Finances and Future plans

[Bellend Sebastian]

2 hours ago, Ian996 said:

What returns are people getting from stocks and shares ISA? My mum did one years ago and ended up with less cash so I've always steered away.

Returns will vary wildly, mainly depending on the level of risk being taken - last 12 months has been good, so 10-20% hasn't been unusual, but let's not forget in a bad year you can easily lose the same amount, and sometimes more.

 

A lot of people are put off by such things as they put in a lump sum and 1 or maybe 2 years later it's not worth what you put in.  The recommendation is usually that you hold for five years, as historically there have been very few periods of 5 years where the stock market hasn't delivered positive returns overall (we're talking in very general terms, here).

 

For lump sums, timing is all - for example, it's probably not a good idea to put all your money in a FTSE 100 tracker fund when it's at an all time high i.e. now.  If you read on the news that billions has been wiped off the value of the stock market, it might be worth dipping a toe in the water then, so to speak.

 

People who are putting a regular amount don't need to worry about this as much - if the market tanks and you're still buying in to it, you'll be getting your investments on the cheap.  It'll recover at some point, and if it never does, stock up on warm clothes and canned food because something very bad will have happened

 

 

 

 

[RobHawk]

On 27 February 2017 at 16:08, pSinatra said:

 

I've joined OddsMonkey for a month (to start with) at £15.  I've been at it for about 2 weeks & signed up to about 9 bookies so far, pumped about £400 into it & I'm up nearly £200.

 

I've taken a little break from it, only because I was getting lost with money coming & going all over the place.  I'm in the process of setting up a separate bank account, which should make things a lot easier.

 

I'm reading as much as I can, but finding it a little confusing if I'm honest.  Not so much the start up offers, they're usually quite straight forward.  Still got a few biggies to go like Bet365.  I've made a couple of mistakes so far, but that seems to be something that most people do & it's something I can learn from.  Not that I've lost money, just that I've missed out on making money.  I'm hoping that once I actually start doing the more complicated offers, they will become a bit clearer.

 

I'm reading stuff about when I change over from start up offers.  It's a minefield & the one thing I certainly can't work out is all the casino offers & wagering requirements.

 

I might have a look at Profit Maximiser when I've organised myself better & get going again.  If I do, I'll give you a shout.

How'd you get on chelts mate?

[pSinatra]

7 minutes ago, RobHawk said:

How'd you get on chelts mate?

 

I'd say about £200.  As a newbie I found it all a bit hectic with too many offers flying around, not enough knowledge & definitely not enough time.  Ideally I would have liked to take the week off, but being self-employed, that was never going to happen.

 

Ladbrokes sent me a £10 risk free offer on the slots.  I hadn't bothered with slots up until now.  It feels too much like actual gambling to me, but I appreciate it's about playing the long game & being up over time.  Anyway, I thought I'd have a go as it was £10 risk free & no wagering.  Won £145 on my third spin.

 

I think I need to get disciplined & dedicate some time each day on it.  I struggle to find the time/motivate myself & I still haven't finished all the start up offers yet (& that includes the biggies like Bet365).  So I've been doing it for 6 weeks now & I'm a total of £775 in profit.  That includes £65 I won on Shakespeare getting the job.  An actual bet.

 

I was looking on the forum I use & I would say that the average profits for Cheltenham were around £500, but there were quite a few people in the £1k to £2k region.

 

How did you get on?  I'm going to assume you pulled in 4 figures!!

[ed_phelan]

This is a great little thread and is something that I have been thinking about myself as I approach the big 30 this year, it seems that my 20s have flown by and I don't have a lot to show for it...this could be a positive though as well, I guess.  Currently working my arse off with the hope of one day owning a house in south east....also hoping that the missus stays with me long enough to make it that bit cheaper  I would also like to travel the world...don't ask for much me. Currently trying to be as organised as possible and saving money wherever possible...got my mother's day gift in the January sales, and now browsing various gifts for dads sites looking for bargains...this one looks decent enough and hopefully will get to keep whatever I buy the old man http://www.red5.co.uk/fathers-day-gifts.aspx  

[RobHawk]

22 hours ago, pSinatra said:

 

I'd say about £200.  As a newbie I found it all a bit hectic with too many offers flying around, not enough knowledge & definitely not enough time.  Ideally I would have liked to take the week off, but being self-employed, that was never going to happen.

