Life after an iva ... The journey into the debt free world

tibawo

We'll tomorrow is officially my six year mark from the start of my iva. The future is what I make it. Sadly my zero hours contract is just that... Zero. I have been to sign on etc while the hours pick up and have taken a provident loan to pay for school uniforms. Some of you might shoot me down with the loan but it works for me while I sort the dregs of my bills out.

I still owe money on the leccy and also nursery fees. These are in my budget and my aim is to sort them by this time next year. I also have mot on car, money I owe sister but, touch wood, these are in hand.

So why the diary? Since leaving uni I have been bad with money and some twenty years later I feel I have finally turned the corner. As I work in education September feels like the start of the new year for me!

An iva has helped me and I feel a weight off my shoulders. At times it was tough and I am glad I did it but now for part two!

I'm hoping that some of you will join me with tips and advice as I learn about pensions, savings, my children's future, getting my house looking nice, keeping the house tidy so I can invite people in for coffee instead of blocking them at the door, having money to socialise, building up my credit score, loosing weight, eating healthier, going on holiday,my daily clicks and of course, using my money saving ways gained on here to keep me debt free.

to add ... need to sort the bikes and curtains tha just need sewing

tibawo

Woke up to find my leccy bill for this quarter but on the plus side got a payment from some exam work that i had forgotten about so it just about covers it.

I have decided to approach my new life in baby steps as it took five years to get out of my mess so i know it won't all happen oVer night! My first three things to sort are:-

1. Just been on to check my noddle file and it seems 3 companies are saying i am in default. I know i need to write to them but not sure what to put etc. Off to google this but any tips would be great.

2. I want to spend no more than 30mins a day doing daily clicks. This is so that when i go back to work it will fit in. i know the odd day i might have spare time to do more but want to get a 30 min routine going. With daily clicks I know it is what works for you and for me this is what i have at the mo

instagc - watching videos - for amazon
nectarads - 10 points - save for cinema trips

I want to get the daily poll/search/ad one going again on swag and 3 songs on stp.

I'll review this in a week to see if hitting my 30 mins.

We also scan shopping. Kids scan and i put away. The points on one are building as i have nothing in mind as yet whilst the other we use for itunes or amazon vouchers.

3. tidy living room - this is currently the dumping ground and once one pile starts it seems to multiply in the blink of an eye!

tibawo

so...

task one - i've found a template letter to send to the companies still on my credit file. I realsie that you send it to the data controller but when i type in british gas a few suitable sugestions come up so i have to find out which is the right one. the template letter also states that i have already wrote to customer services but i haven't so am wondering if i need to write to them first. if anyone out there has been through this i would love ant pointers.

task two - spent ten mins on the two instagc and nec ad points. We also did a sainsbury shop yesterday as i had points coupons and money off so a nice boost there. tramps corner had just been reduced so was able to get loads to freeze. don,t normally shop at sainsburys but had two click and collect for school stuff to get nearby so was using their car park so made sense! Going to give away my tesco money off otherwise i know i will go just because it seems a bargain.

task three - Kids off to a freebie sports event today so i am going to finish up the living room and etc. It's virtually done now apart from things that have been put on table that need batteries, glue. ..you know the ones you mean to do but never quite get round to it!

tibawo

It's sometimes hard doing baby steps when you want everything sorted right now, this second!

Task one... Decided to email customer services asking for addresses. That way I feel justified sending letter to data controller as I have been in touch. The only one not emailed was shop direct as I will have to dig out which catalogue it was to be able to email right one. At the moment I have only checked on noddle and from reading around need to check the others.

Task two ... Up and going and swag bucks again. The Noso/daily poll works fine from iPad but the toolbar search doesn't. It seems to take less than a min so I'm going to see if the watch video thing works and build from there. There's a sale on for vouchers at mo so might push it more than normal this week as I'm just short of 100 for a voucher.

Task three ... Living room virtually done, we will be hoovering later! We are now on top of living and front room, I think bedrooms are next!

