Need to start all over!

Awayout...If your probe to spending binges then ya know what you need to do. Cut up them credit cards!!

Better still phone them and have your limit reduced every time you pay a bit off until the day comes when you can close the account.

Why not do the same with any bank overdrafts you have. have the limit reduced each time you pay a bit off??

Put some blocks in place my friend and live within your means. Regards... S.A

Just checking myself in. Did something really silly today I bought a few scratchcards on the way home and 'won' about £40, then started buying more until all the money was eventually gone winning and losing on the way...

I must remember that a win always leads to a loss.

I know this is a relatively small amount of money to some people but £40 could have made for a better week, not worrying about money etc.

Had a few wins which just made me have those out of control feelings once more.. expecially with the relatively big win... and eventually buying more expensive cards until all the money was lost...

You will lose if you keep gambling. I must remind myself

I will take this as a lesson that I should have learnt before that I simply do not gain from gambling. I will always lose in the end...

Fortunately none of my own money was lost but it would have been nice to walk out with the £40 but alas no!

Trying to focus on being more careful with money for the rest of this month and hopefully rest of the year...

Awayout

Hi Awayout,

We cannot win cos we cannot stop.

The only win is not to play.

Keeping working at it mate as i do the same... S.A

Hello diary just checking in!

Did well yesterday did not even watch the Grand National, as I think I have done since I was 16 or even younger with family over 30 years!! I admit to seeing the result though as a passing interest rather than a gambling one...

Feel this in a way was a small acheivement as it breaks the habit of thinking constantly about gambling. I think at least I have come some way...

All I need to do now is budget more, put the brakes on reckless spending and I should be on my way..

Have not stepped foot in a bookies since the big relapse of last year May-June. Self exclusion is not in itself a 'cure', as if they do not recognise you you can still have a massive relapse as I learnt last year. Self exclusion is more a self-deterrent.

Thanks for all those who have supported me in good and bad times over the years

Awayout

Hi Awayout

"Have not stepped foot in a bookies since the big relapse of last year May-June"... that's positive progress mate... keep it up.

Onwards to increasingly better times. Regards... S.A 🙂

I have not posted for sometime. I feel I really need to, to get something off my chest...

The betting at the moment is not the issue as I am not gambling in the bookies or online but I admit to the odd lottery ticket (a fool's game as it is).

My problem at the moment is I am only just keeping my head above water financially as I am overspending on other things I simply do not need. I often buy items thinking someday I will be making money from these purchases.

A few years back I can honestly say I was benefiting from these purchases but now the recession has hit the UK, moving things on is slow and I can honestly say I am losing money from buying too many things..

The purchases I am not really enjoying. Thinking at the time they are a good 'investment' when in reality overall I am losing more money..

The overspending on purchases has got worse since my large binge gambling relapse (3k), last year. I think maybe I thought I was going to recover more quickly by making investments in purchases but it is not working, I am simply buying too much..

I need to wake myself up before I get in more debt. I am beginning to struggle paying my way (rent) and debt off.

My relationship with money is still seems odd. I don't seem to even want to keep a penny to spend on myself for the things I need.. everything seems to be about investment and making money... I am afraid I am replacing one self-damaging addiction for another, compulsive purchasing.

I don't know if anyone else has had similar problems??

I really need to budget hard and say I cannot afford more things, and have x left over after bills to spend a month.

Awayout

Hi Awayout,

Am certainly familiar with changing one addiction for another but buying "stuff" has never been one of them.

I guess if your buying stuff that you can then sell for a profit which can then be used to reduce your debts can be seen as a positive thing. But if your buying stuff with no real idea as to what to do with it or how to make a profit its not going to help you, as you've said.

Maybe ask yourself am I buying stuff simply to comfort myself when I am feeling low or stressed ?? If this is the case then ya gotta find some other way to react when your stressing about debts etc etc

On a positive, well done for staying out of the bookies and away from cyber gambling. Keep posting. Regards... S.A 🙂

Hi Thanks for dropping me a post, I've started a diary, Day 3 its been murder, the physical cramps and constant thoughts, I'm in this for keeps, your words of strength give encouragement.

I'm meeting my MP tomorrow to demand he takes the fobt issue to parliament, E we elect them, E we eject them, they have a social responsibility to us, I know no one made me do it but those are structured to counter man's weakness's Challenging, Greed, Desire and Desperation. Yes all design to hook the fool....

Take care be strong together we can achieve anything..

I have not been on this site for 2 months.

I made a little progress on getting some debt down and then overspending on rubbish again..

About £500 better off than I was last month, slow progress. But slowly getting there.

I really think I am ready to finally give up all gambling including LOTTERY/ SCRATCHCARDS

Certainly the lottery is addictive and gets me nowhere financially.

I know that I spend /CORRECTION WASTE around £300 a year on lottery so perhaps a good time to give up when I am in debt.

I know that a a few months ago I could never have even dreamt about stopping lottery altogether but I think I am ready to take the plunge and it will save me money.

I have been playing since I could when it first started early 1990s? when about 18 and have not stopped since for any long period of time..

For my own piece of mind give up gambling and debt will go down as well as my overspending addicition on things I do not need.

Awayout

It is so easy to say one thing then do the opposite.

I have not gambled but said I was finding I was spending more than usual on things I do not need.

I did so on the same day as I posted about spending in the morning. So clearly my brain ignored the fact I cannot afford to overspend.

Probably to compensate for not gambling as buying seems to give me a buzz.

I suppose is it nice I am spending money on things rather than gambling but it seems to be having the same detrimental effect of having no money and my debt not going down as quickly as is should.

