Hi Freelili and Kerri,

Thanks so much for posting on my blog, you are very welcome. I have been following your posts on the IVA website and they are such a great help and comfort. YOu are very kind and strong individuals and I appreciate all the posts on the website. It is really amazing that when you no longer have credit available that you realise how much you relied on it. My first year was manageable but this year it has been terrible. I have just been able to make the monthly payment each month and we have really been surviving because of God. Sometimes we have had no money at all and then my mum or some friend has offered to do the shopping for me which has been a real life saver. I am such a changed person and I believe I had to go through this to realise how materialistic I had become, and I had become so consumed with having the latest bag etc, how dumb is that!! I believe that I am now a better person and it is within that counts, not what bag you are carrying etc. Even though it is very hard for me at the moment, I dont blame anyone but myself for being in this situation. There has never been a truer saying than ‘you live and learn.’

 Hope to catch up with you soon, and stay positive everyone, even though it might seem bleak now, there is a time when we will be able to look back at this time and wonder how we got through it!!!

Hi everyone,

Alison told me this would be very easy and she was right. THanks a lot.  I have just sent off my annual review info and I was really very nervous about it as I had gone fractional at work and my income had gone down by about three hundred pounds so I still am nervous actually as I havent heard from my supervisor about it.  It is a bit nerve wrecking but not as bad as waiting for your IVA to be approved so at least I am thankful that I did not encounter any problems.  The hard thing is living without credit, it has taken me a whole year to realise that once my money runs out there is nowhere else to get it so I have to make my money last the whole nine yards.  In a way I am proud of myself as I used to be very materialistic before, having to wear the best clothes and carry only Gucci of course as my handbag but all that has changed.  In fact while I was line Gucci’s pockets I was seriously putting myself in the red!!!!  Anyway this whole year I have not bought I single new item of clothing and realised that I have too many clothes and I must have been shopping before because I had the almighty credit card to whip it on…………………….  This is now eating humble pie for me and it feels good…….  Feel free to comment it doesnt have to be about IVA’s only, it can be about the weather