The Love is in the Air February NSD Challenge

couldsavemore_2 · 7 February 2013 at 5:23PM

NSD no. 5/20 today. that will be it for this week have the shopping coming tomorrow and taking daughter and friends out for her birthday treat on saturday. but pleased with 5 under my belt

Jelly_Biactol · 7 February 2013 at 5:45PM

I came across this Personal Survival Budget for people to work out how much a week they are spending (or ‘Total Needed to Survive’), which I thought might be useful; though I’m sure the well-organised ones here have already done something similar:)

Click on the weblink for a larger version which you can save and print out.

Debtbusterintraining · 7 February 2013 at 6:05PM

Well we are a week in and I'm still big fat0 NSDs! Just about to check out that link Jelly.

Giggles86 · 7 February 2013 at 6:22PM

Yippee! Finally managed NSD #3!! It feels like it's been a long time coming, despite only being the 7th of the month but I think that's because this week is dragging on!! Luckily it's Friday tomorrow!!

dizzy_lizzie · 7 February 2013 at 6:27PM

solventsoon wrote: »

Well I decided not to brave the elements today and my reward is......

NSD no 5 and my first ever 5 in-a-row target smashed...... yipppppeeeeeeeeee:j:j:j:j Can you tell I'm a little bit pleased with myself :D

Well done solvent :T

Almost had a nsd yesterday but succumbed and bought a magazine

and today I bought a loaf. Not big spends but still a spend day.
x

donna_dynamo · 7 February 2013 at 6:52PM

Hi all another 3 NSD's to add to my total that now makes 4 NSD's for Feb so far. Worried as car seems to be heading towards that great garage in the sky and i cant get a loan for a new car:(:(. Hopefully going to zumba will cheer me up

wildcherry · 7 February 2013 at 7:34PM

Just here to quickly say that today is NSD#4 which I'm very happy about. Tomorrow will be a spend day but I'm hoping Saturday won't be. Sunday will as I'm going to town to treat myself to something lovely - not sure what yet though!

marmiterulesok · 7 February 2013 at 7:45PM

EverTheOptimist wrote: »

Probably a spend day for me today.

Just looking through my bank statement and noticed how much we are being charged for our boiler cover. :eek: so phoned BG to ask why. And with no argument they dropped the payment by £6 per month.

I feel a small victory dance coming on.

Well done!:j:j

flubberyzing how nasty for you.Glad it was sorted out easily.We get patients in with the same thing who need to have a general anaesthetic to remove the bone,so you're fortuanate!

Not an nsd today as I had to get something photocopied and decided to kill two birds with one stone and get some groceries.

I'm going to try for my 4 in a row now.I prefer to do it from Friday to Monday and had planned it for next week but can't think of anything I need to buy over the next few days.

Thanks for the update bdini!I meant to say and forgot,sorry but yikes to the weight loss.I hope that your appetite returns.Be careful though,because if skipping meals becomes a habit,it's easy to lose your appetite and it becomes a vicious circle.Do take care of yourself.End of lecture.:o

butdoineedit? · 7 February 2013 at 8:04PM

freebyfifty wrote: »

Thank you BDINI :A

Hope that last week at work is going well

Half a day tomorrow & i'm free!!!!!! Nice day today, had a bit of a fuddle at lunch (although it did make me mad to see nasty boss eating my homemade fairy cakes :mad:) & got some next vouchers & a bottle of perfume for my leaving present. Have to say though that the only thing that made me feel sad to be going was a lovely hand painted acrd made for me by one of my clients & signed by all the lads on the course.... the one & only tear of my leaving sprang to my eye!! P is such a talented artist too that i am going to frame the card & hang it on the wall & i reckon one day when he's released he'll be famous & i'll have a one off original!!

marmiterulesok wrote: »

Thanks for the update bdini!I meant to say and forgot,sorry but yikes to the weight loss.I hope that your appetite returns.Be careful though,because if skipping meals becomes a habit,it's easy to lose your appetite and it becomes a vicious circle.Do take care of yourself.End of lecture.:o

