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

elf06

catslovelycats wrote: »

have you hurt yourself, elf?

Had a tooth pulled and although it was my decision it wasnt an easy tooth to remove took nearly 45 mins to get the blighter out and now I'm a tad tender Just feeling sorry for myself really

suzie_wong

cw18 wrote: »

I have to say that it was really nice to read this, given these days of 'claim every penny you can from anyone for even the most trivial incident' :T

Yes, he was very good about it. There are some reasonable people around!!

Nargleblast

ifwisheswerehorses... wrote: »

Good evening all x

Bumping BigMamma’s and Spoon’s posts x


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!

And another reminder from BigMumma and Spoon, seeing as we are on a new page.

Nargleblast

By the way, I managed to get another couple of NSDs so now I am on

8 super duper NSDs!!!!! Go Nargle, go!

Got a stinker of a cold, though, so don't come too close!

suzie_wong

Well today turned out to be less of a spendy than I feared!!

Returned a watch that I had for Christmas- loved it, but it was too big and not adjustable:mad: Didn't get the full amount back but I'd prefer this than telling the person that I received it from! Bought another watch that said 'self-adjustable' on the box, and guess what?? 'Self- adjustable' means you have to take it back to Next for them to send off to get adjusted!!:mad::mad: If I had known I would have got it sent off there and then!!

Never mind- just a tad annoying! Also bought myself some Stardrops from Wilko and 2 tubes of their own label handcream for 57p!!

Got petrol on the way home from tuition this evening and put £5 in an envelope for my son's guitar book tomorrow, just so that I can declare tomorrow a NSD!! I am getting a little obsessive about it

janeawej

Ive done it! turned a deaf ear to the kids and not spent anything today!

2joanne

Hi

Pretty new to all this - please can I join in if its not too late?!

I've managed 4/31 NSD's this month - a miracle (I dont think I've ever had a NSD EVER!!)

Cheers!

Nargleblast

Join the club, we're not fussy, we accept anybody!!! Solvent soon (aka Spoon) and Slowlyfading (aka SF) will officially welcome you when they next clock in, but in the meantime have a read of BigMumma's rules of the game (further up the page) and see what you make of it. And well done on the 4 you have done so far, there is still half a month to go so you can get a few more NSDs in.

LadyfromVenice

Spent all day trying to catch up on the thread........got to 5pm, finished reading and didn't have time to post while at work:o. Just had another three pages to read....

Anyway, another NSD to report ( I think). Finding it really hard not to spend this month, even though I don't need anything. Must admit I lost it a bit over the weekend and couldn't remember what I had spent and when (yes I know I should write it down ) so that takes me to NSD 9/18.

slowlyfading

:hello: 2joanne and welcome to the thread!