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

suzie_wong

suzie_wong wrote: »

Hmmm.... only 3 days to go until the end of the month and I want 2 more NSDs :cool:

Need a couple of things that I hadn't realised we were short on (butter etc) so am thinking I might be 'too busy' to go into town, and DH will have to go instead!!

Hee hee- it worked! :rotfl:

IF

Good afternoon all :hello:

Thanks Spoony, it's nice to be back :A


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!

PerfectPeaches

Afternoon all,

No NSD for me today but as I have reached my target I'm not too hard on myself! Took DD to get her photos done for a passport - what a job that is trying to get pictures of a 3 month old child! But it is done and they are amazing photos bless her!

Hopefully a NSD for me tomorrow. Having a look at a new horse in the morning so fingers crossed she is suitable. Means at DD can accompany me to the yard!

Parents in Law are here for the weekend and FIL is currently putting up blinds, shelving units, towel rails etc up around the house :T and the MIL is making constant cups of tea :T

The OH is away at a match with his team. He is seriously considering leaving his job - working for a premiership football team is not all its cracked up to be! People only see the large amounts of money thrown around but it isn't all glam let me tell you especially not behind the scenes where the real donkey work is done.

Anyway, I better go and will report back tomorrow.

Peaches x

Money_Fritter

Hi folks

I managed another NSD today so that is 13/12 for Jan

Money Fritter

beanielou

Has your OH got anything else lined up Peaches?

emiliah

Thursday and today were NSDs so thats 14 NSDs

Tomorrow will be a spend day, so will have to make sure there's no spending on Monday to reach my target of 15

beanielou

NSD today so I think that was no 25.
Havent been out other than popping to my friends for a wee coffee from her posh coffee maker

romylou_2

Hello everyone

Well Im declaring NSD No. 19:T

Its looking good for tomorrow as well. Unfortunately Monday will be a spend day because I will have to pay £4.40 for my powerplate session.

Solventsoon, please can you put me down for 20 days in february;)

It'll be tough but I'll give it a go. Thanks xx

Tropicalmoments

Big spendy day for me as I spent about £68 on the shopping - but there is enough to last a couple of weeks. The only thing I will need to buy is bread and maybe some meat(other than pork) in a couple of weeks.

My dh and his pal bought a pig (slaughtered and butchered of course) half of which is now in my freezer - 2 huge joints, umpteen chops, liver and .............. about 200 sausages:eek: Now I like sausages but ........!! They are pure meat though and it was all organic.

We were also given the trotters, head and about 2 black bags worth of fat (the other guy had the sense not to want these) - like what am I going to do with that (although dh thought we could make our own pork scratchings - yeah right!). I'm embarrassed to say that I binned that lot - I know it's a crime but I really had nowhere to put it all and the freezer is jam packed and I was worried about attracting stray wolves or such like!

Can you guess what we're going to be eating for the next year?

pinkfluffybabe

NSD No.10 for me today.

That's me met my target (left it late though ).

Am pleased, thanks for your support guys and I think I'll go for 11 in february.