Combat the Christmas Crush with the NSD challenge

BigMummaF

BigMummaF wrote: »

I do remember writing a sort of Guidelines thing but can't find it, even though I went back to August so if I forget anything, you guys jump in OK? I'll edit & then when we've got it right, folk can copy & paste as the Thread goes along.

Draft No 2...

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 these.
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
Some won't count those annoying last minute demands from schools & collections as you can't plan for them, similar to emergency prescriptions or visits to the vet
General thoughts on €bay sales is the buyer has paid P&P so no cost to you
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:
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 Solvent's (aka Spoon:rotfl:) first 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, little Jo's tumble tots SIZE=2]Weds mornings[/SIZE in the cracked teapot & Ben's £1 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. Four 'spending days' condensed into one (**mine's 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!

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

Remember. There are no silly questions so don't be afraid to ask us anything!

beanielou

Even better BigMumma

elf06

BigMummaF - that is brilliant!!!

solventsoon

Love it, BigMumma, that's brilliant:T:T

slowlyfading

number 21 for me

BMF - that sounds fab :j

kerri_gt

BMF - those rules and guidelines are fab.... I think I might print them out and stick them next to my computer at work - might make me think every time I go out at lunch

Jinty - that's a really lovely idea about the sky lanterns - and watch out for one of those 'incidents' too

oh yes, just remembered why I came on here...to hang my head in shame and announce no nsd for me today went shopping with OH and was doing ok (£2.50 in two pairs of thermal socks from Primarni - have been wearing ski socks from my school ski trips in the really cold weather but the elastic seems to be going after they've not been work for 15yrs :rotfl::o) BUT (and this is quite a big but...) I went into one of my fav shops (M*ngo) and picked up quite a few items just to 'try on' - OH looked quite aghast as I skipped through the shop merrily grabbing a garment here and a garment there - but it's not often they have things left in my size so I was making the most of it - plus, if I'm getting undressed to try on one thing, I might as well make it worthwhile....unfortuntely I liked everything I tried on :eek: I did put one cardi back - was lovely and comfy but VERY much like one I bought not that long ago - but I did end up spending £65 :eek: However, that was on 5 tops - incl on cardi ...but did include two tops, the same but in diff colours :whistle:.... well I just couldn't decide.... thought after that I should skip my other fav shop Z*ra and we came home.

Oh well - I did need a few new tops (well...not really neeed, I'm hardly in sack cloth and ashes) but I really haven't done that for a long time so I'm just going to enjoy them and wear them - this NSD challenge has deff made me think more about my spending and you know what, it was more the odds and sods, £1 here and £2 there that were the problem, not spending lots on clothes etc - so this is kinda a wee treat for me which I can now do because I haven't been making so many silly little spends. Thanks everyone :grouphug:

I also checked my emails today to see there was an extra 15% off the mattress i ordered yesterday from Argus for the spare room.... so in true MSE styleeee I phoned up, cancelled my delivery booked yesterday and promptly placed a new order saving us £20 :T I bet I'm not the only one to have done that though....

Brown_suga

I've achieved 1 NSD!! Woop Woop! :j

IF

Good evening all x

Spoony got my 18th NSD today and that's me for this month thank you :A

Big Mumma love the guidelines too :T

Well done Brown_suga, good feeling isn't it :dance:

janeawej

Keri I'd call those tops an absolute bargain! I mean you must have saved more than you spent surely?! And after all by not going into your second faviorite shop you stopped before you spent any more!

CRISIS looming here.........I have just put the last 5 potatoes in the oven! Wen I run out of spuds I am convinced the world is going to come to an end, no amount of pasta and rice in my store cupboard compensates for not having a few humble spuds hanging round (OK I know I sound sad!)

Dont need any for tomorrow !!! going out to cousins for the evening, Im taking HM pate for the starter, and lemon meringue ice cream gatueax to contribute as they are on holiday and only have the tiniest of kitchens, they are supplying all the booze and main course so tomorrow is sorted but Id really like to manage not to spend any money till Monday at the earliest so I'm going to have to get creative if Im not going to miss my spuds!

3Dogs

Well one BigMumma for the wonderful NSD Notice you have produced - I look forward to posting it at the top of every new page to advise those who are new to NSDing

Talking of which I would like to report in with my NSD NUMBER 17 which gets me to my 2nd target - tomorrow is deffo a spend day as doing normal shopping, so 17 will be my final total for 2010

Moving on to 2011, and I think I should start with a target of 15 for January, as I have a week up Tyneside visiting Mam this month

May I take this opportunity to congratulate everyone on every NSD they have achieved over 2010, not matter how many they have managed to get, every time they have not spent is a success which should be celebrated :T :T

Also, a massive thank you to Mistress Spoon, Great Guardian of the NSD Thread, Most Magnificent Recorder of NSD's, and Imperial Supporter of NSDers in Need - a.k.a. Super Spoony :T :T :T :T :T