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

IF

Hello all x

Spoony and SF got my 15th NSD on Wednesday, may I increase my target to 17 NSD's thank you both 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!

Nym_Mcfroglet

15 NSD's! :j:j V happy. I may be able to get one more in tomorrow but it's not set in stone. Good luck all and roll on the February challenge

Decluttering

NSD #11 for me today, will I get one more in time for February?!?!

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone
NSD number 13 for me today
Have a great weekend all
P
X

Tixy

Another 2 NSDs yesterday and today - so I've reached my target of 15 NSDs days this month.

Can I have a dancing smiley please?:)

butdoineedit?

solventsoon wrote: »

BDINI - I’m soooo sorry about your carp week up until Wednesday night, what a nightmare, especially your “colleague” I really can’t understand how some people can stoop that low. However, it’s all turned around now and I’m delighted about your new job, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving person after all you’ve been through recently. Congratulations!! Hope your friend is OK?

Thanks Spoon, i was gutted about the whole thing, but after realising how much support i do have (including you mad lot on here!), i've decided to just move on! All i have to do now is keep my head down & look forward to my new job while i wait for my references & criminal record check to come through
Sounds like you're week's not been to great either, really hope that you know we are all here if you need a rant & that you treat yourself to a chilled out weekend with plenty of you time!!

Sunnylooloo wrote: »

Sorry I have not been around but going through some very messy stuff regarding my divorce which is taking up my time and some!!

(((((((hugs))))))) Looloo, do hope you get things sorted

Jinty - so glad OH is doing ok & that you are taking care of yourselves x

No NSD for me today, managed to avoid the grocery shopping as planned, but had a desperate need for black bags so i can finish off some DIY this weekend & have to confess to a bar of chocolate as well, but figured i was allowed a little celebration & at £1 it was much less than the massive shopping sprees i used to have to celebrate (or commiserate, or because i had woken up, or finished work..... you get the picture :rotfl:)

pinkfluffybabe

NSD No9 for me today

CommitedToChange

I'm on NSD 13 - can't believe I've been so good! :j

(admittedly I spent money today - but that was ebay postage and groceries - nothing random )

kerri_gt

Evening all! ITS FRIDAY! :j

Nargle - sorry to hear about the poor kit in the garden, I know what you mean about giving your own one lots of extra cuddles when something like that happens. I 'collected' a poor kit last winter that had obviously been hit and crawled to the grass verge, all the other cars were just driving past but once I got to work, I just had to get a box and take the poor thing to the vet so at least they had a chance of finding the owners (turns out he/she was chipped and they did). Poor thing was a stiff as a board when I picked him up so goodness knows how long he'd been there or how many cars had driven past. Sorry, didn't mean to be all maudly...

Sunnyloo - sorry to hear things aren't so great atm, hang in there.

Jinty - £80 for a kitty fur cut :eek: that's more than my colour, cut and blow dry costs! :rotfl:

Spoony - thanks for the kipper - had it for supper last night, yum!!

Well for once I wasn't online yesterday evening, had dance class and was just too tired to logon after this week, plus I was engrossed in my Kindle - just finished The Girl Who Played with Fire - totally recommend the trilogy, going to start the final book in a min.

Can confirm another NSD for yesterday though - so that's 15 NSD so far. Was feeling really chuffed until I realised its Feb next week already :eek: Not quite decaring for today as there is a dress on eBay I'm considering (one of my 'typical stories' saw it in a store in the States on Sun, didn't buy it, wished i had and the store doesn't do internation delivery. Found it on eBay but not 100% sure of the size and seller doesn't take returns so a) have asked for measurements, b) have asked/begged/pleaded that if I buy two to try for size Pleaaaasssseeeee could I return one of them) what am I like eh? Late new year's resolution....BE MORE DECISIVE! :wall:

slowlyfading

Lots more NSDs being collected today - well done everyone!

chris81418 - well done on number 21 :j :j :j
skaps - well done on number 17 :j :j :j
savingcaz - well done on numbers 22 and 23 and exceeding your target! :j :j :j
Surfbabe - well done on number 12 and exceeding your target :j :j :j
teenyweenyspender - well done on number 20 and hitting your target :j :j :j
julytex - well done on number 9 :j :j :j
Yorkielass - well done on number 11 :j :j :j
karren - well done on another nsd :j :j :j
DansMum - well done on number 14 :j :j :j
Sunnylooloo - well done on number 18 :j :j :j
Keiss 21 - well done on numebr 17 :j :j :j and good luck on your new target of 19!
SeasideEm - well done on number 10 :j :j :j
romyou - well done on number 18 :j :j :j
wit40iwtwan - well done on number 20 :j :j :j
LittleMissHappy - well done on number 18 :j :j :j
beanielou - well done on numbers 23 and 24 - that's fab :j :j :j
ifwisheswerehorses - well done on number 15 :j :j :j and good luck with your increased target of 17!
Nym Mcfroglet - well done on number 15 :j :j :j
Decluttering - well done on number 11 :j :j :j
Palema - well done on number 13 :j :j :j
Tixy - well done on number 15 :j :j :j
pinkfluffybabe - well done on number 9 :j :j :j
CommitedToChange - well done on number 13 :j :j :j
kerri gt - well done on number 15 :j :j :j


I got number 20 today - yay!