The Marvellous May NSD Challenge

freebyfifty · 29 April 2012 at 7:16AM

Welcome to the May No Spend Day (NSD) thread!!

We are a happy (and some might say mildly insane) bunch doing battle with those retailers - and there’s plenty of temptation at the moment with all the sales on. We are seriously committed to saving money, but nobody said it can't be done with a smile on your face - so we organise riotous nights out and gatecrash any function going - all without leaving the comfort of our own imaginations or armchairs!

On a slightly more serious note, we are here to help each other avoid spending for the number of days we feel we can manage to try to take back some control over our hard-earned money. What you class as a "spend'" is entirely your choice; some people will try to shop on the days DD/SO etc are paid, whilst others will not include essentials such as rent. Have a look for a post from our sponsor (and godmother of this challenge) BigMummaF, this contains some guidelines and ideas for starting you off on the challenge.

It’s amazing how inventive you get when you’re determined NOT to spend - from weird menu ingredients to surprising DIY solutions - but you know what? 99% of the time those wacky ideas work.

Here are some threads to help keep us on the straight and narrow, if you know of others, please post. Many of the lunch box ideas are aimed toward children and are great ideas now that everyone’s back to work or school.

March Grocery Challenge, with lots of recipe ideas.
Tinned Food Recipes.
Leftovers? Don’t Throw It..
Exciting Sandwich Fillings on a Budget.
Lunch for Work.
Laptop Lunchbox Ideas.
Packed Lunches.
Cheap Healthy Snacks
Cheap Snack Ideas to Stop Buying Crisps.
Homemade Snack Ideas…contains further links for ideas.
Sprouting Seeds to Eat.
Really Quick & Alternative Snacks.
Easy Homemade Biscuits.
Muesli & Cereal Bar Recipes.
Weetabix Cake.
HM Popcorn.
Smoothie Recipes.
Yoghurt Without a Yoghurt Maker.
Ham Economics.
Low Carb Kids Lunches...contains advice for diabetics.
Kids Lunch Box Ideas.
Back to School Lunches.
Healthy Kids Snacks.
HM Lollies.
Ice Lolly Ideas
Cheap Healthy Playground Snacks.
Homemade Fudge.
OS HM Sweets.
Forgotten Puddings.
Making chocolates or sweets

Link to last month's challenge is below so any newcomers can see what we get up to (hmmmmm... on second thoughts, that might put you off...)

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=3882111

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freebyfifty · 29 April 2012 at 7:16AM

Seeing as the weather should be getting warmer and we'll be out in the sunshine firing up the barbeque (well we can dream) I thought we'd go for a refreshing drink theme this month

Target Met

2nd Target Met

3rd Target Met

Target Exceeded

The challengees

Abundant – 15/1

Barbeduk – 10/10 Target Met

Bdini – 15/15 Target Met Target Exceeded 15/16

Bottleofred – 15/15 Target MetTarget Exceeded 15/17

Brizzledfw – 10/

Charlyze2 – 15/1

Chris81418 – 19/10

Craigywv – 20/

Deb4 – 15/15 Target Met Target Exceeded 16/15

Debtfree – 10/10 Target Met

Delilahh – 13/10

Donna dynamo – 15/10

Dragon – 10/10 Target Met 2nd Target 15/15 Target Met

Emsloves- 10/10 Target Met 2nd Target 13/13 Target Met Target Exceeded 13/17

Flying – 15/12 Well done

Fozzie – 15/14 Well done

Freeby – 15/15 Target Met 2nd Target 19/19 Target Met 3rd Target 24/24 Target Met Target Exceeded 24/26

