clear,live within our means.

Hi Rosepetal, keep an eye out for the HolidaysintheSun vouchers (Sun Newspaper), have been on a few of them for around £9.50 to £15 pp for 4 people for 3 or 4 day breaks.

Also PremierInn does deals for £29 per night (for 2 nights) and TravelLodge start at £19 per night for room only for certain dates and places.

We went on holiday last year not overseas but we had a fab week in Wales staying in Travelodges at on average £19 per night.

I've not been on a holiday abroad for a good few years....way before my IVA started.
The key I feel to being able to treat yourself to hols etc. is good budgeting and saving.
It's not easy by no means, and it's taken me a good few months to be able to budget properly, but in doing so I feel a great sense of achievement in paying for something which I've saved for and I really want.
Just because you are in an IVA it doesnt mean you just have to exsist, you are taking positive steps in addressing your debt, everybody deserves to treat themselves once in a while!

Hi we never had holidays, in the 20 years we've been married we've been away three times. First to hong kong where we stayed with friend, second to dominican at a time we were both earning the most ever earned and third to butlins skegness a fewyears back. For us, going away has never been a thought, and when I look back at what we spent our credits cards and loans on, it was more the living day to day stuff plus emergencies.

I know that at the moment the paper is doing the cheap holidays and have already decided that next year i intend to go out and buy these papers and save for the holiday. Something we would never have done before.

the premier and travel places sounds like good deal, only time i looked at one of them it was only about 4 hotels in the country though. Mind you, if its a place we've never been before, then why not eh???

We went to Egypt a couple of years ago courtesey of my daughter and I do miss my exotic holidays, have to admit. It's one of the first things I will do when the IVA is finished.

If I can't go abroad then I don't go anywhere.

We can't really expect creditors to pay for us to go on holiday and write off our debts! I get into an awful temper and very depressed about this time of year and only cheer up again once the ski season is over...it's been about four years since I last went. Luckily I love holidaying in Norfolk so I get a week or so in the summer...courtesy of my ever generous boyfriend. When this is over, it will be a Kenyan safari on me!!!

A holiday abroad may be ambitious, unless you regularly earn overtime or other additional sums which could be saved up and put towards this, or you have kind family members.

I personally am a great fan of camping - it is inexpensive, healthy and general good fun - and if you have small children they will love it.

As you well know Mel, camping is my worst nightmare! It has to be ensuite at the very least for me.

I think we're both getting a bit too old for that anyway! Couldn't imagine hubby doing a curry over a camping gaz stove!

LOL jan, I must admit I am with you. I don't like the idea of camping. its not the living in a tent bit, or eating off a little stove. its the lack of amenities (yes I know there are places we can go that have them) the main scary thing for me is sleeping. the idea its only a thing sheet of fabric between me and the outdoors worries me no end. Now I could do caravans or anything like that. LOL.