FFS

And the title of the post isn't because I've just spilt a bowl of peanuts over the floor while watching MOTD...

It kind of sums up how I'm feeling at the moment about this whole game. Today wasn't a particularly bad day - cracking 8/1 winner from Steve Lewis Hamilton in the St Ledger (why only 1 point though!!!) and decent show from Equine Turnover (again!) and 4PA (thank goodness!) but three things have annoyed me over the last couple of days;

1) Mr Gekko Bets - stinker of a day today - 12 bets average price 6/5 and only 1 winner!!! Now I know it's just the start of the season but it's been a bloody awful start which continues an awful finish to last season. It would've been a lot worse if I followed aways at 1 point. But the story is we're 10 points down after the 2nd week of the saving and that's already a lot to make up at these prices. Pumped today into the loser bracket. I do have 6 weeks free - needs to be a serious turnaround if I continue subs.

2) Failure to get on at prices recommended by Systematic. No criticism of the service but a spot check of September shows that my lack of price success has already made a difference of £200 already in the figures. It was a difference of £530 last month and you know how that impacted my figures. Not sure how to tackle this one but it's immensely frustrating.

3) Most importantly I did a tally of subs vs. profit this year last night and taking YTD subs into account rather than being in profit I'm down £1200 on the year. I thought I was breaking even but clearly not!! Really was a bit of hammer blow this one.

So where do I go from here??? I'm seriously beginning to wonder if following a portfolio of services is the way forward. Interesting comment on the blog on last post made me think as well.

Now this is all easy in hindsight but lets say I followed SLH, Equine Turnover, Northern Monkey and Systematic only. These are the services that I think the subs match the performance and low and behold I'd be £5k + in gross profit for the year which would be a healthy £2.6k net profit for the year. Doesn't sound like a lot but I'm not actually looking for much a year - just a few hundred quid extra a month in my pocket would be good.

There is the added problem in so much as you continue to follow tipsters who are successful your card is marked by the bookies which makes it exceptionally difficult to continue and get the best you possibly can.

There's a couple of things i'm probably going to do over the next 3 - 6 months;

1) Reduce the number of services I follow to 4 or 5.
2) Look at some of the ratings software out there and use some of that.

I'd also like to get into a bit of trading but that's a pipe dream to be honest.

My advice to anyone who is getting into this game - it certainly isn't the get rich quick world so many people think it is.