April Fools!

Welcome back. So glad the new job is going well. Great to hear you had a holiday too, although the toothache bit sucks! Nothing worse than toothache. 

It really is amazing to have money to outlay for things like dentists etc. Crazy to think that this is what most people do normally. For us ex gamblers this is all new territory!

Great to have you back posting. It’s good to see the new faces, especially those showing the hard work and commitment needed in the early days, but it’s also good to have the familiar faces around, who’s story I’ve seen go from lows to highs. 

Stay strong 💪 

@j5a6meyr4z Nice one Pink.  I was thinking of the Canary Islands this winter if I can save enough.  A dose of midwinter sun is a welcome break when its dark and cold in the UK.

Sorry to hear about the tooth ache.  That pain is the worst, along with earache, treading on Lego and possibly childbirth but I can't speak for the latter!

Well done for staying strong and enjoy the new job.  It sounds very plush.

@p6z38njbqm Thanks Fish - as ever, your support is forever grateful 💙💪.

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@thebean Thank you bean for your continued support 💙. I think labour pains are most definitely up there with the toothache!😖🤣🤣. I can imagine treading on Lego can be an instant “yelp out” moment too!😊.

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Hey, Pink Lady! Nice to see you back. Congrats on starting the new job! I'm really happy to hear you had some nice moments in a beautiful place, though I'm sorry to hear about your toothache. This is one of those times when you can be grateful to yourself for quitting gambling, now you can afford the treatment without scrambling for financial solutions in a limited time.

Take care and stay strong!

@h2gk3a76m1 Thank you so much goodfella 🙂. Yes, so nice to know when stuff like this crops up and you are not thinking “will have to wait until I am next paid as I have no money, due to gambling”!🙈. No more of that nonsense for me 👊💪.

Take care.

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Day 143.

The toothache has been real!😖😔. Managed to get an emergency appointment for tomorrow morning 👌. More expense which now amounts to almost 1K in total spent on this tooth and for it to then have to come out!! Needs must so that’s the end of the matter! I am just praying the infection has not returned and I am told it cannot come out tomorrow and no more antibiotics will be needed first 🤞🙏🙏.

I am still on my first week of training but my trainer has been so lovely and supportive and told me to just concentrate on getting my tooth sorted first so that has been reassuring 👍.

No time to think about anything gambling related - what with this toothache and returning to full-time employment, I couldn’t think of anything worse to spend my time doing right or in the future anyway 😤.

Good night, God bless all.

”April fools - no more the fool”!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Day 144.

My dentist appointment did not go how I would have hoped it would unfortunately 😔. The infection has returned, which is what is causing all this pain again 😖😢. I am now on more antibiotics and painkillers which I hate taking 👎. Another trip to the dentist on 3rd September to hopefully have the tooth finally taken out. 🤞🙏. 

I am feeling physically worn out - 3 weeks of tooth/face pain, hardly any sleep during that time, a new job and training and back to full-time employment, after doing 3 years of part-time. I came home today and thought “this feels really hard and tiring” 😔.  My sister then reminded me that I had basically come straight off my holiday, after being in pain for most of it and not much sleep, and straight into my new job and a week’s worth of training, adding that she had felt shattered all week after our holiday and that’s without her having to go to work or with an infection.  I think I just need some time to rest up and catch up on some sleep so hopefully the long weekend will give me the chance to do just that!🤞🙏.

Always wanting to end on a positive - I came out of work at 5pm and because I had to go to the dentist earlier, I came to work in my car (I have the luxury of now being able to walk to work and back). This meant that I was back home in my apartment at five minutes past five!👌.

Also, I remember last pay day, setting up some mini goals on my diary going forward so I wish to re-visit these as we approach September.

Have a lovely bank holiday weekend everyone. Stay safe and in control of your actions. 💪.

”April fools, no more the fool”!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Day 145.

Had a really good night’s sleep last night which I was most thankful for. Have just stayed at home all day, basically chilling.  My son is here for the bank holiday. As I am not 100% with this b——y tooth infection, I was not really in the mood to be cooking any dinner. Instead, I ordered a really nice fish and chip delivery for me, my son and my sister. My sister wanted to pay but I would not let her! She has done so much for me and has been through the worst thing any mother can go through so it was just nice for me to be able to say “no” to her and that I would be paying. Tomorrow, I will cook supper for the three of us though.

Good night, God bless all. Hoping for yet another decent few hours sleep, to help recharge my batteries 🤞🙏.

”April fools - no more the fool”!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Day 146.

Good morning all. Wishing you a happy August Bank Holiday! 🙂. Yesterday, I set about sorting two of my three goals I wanted to start after the end of August:-

1. I set up a standing order to put a small amount of money into one of my savings accounts every Friday. This is to help me save for my son’s 40th Birthday. Although this will not be until January 2029, I just wanted to do it this way as it won’t be restricting my finances. It will allow me to do something nice for the occasion AND give him £1000.00 that I really wanted to give him after my Mum passed away, whereby I was left me some money. In hindsight, I believe my son will appreciate this money more on his 40th and use it wisely, rather than wasting it on nights out etc.

