Adam here....my last topic / journal was tittled year 5.0 but ive realised im not on year 5 yet.... just hit year 4 so got to go thru the whole fourth year first....dont want to jump the gun so im starting a new topic/journal.
I know my journals must come accross as very obsessive and boring to the outside (looking at finances etc) but its what i personally think about on a day to day basis and analysing it on here and on my spreadsheet along with analysing my health, work, family life, friends etc really helps me.
At the start of the month i bought some lego costing 75 pounds as a celebration of my 4 year gamble free mark..... Tonight i took it back and got a rufnd as i thought 75 pounds is actually quite a lot of money to me and will help a great deal towards other things in my life.
I also thought about buying a 35 pounds ralph lauren jacket id found.....now u might say thats a bargin....well it is but i thought of what i could buy with the 35 pounds and the opportunity cost of that.
I listened to a podcast yesturday and a quote that stood out was that if u buy a coat saving fifty percent of price thats a saving a nice saving but if you dont buy the coat thats a 100 percent saving.
Now i cancelled my sky sports now tv that was only the bargin price of 15 pounds a month then resubscribed again later that month as i realised how much value i get from that 15 pounds....i watch every match and i love football.......
I also have a lot of lego and have a lot of coats.....so total price of those that i didnt now get was 110 pounds...now that can buy me a lot of sky sports in the future.......
The way i heard u look at it is you departmentalise each purchase into (NEED) (WANT) (LOVE) (AND SOMETHING ELSE) now u want to avoid everything that doesnt fall into the first bracket and that you dont love as you can spend that money on things that do.
Now i wanted both of those products but i didnt need them and i can spend that money on six months of sky sports now which i do Love....therefore gettin more value.
So this month so far has equaled my second best saving month since moving into my flat...... ive also budgeted for jan feb and march end of financial year and out of the 4000 earnt in these four months ive planed to save towars my debt 3k or just under....... it's going to be tight to save that much and will depend on energy bills...and cost of now tv subs.....and cost of food.....but it looks like i can do it....so ill really try.
Ive been super good since ive been off work tuesday and have been to town three times but only spent money on one coffee and egg on toast (which was extremely pleasant).....
Now its halfway thru my 7 day holiday tomo.....and i have rested a great deal....im already ready to go back....and still have 4 days left to watch the football and see family and friends.
Life is soo much better without gambling......thats for sure......richer......financially, physically and mentally....
im thankful for each day i succeed without it in my life.
if ur starting out recomendations id make are really first of all to get ur belief in yourself back......
it doesnt come straight away but comes thru the realisation of a continual fact finding of making the right decisions over and over again.....
dont look but at your mistakes...
draw a line in the sand....
think right i want a better future....
give it six months trial.....
not forever...
dont worry its a trial....
with this trial its hard to start a new habbit...
but nothing that is really worth it is easy....
after six months trialing youll be flying and can sore away in the knowledge that ur reaping all these new habbits and correct decisions.
Hi
A richer healthier life is about moving from addictive obsessive to about healthy balance in my life.
8 hours of need time.
8 hours of want time.
8 hours of rest and recovery time.
The person I was often fighting was my self.
Is my motivation healthy today.
Have I given up saying I have to.
Do I do thing in healthy ways.
Do I reward my self for doing or saying healthy things.
Do I say to my self that I did a good job.
Being richer is about having a much healthier life.
Love healing and peace to every one.
Dave L
Dave of Beckenham
What a lovely read Adam. To those on the outside looking in finances might seem boring but you be really proud of yourself. It’s only by living a more fulfilling life do we realise how unfulfilling our old gambling ridden life was. I’m over 200 days gamble free now and I look forward to being 4 years and counting free and happy like you too in the future.
hi dave and london eye..... thanks for popping by.....thanks for boosting my confidence..
