Don't know what to do

boredofbeingathome

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=738585- this is the link to the thread- i dont want to preach or anything, i just dont want it to be you in a few years time. Does that make sense? i feel like we all have opportunities to learn on here and it takes so much guts to open up and write about stuff that's worrying you. I know i am learning so much everyday and i can keep sane just by coming on here and finding ways to get out of the situation we are in as well.

Sue-UU

Hi broke_student111,

Today is the first time I've seen your thread and going through it all I can only admire you for recognising the problem, then chatting to everyone here about it (such a wise decision!) and being determined to overcome it. Congratulations for that first 2 weeks of such great success! The advice that some folk here have given you has been amazing and tesuhoha, far from 'going on about it all' was brilliant! Follow her's and Dave's advice and you'll do well for certain! I thought tesuhoha's mantra for you was so well thought out and an excellent way for you to succeed.

All very best wishes BS and keep coming on and telling us all about your days, good, bad or indifferent, we all had them throughout our lives, just in different ways, but equally distressing. If you really are protecting your parents from something they'd find hard to handle then good for you in being so considerate, but whatever they're like, if ever you do feel the need to tall them then please do so as you may just upset them even more than you could ever think IF they found out by some other way.

All the very best on your journey, we're with you all the way.

Sue.

chevalier

Hi there
I know from personal experience (relative with this problem), that you can write to casinos, betting shops etc with a photograph and say that you have a gambling problem and that you are asking not to be admitted/served in their premises. That way if you do get tempted again you know you will not be able to get into anywhere to gamble. I know you said that you had shredded your membership cards, but you could get those again. If you write the letter then this lessens that risk.

Also you can get software for your pc that blocks you going onto any gambling websites too.

good luck
chev

broke_student111

Hello everyone, it has been a long while since I posted anything so time for an update. Still haven't placed any bets since 02/02/08, and to be honest I haven't really felt like it either!

Have now got a new job as a part-time sales assistant in M&S, working weekends which will bring me around £450/month basic income which will cover my essential food/bills/rent, whilst any money from overtime can be thrown at my debts. The job will also help me budget better as I will be paid monthy instead of weekly so I will get no nasty shocks at the end of the month, and because it is Marks and Spencer I will be able to store transfer during the holidays which I couldn't do with my previous job. I will also be able to do the odd shift or two in my old job, which will definately ease the strain a bit. I figured out that I should be able to boost my monthly income to around £1,000 without too much strain (well, less strain than what I was doing before).

Still scraping the bottom of the barrel at the moment until I get my first wage through, but I am also due some student support money (which I should of got two months ago but there we are) which I am going to bang straight into my Halifax account and hopefully clear the full amount in that a/c by the end of March. Because my total 'bad' debt sums to roughly £10,000, every £100 repaid after interest is 1% of the total, which is a great motivator especially when I get my grant/loan installments which would equal a 20% reduction in one go! (as long as I can keep up the non-gambling) I have even made a spreadsheet with lots of lovely charts of how it is going to work.

Cheers for all the support and advice so far,

Tom

boredofbeingathome

:j :j Well done Tom, i was thinking about it earlier and was thinking of posting tomorrow if i hadn't heard from you. Keep us updated and it will help others as well. Take care xxx

Sue-UU

broke_student111 wrote: »

Hello everyone, it has been a long while since I posted anything so time for an update. Still haven't placed any bets since 02/02/08, and to be honest I haven't really felt like it either!

Have now got a new job as a part-time sales assistant in M&S, working weekends which will bring me around £450/month basic income which will cover my essential food/bills/rent, whilst any money from overtime can be thrown at my debts. The job will also help me budget better as I will be paid monthy instead of weekly so I will get no nasty shocks at the end of the month, and because it is Marks and Spencer I will be able to store transfer during the holidays which I couldn't do with my previous job. I will also be able to do the odd shift or two in my old job, which will definately ease the strain a bit. I figured out that I should be able to boost my monthly income to around £1,000 without too much strain (well, less strain than what I was doing before).

Many congratulations on staying addiction free for ALL that time! You're doing brilliantly and should be so very proud of yourself, I couldn't be more thrilled for you. Such great news about the job at M & S too, very good advantages with that, not least of which is the money!

Keep determined Tom and please let us know how you're succeeding. All the very best .

Sue.

tylersbabe

Hi Broke Student

Just wanted to wish you all the best, you are not alone now, there are lots of lovely people on this site who will offer support and advice, sorry of no practicle help.

tesuhoha

Hi Tom,

I must admit that I have wondered how you're getting on. The first night you posted I couldnt sleep for worrying about you but now you seem to be coping very well. So very well done. Keep it up. I also think the interest rates on your credit cards seems rather high. Have you thought of ringing them and trying to negotiate a lower rate? Sorry if this has been posted before. Also have a look at the student section of this forum for advice on saving money. Martin also has very good advice for student accounts etc on the main site.

Looking at your SOA I think that you must be a very promising student to qualify for those bursaries, so I do hope that you will be able to one day achieve your potential. At least your income exceeds your outgoings so hopefully you should be able to whittle away at those debts but please dont make yourself ill by overdoing it. I wish you luck again. Thinking of you and rooting for you.

The_Dark_Defender

Funnily enough I'm in a similar situation although the amounts are nowhere near as high. It's a week since I placed a bet and it's actually been a good week even though I'm currently in debt because of all my wreckless gambling. My card is maxed out at 1k at the moment because of it all and my current account is at zero unfortunately. I've kept decent records of my spending these last few months and I've calculated that I've spent €12,600 on betting and taken in €6,500 in 8 months, leaving a net loss of roughly €6,000. Scary when I type this stuff all out.

But yeah, it's been a damn good week without betting! I've actually picked up a book again and started to read it!

tesuhoha

Another thing I always think is that if youve got an addictive personality, it doesnt do any harm to become addicted to this site and moneysaving.