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

fedupandskint

Hello again everyone - wishing us all have a healthy and happy 2011!

Well after ducking out of the challenge last year, and giving up, I started to give some thought to paying off the CC's and devised a repayment plan. Then it occurred to me that in order to make these higher payments I'd have to curb my spending and to do this I'd better rejoin the NSD gang

Can I join up again? All the motivation on here is great and I'll need this to keep me going

I'm aiming for 15 NSD's in Jan - here we go with 1 today! Not been anywhere to spend today, hoping for another one tomorrow too! Now this could work you know!

kezlou

Thanks spoon for starting the challenge again, your a star!!

Love the dancing theme!

Well i'm going for ten again, going to ease my self in for the new year.

Please could set a personal challenge of 5 in a row please. Doubt it will happen but its worth a shot!

Here's to 2011, may be flying for everyone!

slowlyfading

Number 1 for me

Liz41_2

Hi, I'd like to try this challenge, I realise that I fritter a lot of money away buying wee things over the month.
I'm going to try for 15 NSD's.
It should be made easier as I have given up smoking (almost 16 hours ago!) so wont be going into shops daily to buy them.

Keiss_21

muffin_man_7 wrote: »

keiss 21 nice to know i'm not the only one i too have loads of plans to do this and that some i start but never seem to finish others i never start this year i ill try harder to finish 1 thing before i do the next i run out of steam before things are finished and if i do finish i feel exausted and don't seem to get much done the next day lets hope we can both do much better this year if you have any suggestions i'm listening( well reading )thanks for this post you may just have given me a little energy boost not sure how long i hate not being able to finish something with out being tired halfway through lets hope we can help each other
thanks again mm7

butdoineedit? wrote: »

Aww Keiss you're not a failure at all, same as we say about not meeting NSD targets, sometimes you just have to re-prioritise all the things you need to do so that you don't become overwhelmed, as you already know you overdo it sometimes. That's definitely not failing, it's just plain sensible in my book!!!

Thanks you two...I felt so much better admitting that I have a problem in the first place....so perhaps there is hope after all! I do tend to set myself far too many things to do, and expect too high a standard...so less projects, and less pressure on myself needs to be the way to go methinks!!

I have been re-prioritizing things all over the holiday period, to the extent that the Xmas cake only got iced today! Still, it has got done, and looks lovely and simple. Not sure when it will get eaten though. Perhaps I will have a small slice if I complete a project/task I have set myself! No doubt DH and possibly my boys (one doesn't like it much and the other is back to Uni on Thursday) will munch their way through most of it..

So today I have started on a list of things to do in January. I will no doubt break it down into smaller weekly and daily lists later. When I complete one, I will tick it off with the date beside it. I started doing this last year, and it helped a lot...seeing when I did things came in useful sometimes.

Actually, perhaps I will start off a spreadsheet....I have one for weight loss (or in the case of 2010, gain ) and another spends, so another could come in handy. I also need to devise little prizes for myself as rewards for completing tasks/projects...not sure if I should be using food as a reward as I am trying to lose loads of weight! Perhaps, an afternoon of cross-stitching can be "won" if I complete 5 biggish tasks in a week.....I don't want to make it a competition, as I will be back to doing too much again!!

If anyone has other ideas of how to cope better with doing too much, then I am all ears (and eyes!).

Wee_Pilsbury

I'd like to join please

Put me down for 15 this month - managed my first today so fingers crossed :T

blissfullydebtfreewannabe

Hi everyone,

Happy New Year!

I'd like to join too please, putting myself down for16 NSD's for January.

Good luck!

kezlou

My first no spend day of the year!

BigMummaF

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!

wit40iwtwan

Count me in for 20 NSDs mainly due to massive gas bill so will need to be careful and besides I don't need anything!