worring again!!

[Shining]

That's about the same as me Jan but I prefer Branston Beans to Heinz.

I found today on our market a freedom foods stall and it's for almost out of date or out of date stuff and very cheap, didn't have time to look properly but might invest in a few things. x

[worriedchick]

I have not gone into my IVA yet but have been told what my allowances are excluding food. I've been told that food for 5 of us, 4 are over 18 and youngest is 8 will be £580 a month which worries me. All other allowances like hair, clothes, medicine, dinner money etc etc are about £300 and these will be going into a savings account. I will let this build up and use some for christmas. I will use tesco vouchers and have started online surveys. I never budgeted before for these things like newspapers, charity money etc etc and have been living on less as my outgoings are £3500 and my debt payments are £2000!!!

[kallis3]

That sounds a good place Lesley. There's a couple of places on the web who sell out of date stuff and it's really cheap but the thing that puts me off is the postage as it's quite high.

Worriedchick - you may find that you have to cut down on charity donations and newspapers unless you can fund these from elsewhere. I just bung the odd £1 here and there for a charity collection.

As regards medicines - if you need regular prescriptions then you should consider a prepayment certificate. Costs about a tenner a month for each person and you can have as much medication as you need.

[worriedchick]

The IP told me they allow £5 for newspapers and £2 for church / charity. I will read old newspapers or read news online and will give old clothes to charity, I will save the £7 Kallis3...that sounds wrong I know but the IP said if they allow me for it I should have it

[kallis3]

It is a fiver for newspapers. I just buy a Sunday newspaper and hubby reads the local freebies. I never give old clothes to charity - sell 'em on Ebay!

[kazzafunk]

I got told the same worried chick. I do give to Comic Relief and Children in Need and to the local animal sanctury so probably works out about that a year. I am a fiend for sunday papers. Love them all. But for the last few weeks I have limited myself to 1 and I have so much time left in the day!! So there's a saving. OH keeps saying to me it seems like we will be better off and I have explained that yes - when you work out what we were trying to find every month to pay bills it does look better on paper. We just have to put money away every month as you can bet your bottom dollar that everything will start to break the minute the IVA starts!! lol

[kallis3]

I buy the Mail on Sunday and that's it. I give to the RNLI regularly and bung the odd £1 or so outside the local supermarkets.

We've been lucky so far - nothing major has broken down.

You will be better off - I love still being in the black at the end of the month and not worrying about the letters and phone calls.

[worriedchick]

When all this is over and I am debt free I am going to sell my home and move to the coast, money is not everything. I just hope I will be able to rent after an IVA

[kallis3]

You should have no problems renting at all once your IVA is completed and once it's dropped off the credit reference you can probably get a mortgage again.

I'm looking to move somewhere warm once I've finished and retired.