Hi Guys,
I have recentley joined this forum as I have reached the stage after 5-6 years of NEVER having a penny (unless I win which normally all goes back within a day), that I simply cannot continue.
My current situation:
I am 21 years old, been gambling for 5-6 years and have won and lost thousands. I am constantly in debt, and where lots of my friends are gamblers, naturally a lot of money gets lent. I am now in the worst financial hole I have ever been in, because I have borrowed so much money from so many people. I got paid last night £1500, of which I owed £2100 out immediately (I have other long-term debts to friends). I paid off £600 immediately, but didn't have enough to pay the rest and so reverted to trying to win the rest.. Of course, I did every penny. I now owe £4500 to friends, with £2000 of that being due immediately and simply cant pay. The people I owe this to NEED the money for rent, bills and to live. I also have no money to last me through the month.
Can I get peoples opinions on what they think I should do to best resolve this issue, I have no intention of knocking any debt, but literally don't have the ££.
Thanks
Hello,
Practical steps? It depends on whether you want to stop gambling. If you do, then the advice is fairly predictable but if you follow it you can turn your life round.
Call the helpline and go to a GA meeting today. It's an addiction and you need the right help. If you could manage yourself, you wouldn't be where you are.
re money, StepChange is a charity that will help you to manage your debt. But to stop incurring more debt, you need to get some that you trust to look after your money, you hand over your wages for safekeeping and they drip feed you the minimum cash that you need.
If you're gambling on line, block your desktop and laptop and downgrade your mobile to a non Internet version with no apps. Downgrade your bank card to a cash card to avoid deposits.
However boring, this is the best advice. Trying to win back your losses seems so much easier ....except it doesn't work, you can't win because you can't stop. You're addicted.
The only person who can change things is you.
Wish you well.
CW
Hi again,
One last suggestion. Hang out with different friends. It's no good having a culture of thinking gambling's cool. Or harmless. For you, it's neither.
BW,
CW
Hi, i'm 43 and really wish i could get all you young guys in a room and make you understand that if you continue to my age you will have nothing. Be honest with your friends, you didn't have the money and the only thing you knew was to try and win it because you wanted to pay them all back, they might understand. Pay them off month by month and tell them never again.
I believe if you're working you're halfway there with your debts if you abstain from gambling. Money mounts up when you don't gamble, it's amazing how little you need after paying the bills. Debts will go in time as long as you don't gamble, trust me.
One day at a time don't gamble, try and get to a GA meeting and make a small list of achievable goals. Keeps busy because gambling took up a lot of your time. Think positive, you're 21 and life is ahead of you. You can't keep beating yourself up about the past 6 years, it's gone now, let it go, draw a line in the sand of your losses and start again. Don't spend the next 21 years doing the same thing expecting a different result, it will be the same pain, if not worse because you might have a wife and kids or whatever floats your boat.
Start again mate, pay your debts and leave yourself a little bit to get by and live, don't stop living because you have one life, enjoy it.
No advice on the financial side of it, but look on the bright side, you're only 21 & can fix all of this.
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