April Fools!

Day 369.

Have had a lovely week on training this week. Nationality training relating to who in their own right, is entitled to a British passport. Not as simple as you may think! Mind blowing but extremely interesting nonetheless 👍. Trainers were great and a lovely bunch of people with me on the training also. 

Have had a lazy morning in bed going over my finances 🧐. This year, I am hoping to pay my sister the £2,050 I owe her - started paying her back in January and all on track so far and hoping to make my final payment to her end of August 🤞🙏. I have a £4,250 dental bill to pay by September - I have a plan in place and again, all on track so far 👍. I have to pay our management company £3,200 in September, towards the cost of our new windows. They were 100k for replacing each side of our building!!😲🤬. With some re-jigging of available funds and sticking to a tight budget for the next 5 months, I am going to try my best to get this paid off too 🤞🙏.

I will still have money for myself, after paying all my bills but it will just mean my decorating plans will have to go on hold until this September. I can deal with that - just about!🤨.

We didn’t have the full amount in our sinking fund, hence why we have to cough up the extra! We have been totally ripped off I believe but hey ho 😡. On a brighter note, they have done a good job and the rotted wooden window frames have now been replaced with double glazed pvc. This should really eliminate all the terrible draughts, especially during the winter period 👌.

Always one to end on a positive!😝. My son is taking my sister and I out for tea later so that will be a nice treat for us both👍💙. My sister is coming around beforehand for a glass of wine too before we go. 👌🥂🍾.

Today, I have decided to lift out my large suitcase which has all my spring/summer clothes in it. Freshen them up in the washing machine and put all my winter clothes back in the suitcase. Quite therapeutic I find!😆.

Grand National day in my home town today! Didn’t even remember until last night when my son mentioned something about horse racing. It will come and go, the same as it did last year 👍

Take care folks and enjoy your weekend whatever you are doing.

”April fools - no more the fool”!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

You are an inspiration, I do hope I have come as far as you this time next year.  What an amazing journey

@deborah270882 Thank you Deb 🩷. Reading your diary so far, you appear to be very determined and motivated to better your days as I have done.  Keep up the great work 👏👏.

Take care.

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Day 377.

Another busy week in work 🥴. Working with lovely people really does help however and being so busy makes the days go really quick 👌.

Finances are a little tight albeit, I have money for all the essentials and a little bit more. I keep reminding myself however, that I am sticking to, and remaining on track with my 3 major goals for this year which are:

- Paying my sister back £2,050.00 - hopefully by the end of August;

- Paying for all my dental work £4,240.00 - by early September;

- Paying our management company £3,200 for replacement windows - by beginning of September.

I may not be able to pay back the whole amount for the windows but at the end of last year, I thought I would have to pay them in monthy installments for 18 months. This is now not the case and with some fine tuning/re-jigging of funds/saving more per month, I may just be able to pay the lot back in one go!🤞🙏.

Off to the garden centre now with my sister for a browse around and some tea and cake and then back to hers for a g.o.w later on! 😊🥂.

Take care all and remain positive and remember - every day is a new day for us to make our life better!👌.

”April fools - no more the fool”!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Great job @pinklady. Sometimes it feels like we never get a break with money, at least you know that the end is in sight and is creeping closer. Debt free life is what we all want. Yes there will be steps back on that journey due to things out with our control, but if we stick to the plan we will get there. I love reading how you plan things out, and I love even more you always end with doing something for you. Seeing family, trip to a garden centre, chocolate! Just goes to show that when we quit gambling, we can enjoy ourselves, no matter how tight things get. Tight money wise is still much better than no money at all. 

Stay strong 💪 

@p6z38njbqm Thanks Fish 🐟. Much appreciated. Another prayer being said for you again tonight, in the hope that you can secure a nice premises to live 🤞🙏.

In the meantime, take care and look after yourself.

🩷🍎.

Day 397.

Had a good week. Been focussing on a new work stream which I am finding quite easy!👌. I really do work with a lovely bunch of people, which helps going in there five days per week 👍.

Money has been a bit tight and will be for the next few months. I paid back her downstairs (who I do not talk to), the £336.00 damage I did to her car, after reversing slightly into the back of it! At least that is done and dusted now 👋.

I had to go and have my eyes tested last weekend. £600 later!! I am trying to look at this positively as two years ago, I paid £650 for just one pair of very nice glasses but this year, due to there being an offer on, I managed to get two pair of prescription glasses for £600, one pair being my very first pair of prescription sunglasses!😎. I have never been so excited to pick up a pair of glasses in all my life!! (Well 2 pair actually)😆.

The good news is that my employers have already sent a voucher for £70 to the place I am buying them from so this will come off my bill. Plus, I received a cheque for £25.00 compensation from a company for a mix up on their behalf so at least I am able to knock off £95.00 from the remaining £300 I owe in a couple of weeks time 👍.

I just need to keep reminding myself that things won’t be as tight come September, I continue to add to my weekly savings pots, which has been great as this has still allowed me to spend money on gifts for others, going out socialising and treating myself now and then in the meantime 👍. All my bills are paid, I am fed and watered well and my debt is slowly decreasing as each month goes by AND, I am sticking to my plans/goals👌.

I think it is also good to write down and reflect on one of the most important things about being free from gambling and that is - HAVING PEACE OF MIND👌. No more gut wrenching feelings in my stomach, no more swirling stressful headaches, no more being skint month after month, no more sleepless nights and staying awake until the morning, trying to win, winning then eventually losing it all then chasing those losses!🙈👎. No more freezing on the spot with dread, the minute anyone mentions a social occasion that involves spending money.

So yes, the next few months may be tighter than those after this coming September but I will take this over those feelings mentioned above👌.

I also need to remind myself that by August when I go off to my sister’s villa, I will have £1,000.00 spends saved. I probably won’t spend anywhere near this amount but again, it’s good to remind myself of just how much of a nice feeling this is, rather than the same time last year, being on a really tight budget and scrimping 👎.

So the moral of this story is, if you are finding things tough, if you are considering having “that one more bet” chasing for “that one big win” to dig you out of a hole. Just remember all the awful times and feelings that came with your gambling episodes. 🙈😱👎. Then remind yourself of how much better you are for no longer being in that position 👌.

Take care all and hope you have a lovely bank holiday weekend 🙏🙏🙏.

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Thats amazing Pinklady you and Weirdfish are doing extremely when i first started using the chats Adam and guy called lids faith use to come on regularly who were really good and i cannot thank these guy enough i couldnt go a day without a bet here i am 664 although i did manage almost 3 years previously difference now is i am more aware and finally feel at peace

@tazman Thank you Taz and congratulations on your amazing g.f days and staying focus’s and committed 👏👏👏👏👏.

Have a lovely week ahead.

🩷🍎.

@tazman Thanks Taz.  Lovely to read you are doing so well too! Keep up the great work 👏👏👏👏.

🩷🍎.