The Awesome 'All's Well That Ends Well' April NSD Challenge!
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marmiterulesok
Posts: 7,812 Forumite
April will be here soon,and the intrepid and weary moth cultivators AKA The NSD gang,have decided to stay at home for once.That's right,we're going to sit back with our feet up,drink copious cups of tea,dunking those those yummy Rich Tea biscuits,doing a sudoku or two and enjoying the rain.
Oh,and if we're lucky,we might partake of the odd Easter egg.That sounds like a plan! :j
This month's theme is Shakespeare,seeing as it's his birthday in April.Thanks Knit Witch for the suggestion.
Feel free to join us.We have lots of fun activities planned.More of that later...For those of you who are new to the challenge,we are a happy (and some might say mildly insane) bunch doing battle with those retailers - and there’s plenty of temptation out there at the moment. We are seriously committed to saving money, but nobody said it can't be done with a smile on your face - so we organize 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.
Just remember that mentioning the F word (f-a-i-l!) is not allowed,and anyone who dares speak the word which must not be spoken will find himself in a spot of bother with our toothy bouncer Shawnie boy,and his bruvers Arnie and Vinnie :eek: :eek::eek:
If you're new to the forum,click here to read the Intro Guide.
If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!
We're hoping to see lots of new faces this month,so don't be shy!
PS I'm usually a modest lass,but I just have to add that The NSD Challenge is the best of the bunch!
:cool: :j
Oh,and if we're lucky,we might partake of the odd Easter egg.That sounds like a plan! :j
This month's theme is Shakespeare,seeing as it's his birthday in April.Thanks Knit Witch for the suggestion.
Feel free to join us.We have lots of fun activities planned.More of that later...For those of you who are new to the challenge,we are a happy (and some might say mildly insane) bunch doing battle with those retailers - and there’s plenty of temptation out there at the moment. We are seriously committed to saving money, but nobody said it can't be done with a smile on your face - so we organize 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.
Just remember that mentioning the F word (f-a-i-l!) is not allowed,and anyone who dares speak the word which must not be spoken will find himself in a spot of bother with our toothy bouncer Shawnie boy,and his bruvers Arnie and Vinnie :eek: :eek::eek:
If you're new to the forum,click here to read the Intro Guide.
If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!
We're hoping to see lots of new faces this month,so don't be shy!
PS I'm usually a modest lass,but I just have to add that The NSD Challenge is the best of the bunch!
:cool: :j 0
Comments
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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 [Weds mornings] in the cracked teapot & Ben's £1 coin for the gym locker [Friday lunch] 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 & nargle 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!0 -
Just wait 'til you see the wondrous prizes that we've managed to rustle up!
1st target
(Macbeth)
2nd target
(one of the three witches from Macbeth)
3rd target
(Julius Caesar)
Target exceeded
(I'm not telling!) :rotfl:
Consolation prize
(The donkey's head from A Midsummer Night's Dream) Calm down Hubert,it's ok,we're not using your head... 0 -
Post your target and I'll add you to the list.
marmiterulesok 10/10 achieved! 2nd target 15/15 achieved! 3rd target 17/18
Hoipolloi 16/16 achieved!Target exceeded 19/16 achieved!
Knit Witch 10/10 achieved!2nd target 15/15 achieved! 3rd target 20/20 achieved!4th target25/25achieved! Target exceeded 26/25 achieved!
Jonesy88 0/25
Nargleblast 18/18 achieved!
Samiszel 6/6 achieved!2nd target 8/8 achieved!
cybertortoise 0/16
scotmumof3 15/15 achieved!2nd target 17/18
stripeyjumpergirl 9/10
Learning2Budget 0/10
Ellieseleven 15/15
Maybe_its_because 9/9 achieved!
gothrockchic1 9/12
Munchin 10/10 achieved!Target exceeded11/10 achieved!
cheexy15/15 achieved!2nd target18/18 achieved! 3rd target20/20 achieved!
fedupandskint 20/20 achieved!2nd target 25/25 achieved! Target exceeded 27/25 achieved!
cw18 15/15 achieved!Target exceeded18/15 achieved!
Gem-gem 15/15 achieved!2nd target20/20 achieved!Target exceeded21/20 achieved!
donna dynamo 12/15
jodles16 20/20 achieved!
Aphidgirl 10/10 achieved!
slowlyfading 20/20 achieved!
DeafLeopard 6/20
snowfox 4/15
butterfly2507 10/10 achieved!Target exceeded 27/10 achieved!
Penguin86 2/12
zenshi 5/15
IrishRose12 19/20
kathy40uk 13/17
Azzzaa 3/150 -
Post your target and I'll add you to the list.
The prize is
marmiterulesok 4
Knit Witch 57 9
Samiszel 3
scotmumof3 4
Learning2Budget 3
Maybe_its_because 3
Munchin 34
cheexy 44 4 4
cw18 511
Gem-gem 55
Aphidgirl 4
snowfox 30 -
Just in case I need it.0
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Hey marmite, I'll aim for a target of 16 in April, thanks :beer::staradmin: June NSD's 2/19:staradmin: Sealed Pot #460 :staradmin: £/day £185 saved :staradmin: W.S.C 2015 #45 :staradmin: F.P. 2/24 months :staradmin:0
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Click here for a link to March's thread.0
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Can I have my usual starter of 10 and I will go for 5 in a row please!Must use my stash up!0
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Please can I join for this month? Its my birthday on the 19th and i am challenging myself to spend NOTHING in April until then. so a whopping 19 days in a row. My April target is 25 NSDs.
I am not including household spends in this figure as this budget comes from our joint account and is kept in good order. My personal account however is not so angelic. All DDs come out the end of the month so don't affect my birthday target. My downfalls are impulse buys and the dreaded work canteen!:rudolf: DF by Xmas 2018: #83 £8,250/£15,000 55% :rudolf:
SPC 7: #135 :staradmin | MFW 9.72% | Groceries: £6.49/£80 | Exercise 0/20 | NSDs 0/150 -
18 or not 18, that is the question.....whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune (squandering the dosh) or to take arms against a sea of fiendish retailers by keeping the purse tightly shut....
Oh go on then make it a delicious 18NSDs for me!One life - your life - live it!0
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