Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group
Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. A preferred term among many professionals is problem gambling, as few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others rather...
I wanted to write this, not to brag, but to give hope to those who struggle or to those who don't think you can ever get out of a hole. I always thought the best way to solve debt problems was to keeping trying to win jackpots. So in a short amount of time, these are some small accomplishments:
1. By the end of August, I will have restored a savings account balance back to where it was when I wiped it out. I like to have a nest egg to pay a few months worth of bills if something happens. So I will have that back in place by the end of the month.
2. By the first of November, I will have paid off the last credit card that I had cash advances on, which I had a lot. So I will have no more credit card debt! Yay me!
3. I had rolled over some of the cash advances (because they were unmanageable, against my truck, which should have been paid for) and that note against my truck should be paid by the end of next summer, so that is one year from now.
4. My retirement account - it is completely gone, but once those three things above are taken care of, I will then be able to put money back in the IRA (it was formerly a 401K), but I can set up an IRA and put nontaxable distributions in it. It sucks they won't be deductible, but hey, it's part of the restitution - I am paying for what I did. That is just the way I have to look at it.
I am able to do all of this because of the money I have left out of paychecks that I am not spending on gambling. I am being very picky on what items I spend on myself. Recently I bought myself a new kayak but only because I sold my old one, which paid for half of the new one and I got some overtime at work. I try not to buy too many new things for myself often, but often enough to reward myself for not gambling even if it is a small thing like a pair of sunglasses ;-)
So if you have a job, make a plan, stick to it and make small dents in your debt. I made a plan and every bit of extra money is going to my debt. It sort of sucks, but it is what it is. I like seeing my progress and it gives me hope and encourages me to stay on my path to recovery! ONE DAY AT A TIME!
1. By the end of August, I will have restored a savings account balance back to where it was when I wiped it out. I like to have a nest egg to pay a few months worth of bills if something happens. So I will have that back in place by the end of the month.
2. By the first of November, I will have paid off the last credit card that I had cash advances on, which I had a lot. So I will have no more credit card debt! Yay me!
3. I had rolled over some of the cash advances (because they were unmanageable, against my truck, which should have been paid for) and that note against my truck should be paid by the end of next summer, so that is one year from now.
4. My retirement account - it is completely gone, but once those three things above are taken care of, I will then be able to put money back in the IRA (it was formerly a 401K), but I can set up an IRA and put nontaxable distributions in it. It sucks they won't be deductible, but hey, it's part of the restitution - I am paying for what I did. That is just the way I have to look at it.
I am able to do all of this because of the money I have left out of paychecks that I am not spending on gambling. I am being very picky on what items I spend on myself. Recently I bought myself a new kayak but only because I sold my old one, which paid for half of the new one and I got some overtime at work. I try not to buy too many new things for myself often, but often enough to reward myself for not gambling even if it is a small thing like a pair of sunglasses ;-)
So if you have a job, make a plan, stick to it and make small dents in your debt. I made a plan and every bit of extra money is going to my debt. It sort of sucks, but it is what it is. I like seeing my progress and it gives me hope and encourages me to stay on my path to recovery! ONE DAY AT A TIME!
Have a great GF day!
great incentive to keep on 'stopping' gambling. life just gets sweeter and sweeter without it.
thanks for sharing.
what an inspiring read. Thank you for sharing your story. I am almost paid down my credit cards too. The last jackpot I won I put most of it on a credit card to avoid going back and giving it all away. I don't have a nest egg yet because I wanted to pay off the high interest loans and get my credit back to a good place but I am right on the same page as you with goals and think it's WONDERFUL to share it all.