2. I set up a standing order in my other bank’s savings account for £30.00 per month, to commence at the end of August. This is the money I would normally put towards petrol to get to work and back but as I can now walk or drive the 2 minute journey, I won’t need to do this 👍. These savings will initially go towards my son’s Birthday, which is exactly two weeks after Christmas, which is when most people are skint!😆. Again, it will feel nice, knowing that the money will be sitting there. I will then continue to build it up month by month and use the funds as and when I need it for something in particular.

Goal number 3 is to gradually bring my Tesco credit card balance down by end of December.  I only have a £600.00 balance so I am hoping this will be achievable by then 🤞🙏. However, I need to take into account that the energy prices will be rising yet again by 10% come October!!😡😡😡. These energy fat cats are just raking it in and I bet it doesn’t affect their bonuses one jot!😤.

Now to end on a positive - I need to after just reminding myself of the above!😡. Just off to Sainsbo’s. I need some more maxi candles and I have a voucher which if I spend £12.00 on home accessories (which I will), I can redeem this, which gives me an extra 300 nectar points.  I have run out of maxi lights so these are something I need anyway and every little helps I say!😆👍.

Have a good day everyone and keeeeeeeeeeeeeep smiling 😀.

”April fools - no more the fool”!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Day 148.

Still on the antibiotics for my problem tooth and was still in a lot of pain up until today when hopefully the antibiotics are breaking down the infection. I am feeling absolutely shattered still but training in my new job is going well, albeit very tiring. I do think I wouldn’t feel this tired however if I wasn’t having to deal with this tooth problem at the same. I have been neglecting things since being home from holiday, including this diary 😔. I am still trying to navigate through my full time hours and new regime/routine and I am not getting any younger either!🥴. Hopefully, once I am feeling more myself physically, everything will slot into place and my new routine will settle down 🤞🙏.

Signing off now as I need sleep and I feel like all of the above is making no sense at all!! 🥴. Good night God bless all.

”April fools - no more the fool”!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎

Day 149.

Update on the tooth/infection…… it finally seems to have settled down but the big question is - for how long??? Back to the dentist next Tuesday so hopefully can have some respite from it all until then 🤞🙏. My mind is currently filled with all things related to passports 🥴. Training in my new job is going well though but I will admit, returning to full-time hours needs some getting used to again! It’s not so much the being in work bit but rather, having so much less time to do chores etc. The upside of course is that I will be getting more money. It’s fair to say however, that on occasions, I would find myself being a little bored when doing part-time hours! I’m sure I will be fine once I get more into the routine of it all 🙏.

I wasn’t aware that I would have to work a week in hand before I got paid so this is going to impact on my finances over the next few weeks but I am owed some pay from my old job on Friday. Not sure how much so will just have to see. I’m sure I will manage - I have managed much worse situations when I had been gambling 🙈.

I am noticing lots more people on here, most of whom, write an entry and then they are gone! Clearly not ready to commit and still trying to get that “big win”, which as we all know, ultimately doesn’t happen. Still, I myself have had stops and starts over the years and know that at some point, something just washes over you where you just know that enough really is enough and that’s where I am at👌.

Take care, those who are remaining g.f and committed and well done to you all 👏👏👏.

”April fools - no more the fool”!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Good news about the tooth Pinky, and great to hear you are settling into your new job. I still have the old passport and will need to renew soon so will have to get your details for a fast track option! 🤣 

Sucks to have to relive the super skint days again. Hopefully you get enough pay from your old job to not have to do that. I have horrible memories of being so broke I literally had nothing. Not nice.

Well done on the 5 months you're about to hit. Some achievement when you read back. You've had quite a life change. Well deserved.

Stay strong 👍 

@p6z38njbqm Thanks once again Fish 🐟💙.

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Day 150.

Another milestone maybe??

A good day at work and still on training 👍. Pay day tomorrow.  I am back on weekly pay with my new job now but I am also due to be paid from my old job. I have had sight of both my payslips now so I know how much I will be getting! The good thing is, due to having to work a week in hand and not being paid for my first week so to speak, I thought I would be chasing that money over the next month or so. Luckily for me, I will be getting 5 weekly payments before my October bills come out. This means that it will make up for the week I had to work without pay 👍. I can now hopefully move on with my goals I set re my finances.

It seems like a distant nightmare, when I last spent almost all of my salary after it just going into my account some 5 months ago! Whilst awful, this always acts as a good reminder of why it is important to not go back to that situation ever again. I barely think about anything to do with gambling, other than coming on here and how much more I am at ease with everything now that I am g.f 👌.

The weeks seem to be flying by - it will soon be Christmas!!🎄😆.

Good night God bless all.

”April fools - no more the fool”!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.