Halfway thru my holiday today...... feel rested,...... been looking at finances tonight.....managed to find out i was 60 pounds in debit on my water account...... so ive paid 60 pounds tonight to bring it back to level..... should cost me 25 a month from now on.
looked at my energy usage.......doing really well this month..... only spent 70 on electric and 20 on gas......and im 130 in credit.....so ive reduced my monthly direct debit to 85 a month...... this should bring the credit down to level by time we go into spring when it gets warmer and bills go down. Also going to try and have less baths as thats where i must use a lot of my energy bills......
Today i watched all the footy lots to be enjoyed.....spurs won horray......within 4 points of top now....plus my fant team done pretty well........ chelsea game tomo plus dinner round folks again.
I told my dad the other day how little id spent this month and he said money comes in and money goes out dont be too concerned about it id rather you spent and were warm at home..... which was why i got my sky sports back the next day......i am however a little cold at home sometimes but i wear layers 4 duvets...... its not like we are in the arctic lol......i rather spend less and save...... for my retirement.....
For my situation was different i was the type i would my whole months salary on gambling and wouldnt buy anything for my self and even when i did win i would still look for Bargins, since trying to quit 2012 ive tried diff stuff i was buying electronics but then selling it to places like cash generator to gamble which 9/10 out i lost, i managed to quit few weeks at time but always went back since 2015 i started buying clothes aftershave when i did win funny thing is i still have alot of the stuff its the only thing ive managed not to spend probably spent about 20-30k, i realised i do enjoy those things, so for me personally i realised it better for me not to be too hard on myself, the amount i have lost i could have bought a property out right, so for me if i send it on stuff i enjoy and still remain g/f am still in a far better situation
hi taz thanks for popping by......it rings true.....im great with money now but i need to be a bit more free flowing with it now and treat myself and friends a bit more...... think thatll be one of my objectives for the year......to treat a friend to a coffee or pizza or beer or whatever they like when they visit me once a month.....like pay for a pap;pa johns for us or a four pack of beers for them or cook them a steak meal...... just once a month itll help build even stronger relationships.......
in order to do this ive just whatsapped four friends and invited them over to watch some games and ill buy them all some pizza and beers......a way to indulge in the new years and treat close friends who support me.....and i hopefully support them as much.
Also this morning i heard runners do the park run next to my flat....i heard lynn on here talk about it too.... be good way to get exercise and get up on a saturday so ive registered tonight.
Objectives for 2024:
Continue with no vices? well ive thought recently about having a drink......to relax and unwind with friends...but in all honesty its been nothing but problems for friends and most are trying to cut down on their alcohol intake...most use it as a crutch....and its very expensive.......so i think rather than start im going to stick with no alcohol for the time being.
So No drinking? hell yeah
No smoking? hell yeah its a no brainer i feel so much better now and smoking just feels soo unhealthy and unsociable now....im lightyears from wanting a ciggerette so thats great....
No drugs? hell yeah again im in a better place mentally without it and its now been 15 years since i partoke in any......
No Gambling? Ive recently watched slots on you tube....ive also tried to get on poker sites (gamban saved me) then i tried to cancel gamban and gamstop.....also very recently...so im not out of the woods yet and i have my vulnerable patches...but as long as my blocks are sturdy and im able to increase each blocks when it comes up for renewal im in a good place to stick to the no gambling and all its benefits.
So all in all 2024cvices wise will be the same .....ill continue on my same path of sobriety and the clear thoughts that brings.
Work wise.......Ill continue to strive to do my best...ill aim to do at least 10k steps a day, ill nominate myself as allways for overtime at weekends.....ill look to bethe best porter i can be. Most look forward to retirement but im looking forward to the now....everyday is good, i go to work , see people, meet new people, make friends, socialise, get exercise, this week at home i had already got lonely and friends werent available to come over....just a glimpse of what retirement would be for me...don't want that!!!!! ill aim to work for as long as possible to keep active and keep my mind active.
Health wise....going to try the park run every saturday ill aim to walk it each week then will try some jogs on the down bits to better my times each week and go from there....hopefully ill meet some new people oif not its good exercise...and its a course so i cant stop short.....worked out it should be 8k steps or more so great exercise. Also ive signed up to a pure gym opening in my town and it opens in spring so hoping to go to that a few times a week......