 

Ladbrokes sent me a £10 risk free offer on the slots.  I hadn't bothered with slots up until now.  It feels too much like actual gambling to me, but I appreciate it's about playing the long game & being up over time.  Anyway, I thought I'd have a go as it was £10 risk free & no wagering.  Won £145 on my third spin.

 

I think I need to get disciplined & dedicate some time each day on it.  I struggle to find the time/motivate myself & I still haven't finished all the start up offers yet (& that includes the biggies like Bet365).  So I've been doing it for 6 weeks now & I'm a total of £775 in profit.  That includes £65 I won on Shakespeare getting the job.  An actual bet.

 

I was looking on the forum I use & I would say that the average profits for Cheltenham were around £500, but there were quite a few people in the £1k to £2k region.

 

How did you get on?  I'm going to assume you pulled in 4 figures!!

On the chelts offers themselves I was just shy of 4 figures. Hit a few snags and dint hit as many winners or 2nd places as I'd of hoped. Still happy though. Managed to get 2 new accounts to play with so managed to get an extra grand out of some sign ups (still loads to go) there as well, so was about £2.5k for the week once you add in the casino profit. Since getting back from holiday and starting this thread, I've cleared about £5k profit! About half of that is from casino profits so well worth a look! 

 

I tend to spend about 2 hours each night just piling through the offers, so setting specific time aside and getting organised is definitely worth while!

[RobHawk]

I should add, it was my first chelts too, found it completely overwhelming and exhausting on day 1, managed to get in the swing of things more by day 2. There were some great no risk offers though, and the odds around 8.30am tended to be much better.

[pSinatra]

5 minutes ago, RobHawk said:

On the chelts offers themselves I was just shy of 4 figures. Hit a few snags and dint hit as many winners or 2nd places as I'd of hoped. Still happy though. Managed to get 2 new accounts to play with so managed to get an extra grand out of some sign ups (still loads to go) there as well, so was about £2.5k for the week once you add in the casino profit. Since getting back from holiday and starting this thread, I've cleared about £5k profit! About half of that is from casino profits so well worth a look! 

 

I tend to spend about 2 hours each night just piling through the offers, so setting specific time aside and getting organised is definitely worth while!

 

Congratulations!!

 

That's outrageous.  Something for me to aim for.

 

I see how the casino can be so profitable when you can win big in one go, rather than faffing about with £5 profits here & there on the horses.

 

I did quite a few second places & had 3 on the first day of Chelts.  I didn't get another one for the rest of the week.  Swings & roundabouts I suppose.

 

My biggest problem is the missus.  I've tried to explain to her what matched betting is & I've shown her my spreadsheet - what money I've put in & what my profit is.  She says she gets it, but I know she doesn't.  She's not the shouty type & let's me do pretty much whatever I like, but when I'm sitting here on my laptop I just know she disapproves.  She told my folks what I've been doing & they disapprove too.  To be fair, I don't fully understand it myself.  I just see the profit going up, so I must be doing something right.  I'm not sure I'd get away with 2 hours a day on it though.

 

Well done & keep up the good work

[The People's Hero]

Need a bit of advice actually. It's quite basic but need to know what I should do. Any solicitors on here? 

[RobHawk]

On 3/21/2017 at 00:43, pSinatra said:

 

Congratulations!!

 

That's outrageous.  Something for me to aim for.

 

I see how the casino can be so profitable when you can win big in one go, rather than faffing about with £5 profits here & there on the horses.

 

I did quite a few second places & had 3 on the first day of Chelts.  I didn't get another one for the rest of the week.  Swings & roundabouts I suppose.