Awayout

Hi Awayout,

On a positive I'd imagine that you don't spend as much on "stuff you don't need" as you did on "gambling" so your probably "a bit better off" financially than you could have been if you'd of walked into a bookies and fed the machines a fist full of £20's.

I have similar issues in that its a "fine line" between "treating oneself" and that being a good thing and comforting ones emotional state, that being not such a good thing.

Anyway keep posting mate. Take care... S.A 🙂

Thought I would drop into my diary as it is getting onto a month without posting on my diary! (Although I have been reading other posts and posting on the site)

Guess I have made a little progress this year. I have began dealing with some of the other underlying issues why I was gambling in the first place.

Debt is going down painfully slow but it is going down.

You are quite right SA It is not as bad as chucking the 3k in twenties into a machine within the space of a couple of weeks, like took place last year.

The above is the reason why my financial recovery took a blow with a relapse at a bookie I was supposed to be self-excluded from in the area. Did I get offered a refund?No! The bookies are not liable in the small print if they do not recognise you.

It always seems a win-win situation for the gambling industry and a lose-lose situation for the recovering gambler. (Gripe over)

That 3k was an overdraft I had just paid off with extreme perseverance and sweat. Now I am trying to pay it off slowly again. How quickly financial and gambling recovery can be undone in a moment of madness.

With the last relapse I also added a new loan of 1.9k thinking I could use the money to get the overdraft down again. I just wasted it...

I also have a nearly 3k credit card nearly up to the hilt and the consolidation loan total just under 15k now

At least though now I am thinking with a clear head.

I have vowed that when eventually it is paid off I will remove the facility completely as I don't want the temptation.

I am starting to value 'real money' now not as tokens for a machine or an online game as it was before.

I let someone at work I know I was once a gambler, Hope it does interfere with my work! It sort of came out. They were suprised to say the least, saying they did not think I was the type. Then what is the type?

I was wary about letting on before. Might make people look at me suspiciously if the money is short but I know I am not stealing!

I am trying to think of my 1000s of debt as a small mortgage I need to pay off. Just something that needs doing. It is the best part of 15k. On a low wage it is no mean feat to pay off but I will do it..

Back along it was over 20k so I am making progress. Last yeat it was about 10k until I relapsed over two weeks..

I am learning from the whole nasty experience and hopefully will come out a better person.

The only hard thing is not looking at what other people 'have' in terms of cars/houses lavish lifestyles the ideal family etc.. especially of a comparable age. I am late thirties.

Hate talking about money now but I have to face up to the fact I am pretty poor in comparison with quite a lot of people in this country but NOT as I might add in comparison with most of the world's population (many starving etc)

I have to do a lot of walking as I cannot afford to run a car etc. But the benefits I am quite fit doing all that walking!

Awayout

Hi Awayout... Good to see a post from you. I am poor as well, your not the only one. However I am not as poor as I use to be cos I am not gambling. As long as we don't gamble then our finances will improve or at the very least stabalise.

Anyway money is not the be all and end all. Like you say, due to your circumstances you walk a lot, so you have your physical health. Many people would trade that for money any day of the week.

Some people at my work are so unfit they get out of breath after just a short walk.... coughing and wheezing. Their smoking doesn't help of course.

Keep working at life my friend as I do the same. Regards... S.A 🙂

Thanks SA

On this gloomy day your post cheered me up!

Typical it was a nice day on Friday weatherwise and my day off today gloomy and wet.

I did a silly thing recently after managing to pay off some of my credit card I wasted it again on buying stuff I did not need.

I have been feeling a little low as I explained before having nothing to show for my work over the years, big wage or not.

I see young students starting off in the workplace with a car, and feeling myself envy their postition as they have a clean slate compared to me and the world is their oyster so to speak, although I know students get into big debt too..

I know the 'glass half full/half empty' syndrome does not help me so I try and concentrate on my own issues and what I can do in the time I have rather than dwelling on negative thoughts..

Negativity is so damaging and it can make you feel so depressed as well. I know when I am getting a little down as I just cannot pick myself up to do anything constructive in my free time.

To be honest I could have easily fallen into gambling today which I did not. The whole day was just lacking a buzz.

I notice I have to be 'doing things' to avoid getting down and also more organised than I have been lately.

I don't know if I am bi-polar as somedays I can feel invincible and get a lot done and have so much energy and other days just mope around messing around on my computer or watching films without getting anything constructive done.

Awayout

Has been a month since I last posted, have been reading other posts and posting elsewhere though.

Having a tough last couple weeks. Overspending and regretting but not on compuslive gambling.

Not getting on with my boss - we just clash. Even when I think I am doing everything they ask they seem to find fault or are rude and make comments which really rub me up the wrong way as they are unreasonable. You know the kind of comment that trys to hook u in to retaliate/reply, and then they say 'why are you answering back' . Makes me feel like a kid in the workplace.

Was just having a normal conversation at the end of day with boss, replying and they said 'You always have to have the last say' (meaning they want the last say in fact and shut up'). I just hate those pedantic people. Them not realising I felt like shouting at them earlier for being rude and sarcastic and I DID keep quiet and not 'answer back'. Just not trying to sink to their level... I will try and have NO conversations with them in future, no more Mr Niceguy.

Sorry I know this is not gambling. But people events etc that make me feel low are not good for my gambling recovery.

At the moment hate my job/boss etc feeling the Autumn/Winter blues. For a while I had no energy to be organised or get up and go, now a little better.

Awayout