Was ВЈ50k, now £14k in debt May 1st 2015 day one

Day 220

Another day and no gambling. Just looked at my bank account online and I have 46 pounds to last me until the 25th of the month!!!!! I have two nights out planned with mates as well before that, so looks like I will have to make up an excuse to bail out, which will be no different then ever before when I have lied due to gambling, to be fair they are most prob used to me doing it!!!

Bring on payday thats all I can say !!

day 223

Boring weekend had by me, didnt play football as injured, team got hammered as well, so not good. I have been on edge alot this weekend, not due to gambling just one of those weekends I think. I need to sleep lots tonight and hopefully wake up happy!!

Keep going guys, together we can win this battle

Hi Dave

Boredom is not a good place to be. Try to occupy yourself with little things if you are not well enough to go out. Hope you get better soon and get back to playing. Take care

day 225

Thanks for the post smiler, advice well taken.

I feel alot happier today afetr feeling cr** all weekend, really just need payday now to get my brain back into gear and focused. My wife is also skint at present, which puts more strain on me as she blames me for her being skint (I have borrowed lots off of her over the years as you can imagine) This is a problem I coulf do without, as I feel now inclined to pay her credit card rather then mine when I get my next bonus, whch delays me getting rid of my debts by another 6 months minimum. But I suppose I owe it to her, and if she is happy then it takes a little bit of strain away from my already fragile mind!!

Hi Dave and thanks for the message on my diary.

I feel your pain completely i have £98 in my account to last me until the 30th which seems like a very long way off!! I have a few nights out planned before that as well which im going to have to duck out of.

Anyway just look at your score!!! 225 not out that is fantastic effort. What happens when we can no longer relate this to a cricket score?!! i suppose lara got 500 so plenty of time to think about something else to relate it to before then!

Keep the chin up mate lots of things you can do for free>>>

Day 227

Only 6 days now till payday, not that I am wishing my life away but I wish it would hurry up!!

I have not gambled now for 227 days or for 32.4 weeks and to be honest I do not miss it at all. I still have the odd moment of thinking ""I bet the odds on that are worth a look"" then I just laugh at myself and say dont be a fool!! I think it is our natarual reaction to do think about the odds, and how we can win money, but the only way to win in my eyes is to keep your money in your pocket and forget that it is even possible to win (borrow) money from bookies.

Yes, it will be impossible to ignore odds screaming at us from every possible angle.

But as long as they don't mean anything to us, then we'll be OK.

Keep it up with your amazing run of being gamble-free!

All the best,

GT

Day 231 or 33 weeks exactly!!!

I had a very hectic weekend in the end, I borrowed some money from my brother and went out Friday and sat night, and I am too old for it now a days!! I enjoyed friday night, but sat night was just a noisey pub full of idiots.

I still feel hanging today, and on edge again but I think its the kids stressing me out as they are not listening to me! and of course still a little hungover!!

Still not been close to gambling and payday is only 2 days away now, so hopefully as soon as that money is in the bank I will pay my brother back, and be sorted for the rest of the month.

day 232

Finally I have been paid, and a nice surprise was a bonus payment also!! I used the bonus to pay one of my credits off in full and to pay part of anothner card, I also paid my brother back.

Today is a milestone as my personal unsecured debt is now below 10k, this is the first time it has been below 10k for as long as I can remember, so a massive acheivement. I have kept a log of my debts all along, and it is amazing to think I have come this far in 232 days. I am hopefull I will have no debt left by this time next year, but to do this I have to stay focused and not go back to gambling, as if I do I will not acheive what I thought was the impossible not that along ago of being debt free.

onwards and upwards i hope!!

Now that is what we all love to hear!

Pay day which included a bonus...

...which went straight into reducing debts...

...a milestone in your debt balance...

...and 232 days gamble-free!

Yes, this is a MASSIVE achievement for you, mate, and you really must be looking forward to that special day next year.

Just like me when I will be able to buy a car with MY own money for the first time in my life, not loans or financial agreements.

Let's aim for that day together!

All the best mate,

GT

Day 233

Thanks GT its always nice to see people are reading my thoughts, it actually feels like someone is listening to me!!

I am off work today looking after my little boy, the sun is shining and we have just been for a 3 mile walk and he is moaning he is tired now!! It does make me think of how you do not have to spend money to have fun, just walking with my little lad answering his questions is great fun!! I look back at all the time I missed him growing up as I was in a casino or a bookies and it makes me feel very sad that I missed his early years, but luckilly he is to young to know this so hopefully he will never hold it against me!!

I am now taking him out for a Macdonalds dinner as a pre school treat, again I would not have been able to do this 233 days ago, as I would not have justified spending 10 pounds on treating me and him to lunch!!

f**k YOU GAMBLING I HATE YOU

He is young enough to enjoy being with a non-gambling dad and there are many more years of happiness ahead of you.

And yes, some of the best things in life are free!

GT

day 234

My wife is working late tonight so I have got my kids on my own, I hurt my leg last night at footy training so I am not able to take them for a walk or bike ride, so they are causing mess all over the house!! I have to say I think this is a trigger for me to want to get out of the house, and in the past this would have meant a bookies trip when she got home. So after 234 days I have learnt that being stuck in my house with kids making a mess is a trigger for me to go and do something else, it is strange because I love having my kids with me, but maybe I struggle some days with them due to tiredness etc, but I am sure this is a trigger to want to get out. So instead I have set them a task in their bedrooms, so hopefully it will take them 20 mins or so to do this and my mind can settle!! Then we will have dinner then bed then I will relax.

Still going strong with no thoughts of gambling. I did stop at two separate service stations today, and to my surprise no one was playing the 500 pound jackpot machines, and more and more I am seeing no one play them, is everyone else getting fed up with them stealing our money ???

Hi mate,

Like you, I am still looking for ways to identify triggers as to why I USED to gamble.

Even as recently as last night, something happened which jogged my memories of a similar thing that had happened triggering my mind to turn into destructive mode and go gambling.

The only difference is that I did not get any urges last night.

It is also brilliant to hear that you are coming up with strategies to cope with those triggers, well done mate.

As for empty arcades in services, oh God, I really hope that this continues.

Arcades in services is one thing that is going so, so wrong in our proud country.

"TAKE A BREAK" now equates to "LOSE HUNDREDS".

Sad isn't it...

GT

Day 235

I am in a strange mood today for some reason ? I cant put my finger on it, I just dont have any energy at all to do anything. I look around me and I have lots of house work that needs doing (I am working from home today) and I have a list of about 20 thinkgs that need doing for my job, but all I seem to be doing is surfing the net watching addicted gambling people on you tube talk about their problems, and coming on here reading posts. I really need to sort myself out, but i suppose I am just in a little bit of a gap at present??

Still not gambled so thats the main thing, sorry to bore you all with this rubbish but just thought if I got it off my chest I may feel better!!