Morning all... I was back at work this week so didn't have time to catch up.
Can I just say you are all amazing - fab cake, great show, fab cats, moving country.... it all happens over here in the frugaleers corner.
need so sorry about your break in.
Itsa we are just coming to the end of and IVA. It is hard work, but it took the stress out of a very stressful situation. We had got to a stage where all of our income was taken up with debt repayments. The not having a slush fund to dip into was difficult, but we gradually built one up (from the kids birthday money initially 
). At the begining it was difficult - the realisation that holidays, day trips, eating out and takeaways were all off limits for a period of years (6 in our case). However after a bit it becomes the new normal. On the plus side my cooking has improved, I can now sew and knit, I have started fell running (the frugal runners - no need for special equipment other than a pair of shoes, races are 3-5 to enter and you get fed for that too).
My top tips for surviving it are - make joint spending decisions. It is depressing to save for a hair cut to find your OH has spent it on a bottle of wine because he has had a bad day at work.
Every 6 months do a look around for cheaper energy bills, insurance etc. And clear the cookies from your computer every time you do the search - that way you will get better deals. Also phone the companies who don't use the comparison websites (Admiral, Direct Line, Avviva).
Look at ways to earn money outside your IVA - babysitting, ironing, ebay, dog walking, cleaning. Even if you do it once a month it makes a difference.
Do not spend money unless it is unavoidable - this sounds obvious, but most of our money went on things that we didn't need. Now it is second nature to do the body & soul test ie can I live without this product? if yes don't buy it.
Budget & plan everything - and check prices in other supermarkets / shops etc. Asian supermarkets are great for spices, dried beans / lentils. The spices are fantastic for livening up the basic meals. Have a treat fund - it is easier to eat pasta and tomato if you know that once a month you are going to be able to have a prawn satay. I also have a treat / sweet cupboard to save random trips to get crisps & sweets from the corner shop.
Learn to cook the value added things -Tortilla, chapati, beer, chutneys, jam, bread, hummous, salsa, dips, cakes biscuits, stocks and dim sum are all easy to do and have cheap ingredients. Best win - isotonic drink powder 18 per tub = dilute 42p / bottle squash and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Go own / value range on everything - mine didn't like it at first, but given the choice of eat that or starve, they soon came around to my way of thinking.
Grow anything that you can - I too live up North & somethings don't do well, but check down at your local allotments to see what people are growing. I do the expensive things - soft fruit (strawberries, raspberries, red & black currants, gooseberries, apples, plums) herbs, peas & bean family, broccolli, salad leaves. The people at the allotments gave me most of my plants because they had too many / left over seeds. They also give me the gluts - I pay them back by making it into jam, chutney, random longlife things.
Join a library - really useful for basic DIY, cooking, how to make things books. I can now write a book on Mince 100 ways, and inventive curses to hurl at cleberity chefs when they tell eveyone to go out and buy cheap cuts of meat so the price doubles overnight.... I am looking at you Jamie O and A Girl Called Jack.
Look at it as a challenge - you will get there in the end. Accept that some days you will just want to give up, but remember the next day the sun will be out and all will be good. It is very much a mental thing. Keep a note of the relief you felt when you knew you were tackling the prioblem and on bad days take it out of the memory bank stroke it and remember where you used to be.
Good luck with it - there is loads of support on here and we are all cheering you on.