Thanks marmite! I'm being good now & eating breakfast & evening meal every day (even if they are smaller portions, which isn't necessarily a bad thing!) Have to admit skipping lunch at work sometimes, but i think that's more about how sick just having to be there makes me feel, so promise once i have left tomorrow i will be back to normal (although i guess i'd better not pile on too many pounds or my new size 6 trousers won't fit already!!)

oh & number 3 today please :j

IF · 7 February 2013 at 8:07PM

Hiya my No Spendy chums :hello:
As you can see there is lots of activity on this challenge at the moment and it's difficult sometimes to see how many NSDs you're all declaring on posts.
Could we ask you to highlight your number of NSDs in a colour and in bold so that Freeby, Spoon, BDINI and Marmite can see them easily when they whizz through the posts - red would be best but they don't really mind as long as they can see the numbers easily.

Some helpful suggestions and ideas to follow below from our sponsor and godmother, BigMummaF :A

NO SPEND CHALLENGE.

1. Have a good, long think about what YOU want to include in your Spend & Excluded categories.
Some of us count everything from Direct Debits & school expenses, while others do not include things like essential Bills or emergency medical costs. If you plan what is or is not a Spend for you now, it will help you decide on a realistic Target.
2. It is NOT a race!
We all have very different demands on our time & bank balance, so please do not think you have to buy everything on 1st January & make it last till 31st December! A few of us have been following this Challenge for a long...long...LONG time so have developed plans & ploys to help us along the way

3. Most important of all, WE..DO..NOT..FAIL!
Sometimes we can't quite reach our Target, but that is fine

Everyone knows how Life will try to trip us up, & that is when you will find us here to help you back on to your feet.

OK, an idea of how some of us do things.
1. What you will or will not include as a 'Spend'.
Some people are doing other challenges too, & don't include the money spent on those for this one.
Some will try to shop for other bits on the days their direct debits etc go out of their bank accounts; they're the real hard core of the bunch

& have been l-o-n-g time Nsders so don't panic

Some won't count those annoying last minute demands from school & collections as you can't plan for them in advance, likewise emergency prescriptions or visits to the vet

Personally speaking & providing I don't buy anything else, I don't count parking for hospital appointments.(..but then I usually do my shopping because I'm already out :whistle:)
General thoughts on €bay sales is the buyer has paid P&P so no cost to you

2. It takes Time to reach mega-numbers!
The First suggestion is the first, because a bit of planning will work wonders on your road to your Target. Have a look at thefirst posts each month for a hefty list of other threads that may be of help. For example, there's a few giving ideas for packed lunches so you can avoid standing in the queue at the bakers for 45mins of your lunch hour! A good incentive to tweak your healthy eating & the pounds you save will show in your bank balance AND your waistline

It helps to have various 'money pots' for the different costs that happen like Scouts, dinner money, yoga, window cleaner etc etc. The idea is you "spend" all that money in one hit by..:think:..let's say **putting the week's bus fares into the pretty coffee jar, Jo's tumble tots SIZE=2]Weds mornings[/SIZE in the cracked teapot & Ben's £1 coin for the gym locker SIZE=2]Friday lunch[/SIZE in the pocket of the changing bag, on Tuesdays every week when you've got some change from doing the food shop, so an already spendy day. At least four 'spending days' condensed into one

(**mine's jam jars for windows, milkman & a bit towards the bills!)
3. Any day the money stays in your pocket is a bonus!
If you look at it as a day you beat the system, you can't help but :j so don't fret it--ENJOY! If nothing else in here, we do manage find something to make us smile

We have virtual outings to wonderful places that never cost us a bean :rotfl:New York, Edinburgh & Brighton have been a couple & Spoon usually pilots the Tardis but you can use your own transport; my personal favourite has been a sit-on lawn mower borrowed from the cricket club

The only thing to be aware of is Hubert the donkey who is partial to anything remotely edible but is not yet house-trained

And Remember;
there are no silly questions, so don't be afraid to ask us anything!

The Love is in the Air February NSD Challenge

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