Hi,
I've posted before and have overcome my problem before for a few months atleast. But I paid my debts back and was living normally again. Now in the last moth I am £6000 in debt, which is more money than I've ever actually had in my bank account.
Im twenty years old an for the past 5 or so years I have done nothing with my life. My plan was to have saved up and be traveling the States, Asia and Australia right now and for the next few years. My family are pressuring me to continue an apprenticeship which I started because apparantly the market it about to pick up and theres good money in it, and I shouldnt miss the boat.
All I want is money to go traveling while im still this age. Now im in this debt theres no way I can do it. I'll have to settle down and work at this career my family want me in. It's too late for me to save up and go traveling now. I need to get a stabel future.
The problem is I can't. I worked bloody hard, 60+ hours a week over the last 6 months to have this one last trip before I settle down. I had almost £5,000 in savings and was planning working one more month, and selliing my car allowing me to do this.
Anyway nwo my debt is going to take me atleast 6 months to get level with. I won't be able to do anything, I won't be able to afford a holiday with my friends, festivals there going to and of course the big one the traveling.
I know I won't be able to be normal again unless I magically find £10,000 to get back to where I was. I can only see my gambling continuing in a vain attempt to get it back. People know about my problem but theres nothing they can do. If im not ready to stop, I wont.
The sick thing I know is it's going to get worse. Right now im in the stage of it being to far gone, I know I wont have anything I want so Why bother? Im £6000 under, why not make it £60,000.
I know how ridicolous this sounds and how annoyed people may be readign it but I can't help it. Im so lost.
Hi there,
I am not far off where you are today. The first thing for you to remember is the reason you are in debt in the first place. Gambling...
The worst thing you can do is try and chase money you have lost to the betting companies. It could make the situation you are in even worse
I know it may seem like a long way off however try and focus your efforts clearing your debts with your own money and in time put yourself In a position to travel etc use that as your motivation to stop
Have you had help from GA or anything before or spoke to family etc about your gambling? Might be an idea to do so however daunting ot may seem
Stephen
Hi,
I feel your pain. I have been there I had just come out of uni, luckily I went travelling before the gambling took hold but once I got back I was unemployed and suddenly started gambling to get more money so I could carry on travelling. Turned 7k of savings into a debt of 10k in one year.
But I didn't stop there, I eventually stopped the stupidity at 25k in debt...
What I'm trying to get at is that the 6k debt is manageable if you speak to your bank about repayment options. 20k plus is very hard unless you have a job, that I'm lucky to have eventually got but I'm working for peanuts.
Stop now.
If you want to go travelling borrow some money it is an amazing experience and one that will give you so many life experiences it should hopefully make you realise there is more in life that gambling.
Obviously my advice may sound stupid as borrowing money is risky and it could be used to gamble...I tried this 3 times. Finally realised that I could never win as I could never stop.
Sorry if I've talked about myself a lot but I see myself a bit in where you are now.
Your future is in your hands make the right choice.
Hi
i can relate to how you are feeling now. Not much older than yourself at 24 and had similar plans to travel etc. My gambling got better of me as well but can't recommend the betting to gain money to get out of debt. We have all tried it and don't think anyone has ever been successful as the mind of a gambler works in a strange way. Even if you did win 6k to clear the debt your more than likely going to keep betting trying to earn extra money to cover cost of travelling etc which could see you ultimately being in much greater debt
6k is manageable amount of debt to be in. Sit down talk with someone at your bank try to work out a repayment plan that suits both your needs. Your still young at 20 can go travelling in a year or 2 once you are out of this situation. You also say you won't be able to do things with your friends because of your debt but after you talk with your bank you may be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel where this is concerned
know all this may not sound so easy but really the biggest step you need to take is admit to yourself you've got yourself into a hole and plan how you are going to get out of it. And honestly trying to gamble your way out of debt isn't the way forward. The 2015 challenge is running on this site and would recommend joining it as found it a great help last year once I started out on the road to being gamble free
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