Out with the old, in with the new: the January NSD challenge

solventsoon

bella121984 wrote: »

Im rubbish at keeping records or receipts or anything that might make it easier so I have to trawl through a years worth of bank statements and make educated guesses...every year I promise to be better but I never am!

Oh dear:(:(, well, maybe as you're doing so well on the NSD challenge you can make a resolution to improve your record-keeping as well?

I've got an A5 notebook where I jot down all receipts, expenses etc with a little pocket inside it where I put all the receipts. It's sooo much easier to do it like that. Maybe on your next spending day buy yourself a notebook and start doing something similar?

Good luck x

IF

Hello all :hello:

Bumping BigMamma’s and Spoon’s posts x

solventsoon wrote: »

Hi lovely NSD gang:A
As you can see there is lots of activity on this thread 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.

Thanks everyone:A
spoon xx

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 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, 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!

rising_from_the_ashes

solventsoon wrote: »

Oh dear:(:(, well, maybe as you're doing so well on the NSD challenge you can make a resolution to improve your record-keeping as well?

I've got an A5 notebook where I jot down all receipts, expenses etc with a little pocket inside it where I put all the receipts. It's sooo much easier to do it like that. Maybe on your next spending day buy yourself a notebook and start doing something similar?

Good luck x

I've got a "spike" thing in the kitchen and all my receipts go on there - at the end of each year, they're bagged and labelled.

Strange that I've been doing this for years (so there obviously is some sort of organisation in my head) but I still can't budget!

kerri_gt

janeawej wrote: »

Still desperately trying for another NSD after last nights desperate dash to Mr T for a bottle of wine, thank goodness I got 2 bottles though as DD has given me a bit of a shock by announcing she thought she was pregnant! So today was ruined by a trip to Mt T for a pregnancy test, yes paid for by me! And I can now see that 2011 will be an expensive year!

Yikes! Does sound like a good thing you got 2 bottles of wine... Sounds like 2011 hasn't quite started off as planned :grouphug:

dollybeads wrote: »

Evening all, had NSD yesterday and today, although did a car boot sale with my DIL to raise some cash to pay for repairs to her car (they were ripped off by an unscruplous dealer, who sold them a car that looked perfect but had been in a bad accident ((cut and shut i think they are called)). Put it in for a MOT and its very dangerous, even worse they have been driving around unknowingly with a small baby in the back. And to top it all Police are not interested either.

That's shocking that the police aren't interested - makes you wonder how many other cut and shuts the dealer has traded - although there is the possibility they may not have known either? (hmmmm). At least DIL and baby are ok - better to find out about the car via an MOT than some awful accident. xx

I'm declaring a NSD for yesterday as there is enough cash in the change pot for the kitchen roll I purchased (and I need to take the flower pots back as they were too big) and another for today - have barely managed to make it out of my pjs and into my joggers :rotfl:

Just made dinner - pasta with ham and tomatoes (oh, and a pasta sauce that apparently should have been used by 23rd dec but looked/smelt fine - so in it went) Made some extra with just the tomatoes and sauce so i can feeze some and add other veg/meat etc to make up diff meals - ohhhh get me - very :money: hee hee!

Soo....grand total of 9 NSD so far :j:j

kerri_gt

Oh...and I have a leak in my kitchen cupboard (under the sink) and can't for the like of me find out the exact source....I've narrowed it down to three possibilities :wall:

Catslovelycats

solventsoon wrote: »

I've got an A5 notebook where I jot down all receipts, expenses etc with a little pocket inside it where I put all the receipts. It's sooo much easier to do it like that. Maybe on your next spending day buy yourself a notebook and start doing something similar?

Good luck x

Oooh. An excuse for buying a new notebook. Shame I use my IPOD for this or I'd be out tomorrow buying stationery! :eek::o

SarahNeedle1872

Declaring an NSD for today, did have to put fuel in the car but I used 'pay at pump' at Mr T, so the money won't come out until tomorrow, which I know will be a spend day (milk and a train ticket need!)

So, number 11 for today will bold and colour when I can get back on the computer!

Sxx

solventsoon

lilylass wrote: »

I've got a "spike" thing in the kitchen and all my receipts go on there - at the end of each year, they're bagged and labelled.

Strange that I've been doing this for years (so there obviously is some sort of organisation in my head) but I still can't budget!

Different part of the brain I think, lilylass, the "doing" and the "thinking"

catslovelycats wrote: »

Oooh. An excuse for buying a new notebook. Shame I use my IPOD for this or I'd be out tomorrow buying stationery! :eek::o

No, not you, cats, I know all about your stationery addiction and this is not an excuse for you going out and buying more stuff!!:D

beanielou

kerri_gt wrote: »

Oh...and I have a leak in my kitchen cupboard (under the sink) and can't for the like of me find out the exact source....I've narrowed it down to three possibilities :wall:

Dont wait for 'that' plumber:eek:

IF

Bumping BigMamma’s and Spoon’s posts x

solventsoon wrote: »

Hi lovely NSD gang:A
As you can see there is lots of activity on this thread 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.

Thanks everyone:A
spoon xx

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 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, 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!