August -The NSD Challenge

angeldiva

I got my 1st one yesterday!!!

So im on the way...I really dont have any choice though now I have paid off all the bills and everything I only have £7 in my bank until payday lol (amen its next wednesday)

StressedSteph

Well...Today should hopefully be NSD 5.

I guess maybe I have it easier than some as I don't have to go out to work everyday. I am working at Sainsburys nightshift tonight and I usually spend £2 on junk during my break. I am going to take some breakfast cereal with me tonight to fill me up and I purposely won't take any money with me to work so then I have no choice.

Other than work I am only popping to the village hall to clean today so should'nt have too much temptation hopefully.

Good luck today everyone x

hypno06

I couldn't put buying cat food off any longer so today will NOT be a NSD - however, I am over the moon at having successfully notched up 4 NSDs so far in August :j

Even had a chat with OH about it last night when the cat food situation looked dire, and he agreed we should try for more NSDs.....and was amazed really at how often we have been spending something, however small.

Hopefully if he is on board the NSD-train, by next month we will be organised enough in our spending to have the majority of days in September as NSDs!

StressedSteph

It certainly helps having your OH on board, does'nt it Hypno. My hubby is bad at popping to the garage on his way to work but has promised to resist :-)

I re-did my budget last night and it showed I SHOULD have £721 left over each month, which is laughable as it NEVER happens. I love this thread as I think its all the little things I pop out for that are wasting this surplus. If I could only pay £500 extra off my cards each month, my debts would be gone sooo fast.

I am SUPER determined now to have Waaay over 20 NSD's this month and beyond.

xxx

hypno06

20 NSDs is an amazing figure to achieve. Last month I aimed for 10 and failed miserably! But it DID highlight the fact that we are spending on "something" most days, and surely we can refine our spending somewhat to avoid the essential pint of milk snowballing into £20 of "bargains" at the supermarket

My ultimate aim....although I know it will take time to organise and to get used to is to get enough supplies on a Saturday and fill the car up with petrol at the weekend too, so that I only spend on weekends, and then all my weekdays will be NSDs.......

.....but as I say, this will take some time to get to, so in the meantime I will be aiming for my 8 for August!!

StressedSteph

yeah thats what I try to do. Mondays I have the Tesco's delivery and we both put our allowance of fuel in the car & work van. And HOPEFULLY after that, nothing else is to be spent during the week :-)

Wildly ambitious, but hell why not xxx

Surfbabe

Going for my 4th NSD today - have only got to go to work this afternoon and I never take my purse - drinks at pool are more expensive per litre than a litre of diesel - I fill my water bottle at home or in the gym !!!!

Boris_2

Hi everyone,
I want to give this a go (am new to all this and not done any challenges yet) however, I'm a tad confused.....

A no spend day is obviously when you don't spend a single penny for a whole day.
Ususally I buy lunch each day (a bit naughty as it's normally M&S). Obviously I have to still eat, but if I buy lunch at the start of the week for the entire week am I not just spending the same amount of money but just all in one go?

I'm probably thinking too hard about analysing this!!!!!

hypno06

hi Boris...how about buying the stuff to make decent packed lunches once a week - still much cheaper than M&S so not only are you having a NSD you will be spending less out of your weekly grocery budget too!

The idea behind having a NSD is really to focus your attention on what you NEED to spend money on each day.

Yes, I need to eat, and I am surrounded by wonderful coffee shops where I work.......but if I want a NSD I can take a pack of crisps from home and some sandwiches or a salad I have made and it is much cheaper and no money leaves my purse!

One of the problems with buying food etc during the day for lunch is you need some lunch which costs, say £3.....but you have no cash on you.....so you go to the cash machine and take out a tenner......buy lunch.....then buy a magazine....the buy something else....and before you know it your £3 lunch has cost a tenner and you have to do it all again the next day!

So for me, half the challenge is not to have to take money out of the bank!!

Boris_2

Hi Hypo,
Thanks for the explanation, I think I get it!
I always say to myself that I should get packed lunch stuff on a Sunday for the week as I know it would be cheaper and then I never do.
You're right about getting money out of the bank though and spending the lot! I try not to withdraw any cash and always pay using my debit card so the exact money I am spending comes out of my account.

I have a long weekend away this weekend so maybe will try a few NSDs next week and see how it goes........