 

My biggest problem is the missus.  I've tried to explain to her what matched betting is & I've shown her my spreadsheet - what money I've put in & what my profit is.  She says she gets it, but I know she doesn't.  She's not the shouty type & let's me do pretty much whatever I like, but when I'm sitting here on my laptop I just know she disapproves.  She told my folks what I've been doing & they disapprove too.  To be fair, I don't fully understand it myself.  I just see the profit going up, so I must be doing something right.  I'm not sure I'd get away with 2 hours a day on it though.

 

Well done & keep up the good work

I've been there with the Mrs and the inlaws mate! Best advice i can give is have a target the profits can be used for, whether its a holiday, or paying off the mortgage like i am. They seem to pip down a bit when they know they are getting something out of it and its easy to keep reminding them why you are doing too! 

If you ever want any help with it all anyway, just give me a shout!

[sk3since03]

Been educating myself for a good few weeks now on matched betting! Didn't feel entirly confident going in all guns blazing at first but now feel i have full understanding of how the system is to be worked now so will venturing into it today finally! There is money to be made 

[RobHawk]

Hi guys, 

So i wanted to update you all on my journey so far as it all started here on this forum!! 

I'll start with the bad news, i'm still in my full time job and i still want out! But, things are changing!!!!

So I've set up a website (www.maxyourcash.com) which is free to sign up to (if anyone's interested) which is an affiliate website and primarily about getting people to make the most out of their money and then recommending matched betting products so they can make £1000+ a month extra income. This is stage 1 of my masterplan and a week after going live I've already made about £300. Not a bad first week.

 

I'm also working on my 2nd website which is aimed at putting myself out there more as an entrepreneur and online coach for those wishing to start their own business - I've been learning loads the last few months and i'm hoping to be able to share that knowledge and make a real difference to people who find themselves in a similar situation to what i did. The goal is to be able to hand in my notice no later that May 2018 - so still plenty of time yet!

The main reason i wanted to write this post (as well as a little free publicity above) is to tell people the main thing i have done differently over the last few months. I know theres others fed up with their work/life situation so this simple piece of advice is basically gold if you actually want to make  change.

JUST ****ING DO IT!

I told you it was simple!

 

But heres the thing (and i used to be the same) - everytime we think of an idea or discuss changing our lives - what do we do?

We screw ourselves over by throwing so many obstacles in the way, its not worth it and we don't bother.

 

Think about it! What if it doesn't work? What if i don't make money? What if i don't like it? What will people think of me? Would it just be a waste of time and energy? etc etc! 

By accepting that the obstacles are essentially just your brain ****ing you, and thus ignoring them and just having a bash, I have been able to make a change to my life and am continuing to do so. 

 

"If you try to achieve your goals,

you may not succeed,

but if you don't even try,

failure is guaranteed"

 

Its that simple!!!!

[Izzy]

1 hour ago, RobHawk said:

JUST ****ING DO IT!

I told you it was simple!

 

But heres the thing (and i used to be the same) - everytime we think of an idea or discuss changing our lives - what do we do?

We screw ourselves over by throwing so many obstacles in the way, its not worth it and we don't bother.

 

Think about it! What if it doesn't work? What if i don't make money? What if i don't like it? What will people think of me? Would it just be a waste of time and energy? etc etc! 

By accepting that the obstacles are essentially just your brain ****ing you, and thus ignoring them and just having a bash, I have been able to make a change to my life and am continuing to do so. 

 

"If you try to achieve your goals,

you may not succeed,

but if you don't even try,

failure is guaranteed"

 

Its that simple!!!!
 

Good on ya mate, I love reading posts like this 

 

All the stuff in bold is just fear. So many people go through life 'playing it safe' because of their fear of failure. So much untapped potential and great ideas go to waste because people are too scared to take a risk and do exactly what they were put on the planet to do - such a shame.

 

The one's who are successful adopt the JFDI attitude you refer to.

 

Good luck buddy. I love your positive attitude.

 

 

[RobHawk]

Just now, Izzy Muzzett said:

Good on ya mate, I love reading posts like this 

 

All the stuff in bold is just fear. So many people go through life 'playing it safe' because of their fear of failure. So much untapped potential and great ideas go to waste because people are too scared to take a risk and do exactly what they were put on the planet to do - such a shame.