Also ordered something from JDWilliams last night. MSE threads seem to suggest this catalogue as one to help with credit building. It just says order processing at moment so will see. I'm actually quite nervous about it all as I don't want to go down the slippery slope. I suppose it will be the test to see if I can finally manage my money though.

tibawo

Still working on yesterdays tasks.
have a puncture on car so need to sort that too.. grrr... more money to find.
off to do a roamler task

tibawo

Had a trip out today to the hospital for dd specialist appointment. All went well. I don't know if I mentioned it but because I have a zero hours contract I have to sign on. This was the first time after the initial one. Not really impressed with the lack of encouragement in finding work, it was more of making me feel I was worthless for not having work. Hope I get someone with a personality next time!

Had to replace wheel on car... Which hit the pennies hard. I'd let dd take iPod in to get screen fixed last week, bless her she has been waiting for over two months as I thought we could just about afford it. Now I have to juggle more money and pray that the car sales through its service and mot. Need to get it booked in!

Just had an email to say my jd Williams order has been dispatched. My first credit/catalogue since iva and six years after defaults. I am back! Now the real test of have I learnt to budget really begins.

Well, to my task update...

Task one... Letter done for British gas. In pile to be posted tomorrow.
Not heard from or done anything yet about the other two as yet.

Task two... My swag, instagc, nectar ad and Stp take about 25 mins so far. I will see how points build up to see if time might be spent better on other click thru sites. I did squeeze in some more swag bucks yesterday and have ordered £3 amazon. Have enough for £1 on instagc but no vouchers at mo. I also found I am only 20 points off a £10 voucher on erewards so will keep me eye out for that. Lastly when next points credit we have enough for one of those iPad cases that have a keyboard which dd has been begging for and I have always said no because we could not spare the money so am quite chuffed at that.

Task three... Have let it slip a bit yesterday and today but house will be straight tomorrow

Have a good evening all!

Nargleblast

Tibawo - well done for completing six years in an IVA, I have 11 months left to go with mine and can't wait for it to be over.
Any idea when you will receive your completion certificate?

If you haven't been on the IVA and DRO forum, take a look - a good source of advice and info re cleaning up after an IVA. Be careful with credit, though, don't let yourself get in the same mess again!

The Moneysaving Old Style forum is a good resource for ideas about keeping costs down, especially if your income is limited and variable.
Good luck!

tibawo

Thanks for reading and posting.... Sometimes I feel I'm just talking to myself!

I finished the iva and have got my completion certificate. I have also just passed the six year mark when everything was supposed to drop of the credit file.

I really am clueless with cash, pensions and savings but am so used to a tight budget that I feel guilty still going over budget on the groceries! The jd Williams is purely to build up my credit rating, it will be nice to know it is there in an emergency.

I have a few bills that I need to sort and am repaying them by trickle feed whilst on a low income but plan to bury then when back at work! I will probable post them beginning of September when I know here I am work wise.

Nargleblast

A few blogs you may find useful, some you may already know.

Frugal Queen
Mean Queen (Life after money)
Thrifty Lesley
Mortgage Free in Three

GunWharf

Greetings from the South Coast

You have been through some tough times but plenty of people around here, to keep you going!

If you get down, have a good butchers of other peoples Diaries as it often helps, knowing your not the only one.

Good luck and and I will pop on by and see how you are getting on :beer:

tibawo

iPod now collected so one dd happy as she uses it to watch BBC I player through the TV! Off to a free event at the library today, it gets us out and the girls are doing this reading scheme so it means another book towards that as well!

Task one .. Located the details for shop direct and bank of Ireland data controller... Well hope so. Got letters ready to print but printer not working properly. It needs a new yellow cartridge, well I hope thats all It is. Luckily when I was working I put money onto a card(we got a discount) so I can use this to get a new one at argos. Determined to get these sent today so can move this task to 'pending'

I looked into credit cards as well today as want to get moving on credit rating. I used the soft check thing on here, before it has always said zero chance but today there were three 80% ones. I applied and it's that seven day wait thing. I know it's still a decline but I used to getting refused instantly so in my head I am moving in the right direction!

Task two .. Done my clicks today apart from Stp which will do in a min. The erewards thing had credited so I have now put that £10 to the amazon account. Had the confirmation email from Nielsen about the new iPad case. So quite positive on that front! Awaiting the swag one and will cash out instagc when back in stock.

Task three... Just a general tidy, Hoover and the washing today as house has floors in all rooms! I think it is my stash of 'jobs that need doing' so I think my paperwork filing should be the next task!