One day at a time

Hi Mark, I have been in trouble with payday loans too. Are you just paying off some and then they add interest again for you to have to clear next month?

If the answer is yes than you should call your bank and report the debit card associated with the loans as lost immediately. It's dead money that will never go to clearing the debt.

Write to the loan provider(s) saying you can no longer afford to pay what they want and you need the current balance and interest stopped instantly and a payment plan devised to clear the balance as it stands. In my experience they will comply.

Good luck.

Hi May 27th

I've got repayment plans with 5 of my creditors, all interest frozen which im happy with. There've all been good with me so cant really complain.

My bank loan will be paid off in around 14 months which then leaves my 2 credit cards. I owe a total of 3,900 on these so its gonna take a while to get these down.

It is a big chunk of debt but I realise theres a lot of people on here in much worse situations.

Onwards and upwards!!

That's good then Mark

I owe just over 2000 to Amigo but the rest is all to friends I hope I can clear soon enough. As long as I stay out the casino it will be done.

Positive thoughts

Day 14

Yesterday was payday. Had all the expected urges and thoughts... HOWEVER I resisted which Im now glad I did. Paid off one of my payday loans in full - the balance was down to less than 50 quid (i was on payment 5 of 6 on an agreed repayment plan so instead of paying the last installment at the end of June I just paid it all off yesterday. Still got a long way do go but at least thats 1 creditor off my list.

Im giving my bank card to my dad today, hes also a gambler but he plays within his means. hr doesnt know how much debt im in but ive told hkm im banned from the boookies near us and that im trying to stop. Without my bank card its virtually impossible for me ti gamble as im making sure that i only have limited money to hand which will last me until next weekend when i'll be askin him to withdraw a bit more money out for me. Take things one week at a time being the idea.

Sonic

Fella I salute you

A huge well done for gifting your rational side of the brain control.

Most of all enjoy the fact that you are the one in control,addiction will be there forever,it will try to goad you back,tempt you with promises of the big win.

In truth we both know the outcome

My nemesis was the fobt,today I view it's five hundred quid jackpot for what it is,nothing compared to what I would gift it!!

Gambling for me a waste of valuable time.

Keep making the right choices for you

Enjoy it.

Duncs stepping forward never back

Hi Duncs

Thank you for your kind words. The FOBT's became my downfall, note after note, spin after spin. People used to say (when i was up) just walk on your next losing spin. I would always say 'no way, i cant leave on a losing spin' funny that coz most of the time i couldnt even leave on a winning spin. In reality the only thing which would get me off there was when the money ran out. Absolutely crazy!!. As the well known phase goes we cannot win coz we cannot stop.

Day 16

My barriers are in place so no access to money to gamble. This stops the urges so all is good.

Day 18

Things are going well 🙂

Had a very fleeting urge to place a small bet on tonights football but knocked them thoughts on the head straight away.

hi Mark ( a fellow west yorkshire member!) you are doing so so well and you should be super proud of yourself.

Reading through your diary has really given me hope that soon I can be on my day 18 too.

Keep doing what your doing as it is working!

Keep winning 🙂

Thanks for your supporting words Lisa 🙂

My only regret is I didn't find this site years ago, when you read JamesP's story you start to think right here right now I could be on year 5 being gamble free. If I was then I would have no debts, money in the bank etc etc

Oh well, good things come to those who wait.

Hi Sonic

Likewise Sonic but we can get there one day at a time

And reading stories like JamesPs it can only make us more determined to never give in

Well done for keeping strong and focused you are doing great

Best wishes Suzanne xx

Thank you Suzanne, its a challenge but one which I have no doubt will get easier as time goes by

From memory I think I stopped gambling for 3 months, thing it was back in 2010, it would be amazibg to see myself 6 months gambling free, for the first time ever I would have money around xmas!!

ok, so i'm very aware that next week the world cup starts, this will no doubt come with the urges to gamble and it's going to be a big test no doubt.

i'm going to be honest, our work will no doubt be running the classic world cup sweepstake, should be 2 quid a team. I WILL be taking part. this may seem strange to some of you but i know for a fact it won't be the trigger to gamble for real. These triggers will be from watchin the build up to the games where I no doubt will be imagining what the scores will be and thinking of placing a small bet. Like i've said before, gambling on football has not put me in the financial position that i am in, that's all from playing roulette in the bookies. when originally signing up on here, my intention was to concentrate on stopping playing roulette, but i had every intention to carry on with my non compulsive betting on the football. i have however realised that winning on the football would lead me to want to pop to the bookies to try and maintain that high. i therefore realise how important it is not to bet on the football.

in addition to the sweepstake i run a dream team competition at my work which obviously will be partaking in.

i'm not going to class this as breaking my run of gamble free days as i associate this challenge of stopin gambling with bookmakers and dont see a problem with participating with dreamteam / sweepstakes at work.

Hi sonic

Good thinking not to bet on football because it will set you off on the wrong road get a high from winning by not playing which would leAd to losing and losing

That high lasts longer

Keep strong and ride the football one day at a time

Suzanne x