If you are repaying your creditors with the assistance of IVA help, you are unlikely to have enough disposable income to cover the cost of a fuel efficient car. Whilst under the terms of IVA help you will be bound to the vehicle you currently drive, no matter how fuel hungry it is.

If you rely on income from a job which requires a car to pay for your IVA help each month, you may find you are spending more of your budget than you would like on petrol. Fuel costs, as ever, are rocketing. They just keep getting higher and, if you’re living on IVA help, this can really bite into your ability to afford simple necessities. That’s why we’ve compiled a little list to help you cut down your fuel consumption and save some money, without buying a new car.

1.    Keep your tires inflated!
You can expect to reduce your fuel consumption by around 2% if you keep your tires properly inflated.

2.    Keep your speed steady and slow
We all know about the tortoise and the hare, but keeping slow and steady will save you money. If you choose to drive at 60mph instead of 80mph you will use significantly less petrol.

3.    Consider using vegetable fat or chip fat
This tip is not for everyone as the repercussions smell pretty bad. But you can buy chip fat and vegetable oil suitable for your car at a measly 55p a litre. This is an incredible saving and certainly not to be sniffed at, literally.

4.    Windows vs air conditioning
If you’re travelling at low speeds, open a window instead of using air con – this will save you at least 5% on fuel costs. Meanwhile, at speed, air con is cheaper than the lag caused by extra air resistance so roll those windows up.

5.    Shop around
Just like anything else, petrol costs vary from station to station. Keep your eyes peeled for decent deals or check out websites like PetrolPrices.com

Paying off debts using IVA help can really reduce your daily, weekly and monthly budget, so living frugally where you can is important. For more IVA help tips or to find out more about how IVA help works to manage your previously unmanageable debts, check out the rest of our blog & informative website. You can contact our experienced advice team on 02920 346 536 today.

All sorts of changes are afoot in the world of finance and IVAs. Figures seem to chop and change on a weekly basis making it hard to gauge the financial situation of those individuals struggling to make ends meet. To give you a picture of what’s happening with finances and IVAs this week we’ve put together a little list of facts and figures from Credit Action:

•    8,910 fresh new debt problems were brought to the Citizen Advice Bureaux today
•    99 properties were repossessed today
•    334 people will be declared bankrupt or insolvent by the end of the day
•    That’s one person every 59 seconds!

These Credit Action figures look terrifying but they are not all doom and gloom. The number of bankruptcies and insolvencies is actually levelling out and may even be dropping. At the same time however, IVAs are rising and repossession rates are getting higher too.

It seems strange that repossessions should be rising if IVAs are becoming more and more popular. IVAs usually halt repossession on the part of the creditors, allowing debtors to repay what they owe at a manageable rate, generally allowing them to keep their homes.

Perhaps the rise in both figures hints that many people are using IVAs inappropriately when they are not the most suitable debt management solution. Last week we discussed how the amount of information available about IVAs is causing insolvency to drop; perhaps these repossessions are evidence that people are taking on IVAs in improper situations. This suggests IVAs have been wrongly advertised and many people do not have the facts they need to make the appropriate choices, leading to a rise in repossessions.

Make sure you know all there is to know about IVAs before going ahead with one. You need to be confident IVAs are the right debt management solution for you and are not going to backfire because they are not suitable.

You can find all the information you need to make a balanced decision online at iva-service.co.uk. We offer professional advice from qualified debt management experts who can help you decide whether IVAs are the right path for you. Call 02920 346 536 today to speak to an expert.

The number of active IVAs could be on the rise even though personal insolvencies are dropping, according to new statistics. Recent figures show that in the 3rd quarter of 2011, personal insolvencies were down by 11% on the same quarter in 2010.

The figures make interesting reading. Between July and September 2011 a sizable 9,567 people filed for bankruptcy. As scary as this sounds, the quarter before an even more significant 11,113 people found themselves in the same insolvent boat. This means the number of insolvencies around has significantly decreased in just 6 months. So why are IVAs on the rise?

In contrast to the insolvency figures, IVAs are still increasing. This year’s 2nd quarter saw 12,143 people enter into IVAs, whilst the 3rd quarter saw even more IVAs: 13,048. If insolvencies are apparently decreasing, why are IVAs on the rise?

There are a number of possibilities. Bankruptcy is the final resort in terms of insolvencies and it is generally only applicable if debt management solutions have failed or are impossible. It is plausible that people are much more in the know about the other ways they can handle unmanageable debts (using IVAs for example). This would mean that even though IVAs are rising, they are keeping insolvency levels in decline. This could be proof that IVAs are often successful in the end, preventing debtors from reaching rock bottom.

Another possibility is that the introduction of debt relief orders (DROs) in 2009 has gradually slowed and reduced insolvency figures.

Whatever is causing the decline in bankruptcy and the rise in IVAs, it is certainly an interesting phenomenon which we will be keeping our eye on here at IVA Service. If you’d like to learn more about IVAs and how they can help you deal with spiralling debts, visit the rest of our site to learn how IVAs work and whether you are a suitable candidate.

It might sound early but, if you’re living with IVA help and you want to make some savings this Christmas, it’s time to start planning your attack! Turning Christmas into a military operation might not sound like that much fun, but the financial peace of mind and the fun you can have whilst making savings will help you have a happier, money-saving Christmas.

Using IVA help will seriously reduce your budget come Christmas time, and buying everyone presents will probably not be possible. To make Christmas on IVA help merrier it is time to take a more old-fashioned, traditional approach to Christmas, with thoughtful handmade gifts and a little creativity. Here‘s our top Christmas saving tips, to give you a little IVA help in the festive season:

1.    Get Crafty

You might not think you have a creative bone in your body but Christmas can bring out the crafty side in everyone! If you’re living with IVA help you can save an awful lot of money by making your own decorations and presents too. A thoughtful handmade present is almost always more treasured than something you picked up from a shop. When you make your own presents you put real love into them, and this is what Christmas should really be about.

Christmas decorations are fun and easy to make too. Even if you are not using IVA help, creating your own Christmas decorations is a really great festive activity that everyone can get involved in. Why not collect nuts, acorns and pinecones, spray them gold or silver and turn them into gorgeous, natural festive candleholders, baubles or table decorations?

Use your talents to your advantage when making presents. If you’re an amazing knitter, make everyone a personalised hat or socks! If baking is your thing, make special cookies or cupcakes for friends and family. IVA help doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy the giving and receiving of gifts! If anything, living with IVA help could ensure you bypass all the tacky, commercialised, overspending which Christmas involves these days.

2.    Take Advantage of Technology
If you do like to give shiny new things at Christmas then turning to the internet could be the solution while you’re receiving IVA help. You can find many amazing deals online on sites like Groupon and Ebay, helping you to find the perfect gift at half the price.

3.    Play Secret Santa
The ridiculous extravagance of the modern Christmas is really not an option when you are living with IVA help. Instead of lavishing armfuls of gifts on every member of the family, play secret Santa. Put all your names in a hat, and have each person pick just one. Not only is secret Santa really fun, it will also mean you only need to buy one gift.

For more advice and tips to help you live with IVA help, visit the rest of our website at iva-service.co.uk. Our website is full of helpful information all about dealing with IVA help and even includes a phone line you can use to talk to professionally trained IVA experts. If you have any enquiries about IVA help, call today on 02920 346 536!