Freshair – 17/

Frodobaggins 12/12 Target Met 2nd Target 16/16 Target Met

Greenanne – 10/4

Hedgesparrow – 10/10 Target Met

Ifwishes – 17/17 Target Met

Igamogam – 10/10 Target Met

Jaffacakegal – 12/12 Target Met 2nd Target 15/15 Target Met

Karb – 12/12 Target Met 2nd Target 15/15 Target Met

Katy_ann 15/

Kerri gt – 14/14 Target Met Target Exceeded 14/16

Kissykaren – 12/

Kittikins – 10/

Ladymay – 10/10 Target Met Target Exceeded 10/11

Learning2 – 12/12 Target Met

LMH – 12/12 Target Met

Magni – 10/9 Well done

Marmite – 16/16 Target Met 2nd Target 18/17 Well done

ModestyB – 10/10 Target Met Target Exceeded 10/11

Mrs.butler – 17/

Muffin man – 10/3

Nargle – 12/10 Well done

Oodnood – 10/10 Target Met 2nd Target 15/15 Target Met 3rd Target 19/19 Target Met Target Exceeded 19/21

Pinkpenguin – 15/

RhiBi – 12/3

Rising – 15/15 Target Met 2nd Target 18/18 Target Met 3rd Target 20/19

Selfsufficient – 10/2

SillyBlondie – 10/10 Target Met Target Exceeded 10/19

Silvasava – 14/11

Slowlyfading – 15/15 Target Met Target Exceeded 15/16

Stripeygirl – 10/10 Target Met 2nd Target 14/14 Target Met Target Exceeded 14/15

Suzitiger – 12/8 Well done.

Tarantula – 12/3

Tatabubbly – 10/1

Wannabee – 15/9

freebyfifty · 29 April 2012 at 7:17AM

This is for anyone who wants to set themselves a target for a number of NSDs in a row. We had some impressive numbers on this over the past few months so if anyone would like to have a go at this, I'll add you here

Abundant – 5-in-a-row

Charlyze2 – 4-in-a-row

Chris81418 – 6-in-a-row

Delilahh – 4-in-a-row

Dragon – 5-in-a-row Target Met

Flying – 3-in-a-row Target Met

Fozzie - 3-in-a-row Target Met

Freeby – 5-in-a-row Target Met 6-in-a-row 7-in-a-row

Frodobaggins – 4-in-a-row Target Met 5-in-a-row

Learning2budget – 4-in-a-row

Marmite – 4-in-a-row Target Met

Muffin man – 4-in-a-row

oodnood - 3-in-a-row Target Met 4-in-a-row

Rising - 4-in-a-row Target Met 5-in-a-row

Rhibi – 3-in-a-row

Sivasava – 3-in-a-row Target Met

Wannabee – 5-in-a-row

freebyfifty · 29 April 2012 at 7:18AM

Hi lovely NSD gang:A
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 I ask you to highlight your number of NSDs in a colour and in bold so that I can see them easily when I whizz through the posts - red would be best but I don't really mind as long as I 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!

IF · 29 April 2012 at 7:37AM

Big Thank you to Freeby for doing Mays NSD thread xx

Thanks to LMH too for the updates xx

Could you put me down for 17 NSD's please :beer:

craigywv · 29 April 2012 at 8:19AM

hi, could you pls put me in for 20 nsd thanks.:D

Igamogam · 29 April 2012 at 8:39AM

Morning! Put me down for10 please

rising_from_the_ashes · 29 April 2012 at 8:43AM

Oh boy, is this year flying in too!

A huge thanks to LMH & Freeby for running the thread & the updates (has anyone seen BDINI recently?) and a wee mention for If too as I just LOVE the fantastic pics she posts and they make me smile:)

Target for May .... well, it needs to be a much tighter month so ....... 15 please

freebyfifty · 29 April 2012 at 8:44AM

In all the excitement of setting up the new thread I forgot to declare my own target for May.

15 NSDs and 5 in a row

Good Luck everyone x x

Kittikins · 29 April 2012 at 8:46AM

Hello, I'm going to be more 'realistic' this month and go for 10

magni · 29 April 2012 at 8:50AM

I'd like to join please.

I'll aim for 10 please.

The Marvellous May NSD Challenge

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