Determined to keep a diary

@p6z38njbqm Hi Fish 🐟. Hope all is ok. Not heard from you on here in a while. Hope you have managed to find somewhere new to live 🤞🙏🙏. 

Take care.

Pink Lady 🩷🍎

Day 401

All good, thanks for thinking of me!

Still struggling to find a place. Got a deposit down for a a place but have to go through credit checks etc which will not doubt raise some red flags. I've got enough money to pay a years rent in advance if needed but this would unfortunately stop me paying my stepchange off in full. I would rather have that gone, but i do need a place to live! If i can get away with paying 6 months rent in advance i could still be debt free, so fingers crossed my new landlord goes for that. You never know, the checks might come back fine and I'll be debt free and have some money left over (cant see that happening!!!!)

In other news, I've paid the holiday off. Cant wait. Need a break after this year and its only May. Working all hours under the sun. So much overtime. So much additional cash, but I'm in limbo. Cant spend it until I get a place to live, then I'll need moving costs etc. Plus, if I get this new place, my council tax goes up. Grrrr

Big week ahead. I'll either be happy, debt free and in a new home. In a new home but not debt free (although rent free for a year should clear the rest of the debt quickly). Or I'll be back at square 1 with time running out to find a place to live. Hopefully the first one!!!!

Stay strong 👍 

@p6z38njbqm Got everything crossed for you Fish 🐟🤞🙏🙏🙏

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Hi mate thats amazing what u have achieved it just shows if u want something in life u have to work for it, is sad not how many people suffer from this addiction and still on early days then u have people like Adam with over 5 years gamble free time sadly i still get tested with this addiction however i believe coming on here has prevented few relapses as i know in past experience some of the relapses i had no intention it a case one thing leading to another when ever that happened now i come on here and it enough to keep me clean so far so good

Longer update tomorrow but today was the best day ever!! Landed my dream apartment and......I paid off my remaining Stepchange balance. New home, and debt free!!!!!!

Day 404

Update time!!

Yesterday I got told I had passed the relevant referencing checks and could get a new home. To say I was happy was an understatement. They also did not want a 6 or 12 month advance in rent. This meant I could pay off the remainder of my debt.

13 months ago, I faced being homeless, had no future hopes with money. I could see no light at the end of the tunnel. 2 days ago I faced being homeless again, but finally the hard work and commitment I've put in over the last year paid off. To have a new (amazing by the way!) place to call home and be free from debt is like starting over. New home, new relationship (going well), no money worries. Day 1 of new life.

Complacency is now my worry. Extra cash each month now I'm not paying debts. It will be put into savings. I wont have access to it readily. I have a plan to make sure I don't have any large sums of money available, just in case. I'm still super committed, but I'm still very aware that I'm a compulsive gambler. Always will be. Taking precautions now is the only logical way forward.

To all those who have been on this adventure with me, thank you. The support on here is incredible and I couldn't have got to this stage without it. I was genuinely going to end my story before it began. Take the chickens way out. I didn't and here I am with a new life ahead. Happy doesn't even come close!

I'll keep checking in, and posting occasionally. I want to hear of others getting to this stage, or even getting to day 2. Every day is a success.

Stay strong 👍 

@p6z38njbqm Fantastic news Fish!!🐟👏👏👏👏👌🍾🥂. You must be feeling unreal.  So happy for you 💙. I have been saying prayers for you that you would secure a nice place to live, after working so hard towards this for over a year! Now go celebrate AND……. TREAT YOURSELF!!

Your friend Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Thanks @j5a6meyr4z it's been a mad mad year and a bit, but just goes to show that no matter how down you are, there is always hope. I didn't believe it, and many others wont in the early days so I hope my little story can inspire others to stay focused and get back on track.

So good to see you are still doing well Pinky. Cant wait to read about you being in the same position with regards to debt. Such an amazing feeling.

@p6z38njbqm Thanks Fish but that could take some time but I choose not to dwell on the fact, rather, just keep bringing it down each month 🤞🙏. I have a lovely apartment in a lovely area with no mortgage and equity in it so this will suffice for now 👍.

Take care Fish and don’t forget that treat to yourself!

Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Congratulations Fish that's amazing news 👏 👏 👏 Enjoy your new found freedom buddy, you do deserve it. I hope one day in the future I will too be debt free! 

@p6z38njbqm Absolutely brilliant news, made up for you. The hard work has paid off and its a new beginning for you 🙂

Day 420

Today feels like closure weirdly. I have finally moved into a new place. It's amazing. More expensive than my last place, but I can afford it now. Life has turned a corner. I'm happy in life. So much has changed in the last 420 days, and it makes me think about regret allot. Of course I regret what I became and how I hurt people, but on the other hand I wouldn't be in an amazing new place, with an amazing new person, and a completely different outlook on life. I suppose what I'm saying is that you never know where life will take you so keep looking forward. Change the future. Be the person you want, not the person stuck in the past.

Moving was a nightmare by the way! So many things to change address wise, so many car trips, so much cleaning, and now the unpacking begins!!

Stay strong 👍 

@p6z38njbqm Hi Fish. Lovely news to read 👌. Just tackle the unpacking in stages and maybe do a bit less overtime now that you are no longer in debt!😆. Best of luck with it all.  Made up for you 🐟💙.

Your friend Pink Lady 🩷🍎.

Day 428 

First pay check with no debt repayments!!!!! This feels weird. Savings account set up. Bills sorted. Money left over. What?!!!!! 🤣 

Got a holiday to look forward to in 5 weeks so will get some new clothes. Will also go on holiday with cash behind me. If I want to go on a trip, I can. If I want to eat in a nice restaurant, I can.

Sounds like I'm bragging, and I suppose in a way I am, but this is all new and exciting. 428 days ago was probably the worst day of my life, but now its done, and in hindsight, it was in a way the best day of my life. It changed my future. 

For those who still think they will get one big win, pay off their debts and then quit. You wont. If you win, you will not quit. you'll want more, and you know how it will end. The only way to get the life you want is to make it happen the hard way. Trust me though, it's worth it.

Anyway, back to work.

Stay strong 👍 

@p6z38njbqm Ha! Have just also wrote in my diary today Fish after a while! Two great minds think alike!🐟😆. Like you, I was talking about the rewards of no longer gambling 👌. 

All the above is purely down to your ongoing hard work and determination to allow you all the good things that come from working hard and sticking to your plans 👏👏👏.

Hope you are settling into your new home. It sounds like a great time to go and treat yourself to some new clothes for your holidays 👍. That’s what I have been doing (although most of it so far has just been getting sent straight back for one reason and another)!!🙈

Have a lovely weekend.

Your friend Pink Lady 🩷🍎.