Socially....... i am a party animal lol these days im more interested in whats in the fridge than whats on in my local club or pub lol.......i sttay in friday and saturdays sundays even more soo....... But now ive got my entertaining space things have improved for me.. ..... In 2024 id like to continue......with this in mind my socialising revolves around two things FOOTBALL and my GARDEN.......bbqs ......With this in mind i need to keep all my subscriptions going for the football and keep my garden in good order...... ive got another sunchair for xmas from my folks so ive got two now!!!! actually ive got three now!!!!! perfect. I might buy a bbq i might continue with disposable ones we will see. But also id like to have friends over early in the year so ive invited some over for matches and offered toget them beer and pizza... the perfect host me thinks.
Ive recently when down started to delete friends from my mobile....ive been thinking if they want to contact me they will i wot bother them anymore.......i think ill try and make more of an effort to keep in contact with these friends and not lose them or become distant......i have plenty of time and altho im pretty delicate sometimes and anxious about how im seen id like to keep as many friends as i can.....friends close on are definitely hard to find.
Meals out......Ill aim for one or two a month to keep sociable....
All the best adam xxx
Just had a lovely boxing day....... watched indiana jones with my sister nephews and niece..... they opened their presents i got them a smart watch each and a football..... they love them..... Back to work tomo but im fine with it...had a nice break.... also got the footy to watch each night and really looking forward to spurs game on thurs....then saturday going to go for my first park run....then weekend full of relaxing...new years will be quiet for me as usual...##
All the best adam xx
Hi Adam,
I enjoyed reading your post, looking forward to the New Year.
I really struggle with socialising and friendships where I always do the reaching out. I admire your positive approach, to still go ahead and stay in touch.
Bits of my post keep deleting it's frustrating. I'll just leave it short. Make sure one-sided friendships are not at your expense. That's something I've learned. You can put a lot of energy into helping people then end up alone when you're down on your luck. I think the trick is to realise the limitations of the more one-sided friendships and accept them as they are, so you don't feel hurt, if it's all take. Sounds really cynical, that but I just think good souls are vulnerable. We don't give to receive back but everyone needs some support and energy. It's healthy to want for yourself.
Take care, and well done on the achievements you listed.
f x
Hi Freda,
Thanks for popping by....yes i aggree i have to be careful not to put all the effort and expense into friendships and not get anything for myself..... but im no fool if its one sided i wont put any more energy into them..... They actually messaged me at christams so i have invited them over which works well for me ...... ill buy some food or drinks but wont go overboard..........
Helath wise ive been poorly over christmas....had a stumach ache over christmas day, boxing day and the 27th and 28th...... So although normally like the rest of the nation im eating for england over the festive break this year i ate a lot less than i would on a normal day.....Just weighed myself (at the heaviest part of the day) and ive lost 1kg since i last weighed myself.....This is great as when i last weighed myself i hadnt weighed mtyself in ages but had put on .5 kg and was a bit annoyed with myself. Im now 89.45kgs which is just over 14 stone. I forget what my target weight was but in all honesty weighing myself to lose weight every week doesnt work for me i go thru good very good then really bad patches and all in all i allways end up at the same weight.
Im starting my walking at weekends tomo morning....5kilometres at 9am...not sure how long itll take im thinking an hour...but we will see....then my gym should open up in spring so looking forward to using that for a fresh start. I actually used the gym 4 times in december with a friend so maybe that contributed to the loss of weight also.
So watch this space...ill be trim by this time next year i hope......
Done my first park run today really enjoyed it...... then went to town.....then in afternoon went for another walk..... ended up doing 17500 steps today.....pretty pleased....
Here we are new years eve.....the start of something special...the time where we can reflect on the year gone by...... and if its not gone soo well we can start a fresh at midnight and seek to change our ways..... I done this in 2016 where i stopped smoking....it was the toughest thing i have ever done and i never want to go thru that again......thru determinantion and stubborness i got thru that year smoke free and then strived onto the next of my vices in order to freshen up my life and become a healthier person.
