www.iva.co.uk

Hi all,

1st month in our IVA! For the first time ever when we got paid this month there was money in our account that we did not owe anybody?! It is a great feeling, there is food in the fridge and I have new clothes for work (ebay). I feel like we are finally getting back our lives. Budgeting is difficult but have followed tips on here and keeping a spreadsheet so we know where the cash is coming and going and as all of our Direct debits are on the 1st, the money left now is ours. We are not rich by any means but have some financial freedom.

I just wanted to let anyone waiting or starting to be brave, if an IVA is right for you, you will enjoy worry free nights. We are feeling so positive now and it has brought us closer as a couple. I am not proud of us for getting into this situation but so proud that we dealt with it head on. I love my fiance so much and in 5 years we will be debt free and finally able to get married.

A few weeks in it has finally sunk in.

Thank you all for your help and I intend to give people the same support that I was given - if you have any questions about the application process please ask, I will help where I can.

Love frenchie x

frenchie - what a lovely inspriational post which I am sure other new forum users will find useful.

We have completed our IVA now, but I still work on the same principles and have not changed out budget at all - the money we used to spend on our IVA is now put away in a savings account so that we can overtime replace items of furniture etc .....life in a IVA is a truly rewarding experience and it does make you learn how to appreciate everything in life ! Well done and keep posting with you updates !

Great post frenchie - it is a fantastic feeling when you have money left and there's not a big 'minus' sign in the bank account!

The lack of nasty letters and phone calls are great as well aren't they?

That's a great post - and I hope to be in the same position as you Frenchie when i pay my first payment at end of April - Even this month for me - with not paying any creditors i have money in the bank and its no longer showing an overdraft. Again I am not proud of owing the money but I know now i have doing something about it.
I got all my info from cleardebt yesterday confirming the acceptance of the IVA and with my modifications i am paying back nearly all of it anyway with a return of 72p/£.
Its all positive from here.

It feels so good to be back in the black! No more ATM arithmetic!! x

What a lovely post, we have about 20 months left (inc 12 month equity payment extension) but I feel so proud that we are going to have paid about 60% of what we owed back & I know 100% that we will always now manage to budget. I can't wait to see money in our savings account & maybe even treat myself to dropping 5 hours a week at work to spend more time with my boys

I agree a lovely post x

Great post. Keep up the good work!

Fab post and long may it continue.

A great post. we're at the start,paying money back to my parents they put forward for a F&F IVA. although we haven't got a lot of money it feels much better because we're operating just with cash. i still buzz to have food money& fuel money IN MY HAND, each week.

hubby keeps telling me i'm doing well with it because i'm so steadfast about not dipping into other weeks money ahead of time - he's not good at managing it. i'm trying to put some money on a saving card in Asda,not doing great with that but at least i've started it!

i feel we are much,much closer too,it must have been awful for him holding all the worry alone.

i bought a lovely summer skirt off ebay,M&S, it had the labels still on,brand new....just need the summer now!

a IVA isn't easy,but it is a positive way forward. i feel so grateful that we've got a chance to get straight.