 

The one's who are successful adopt the JFDI attitude you refer to.

 

Good luck buddy. I love your positive attitude.

 

 

Cheers buddy - It really has made a huge change on my life already! 

I'm really hoping to help people get to where i am (and beyond) as the world seems a much better place when its up to you to make the change. If anyone wants to get involved, wants to get to where i am or just needs a change - let me know - i want to give back to you guys!!

[Strokes]

Yeah fair play to you rob, it takes a lot of commitment, graft and determination to set up a business whilst in full time employment. I might tap you up some time soon in the future but right now I'm enjoying not working my knuckles to the bone and having a chance to appreciate some free time. I hope it's a success 

[RobHawk]

10 minutes ago, Strokes said:

Yeah fair play to you rob, it takes a lot of commitment, graft and determination to set up a business whilst in full time employment. I might tap you up some time soon in the future but right now I'm enjoying not working my knuckles to the bone and having a chance to appreciate some free time. I hope it's a success 

Cheers buddy - i'm always lurking on here even when too busy to argue politics or trailing the transfer thread so feel free to drop me a PM anytime.

And appreciating free time is what its all about - I've got a 1-2 year plan which involves a lot of graft - after that i hope i can take my foot of the pedal and start to enjoy my time a bit more. Its freedom i crave!

[Izzy]

1 minute ago, RobHawk said:

Cheers buddy - i'm always lurking on here even when too busy to argue politics or trailing the transfer thread so feel free to drop me a PM anytime.

And appreciating free time is what its all about - I've got a 1-2 year plan which involves a lot of graft - after that i hope i can take my foot of the pedal and start to enjoy my time a bit more. Its freedom i crave!

Ain't that the truth bother!

 

I left a well paid corporate job about 10 years ago to set up on my own. Scary at first and I fvcked up many times along the way (very close to bankruptcy at one time) but stuck with it. 

 

I tell my friends that I'm not cash rich, but I am time rich. I do things on my terms and answer only to myself. I'm the master of my own destiny (and diary) and do what I want when I want (most of the time).

 

I'll never be rich or famous but that's not what I want. I see my kids every day, do the school run, mainly work from home and play golf 3 times a week. It's not always easy and I have my moments of doubt - but I wouldn't change it for the world.

 

It's all about my health and work/life balance for me and I think I've eventually achieved this after many years of trying. 

 

Each to their own but it sounds like you're a man on a mission Rob and I've no doubt you'll achieve your goals mate 

[RobHawk]

1 minute ago, Izzy Muzzett said:

Ain't that the truth bother!

 

I left a well paid corporate job about 10 years ago to set up on my own. Scary at first and I fvcked up many times along the way (very close to bankruptcy at one time) but stuck with it. 

 

I tell my friends that I'm not cash rich, but I am time rich. I do things on my terms and answer only to myself. I'm the master of my own destiny (and diary) and do what I want when I want (most of the time).

 

I'll never be rich or famous but that's not what I want. I see my kids every day, do the school run, mainly work from home and play golf 3 times a week. It's not always easy and I have my moments of doubt - but I wouldn't change it for the world.

 

It's all about my health and work/life balance for me and I think I've eventually achieved this after many years of trying. 

 

Each to their own but it sounds like you're a man on a mission Rob and I've no doubt you'll achieve your goals mate 

Take out the golf and add in plenty of holidays (which you may have) and you basically have what i'm aiming for!!!

 

 

[Strokes]

7 minutes ago, RobHawk said:

Cheers buddy - i'm always lurking on here even when too busy to argue politics or trailing the transfer thread so feel free to drop me a PM anytime.

And appreciating free time is what its all about - I've got a 1-2 year plan which involves a lot of graft - after that i hope i can take my foot of the pedal and start to enjoy my time a bit more. Its freedom i crave!

I've worked for myself before and it never stopped being the primary focus in life, there are so many negatives and pitfalls it's incredibly hard. However the thing you noted at the end, the freedom bit, that's the thing that makes it worthwhile and infinitely better than employment. Although you will rarely take advantage of it I imagine .