In 2016 i stopped smoking i still feel this is my best accomplishment of my life and will hopefully mean i live a longer life and my breathing will be easier.... it really really wasnt easy it ws hugely difficult but some things in life are best to do even if they take all ur energy.
In 2018 and 2019 i managed to give up Drinking and Gambling........ Now this has also improved my health and most importantly the first has kept my mind sharp and clear in order to make the second easier.
In may 2022 i moved into my flat.....i have now managed to live independently for a year and a half...... now this is a huge improvement for my social life.....although at times im a bit lonely on the most part living on my own is very rewarding......
This year i have tried to lose weight and be healthy without using a gym...... ive walked and walked and walked everyday in order to burn off the calories......now this hasnt worked... im still 14 stone and in the unhealthy bracket of my bmi range..... This i will continue to try to improve thru 2024...... ill be looking to go to the park run every saturday morning and ill be going to the gym most weeks (should i not cancel it before to save a bit of money lol)....
My health is my main objective as allways and 2024 should hopefully mark the year i get trim again....
I will also aim to come on gamcare most nights as it helps to keeps these objectives alive...
Freshly into a new hyear..... here i am ready to battle....battle my finances....battle my relationships and battle my health.
Been back at work a week now..... felt like putting in for some holiday today.....felt a bit tired....but i think everyone is at a low ebb this time of the year.
So i grafted away..... cleaned radiators.....cleaned signs....put out rubbish...took round deliveires.....all the things that help me to do well at work...... i did.
Going to try to get to march before taaking a holiday.....or at least feb if i get run down.....but the thing is i didnt really enjoy being off as much as i enjoy being in......
Today ive eaten hoops on toast....... egg on toast......porridge.....no snacks at all.....great start....going to try to not purchase any snacks for a couple of weeks to see how far i get.....
Looking to lose weight but mainly just get trimmer...... i dont see myself as being overweight but id like to be healthy well as healthy as i can be.
My barclays account threw me a treat of thirty pounds cashback for the last two months purchases.... i didnt know this was coming and it will literally pay for most of my months food i need to buy horray.....
out of the 1150 ill get paid this month..... ive worked out at the mo ill put 750 towards my debt..... no small feat....and something im proud of.
Thankfully the temp in my flat is pretty reasonable without turning the heating on at all..... so tonight i wont......
Getting my energy bill for december thru tomo i think itll be around 96 pounds which is pretty reasonable....altho ive not been using the hearting at all and theres no wa to save money on electricity that ive found....any ideas welcome?
right great start to a saturday...... thought that id uninvite a friend as wanted to save the money of buying a pizza then thought what am i doing? so invited him again and hes coming in half an hour woop....will watch villa game tonight....
It's been a great morning....didnt think id go to park run today so i didnt set my alarm and didnt go to bed as early as last friday night....but THANKFULLY i woke at 6am this morning then stayed awake till 8am and thought why not indulge in a park run.....its just round the corner...so i got up and had some porridge and a tea....then got dressed and went.....
Now i dont want to injure myself for work so im taking it gradually plus i havent jogged for years so it really is a gradual process of trying my best but not doing too much....so i walked quicker today and on the hills upwards i walked and on the downhill bits i mostly jogged..... now its 4.5 laps so i asked on way round if it was 4 or 5 times past the cricket pitch and its 5 so luckily i done the full amount again.
My time last week was 50 mins 50 seconds......this week 45 MINS WOOP....
so 10 percent better already horray....
Then came straight back as legs were like jelly lol....my legs now feel tired but not over the top tired so thats good.....
Next week im working on sat morning so wont be able to do it... but ill aim to do plenty of walking thru the week and aim as allways to lose a bit of weight......
Then even better i came back for scrambled eggs on toast (nice protein and energy) and healthy.....then went to sainsburys and bought 6 eggs, 1kg of pasta and 2kgs of porridge.... all for 4 quid..... substenance ....
All in all a great day and i can see the weight flying off ....
and a new hobby for the weekend....
All the best adam xx
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