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

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No 7 NSD for me. Thanks Spoon

Decluttering

Yes!! I did it!!! Today is NSD #4

Nargleblast

Burns Night, eh? Better polish me sporran, then. And moisturise the old kneecaps ready for the old kilt made out of genuine Nargle tartan. Complete with ancient kipper stains....gorgeous!

Chinese New Year sounds interesting, anyone know which year it will be? Just so Igor can have a think about main course menues - hope it's not Year of the Rat, though, I dread to think what he would try and serve us... (fast forward to the NSD gang Chinese New Year dinner....."Igor, it's supposed to be Chop Suey, not Chop Sewer...")

23rdspiral

hello :wave:

i just thought i should say hello, as after hearing about the NSD challenge on the Frugal Challenge thread, i added that to my aims and sig and then thought i should seek out the origins of it!

i work in a town centre so spending in my lunch hour is a big issue. sometimes its needed groceries, but other times it's yet another moisturiser or notepad from poundland. naughty.

i'm almost certainly being made redundant at the end of march... not good... but at least i wouldnt be in town so much! :rotfl:

i'm going to try for 14 NSDs in Jan.

if you dont mind, i'm proably going to be a lurker here, i chat way too much in Frugal and the Cross Stitch Cafe :coffee: already!

thanks everyone.

lotti379

NSD number 4!

Helped by my only trip out being to the library... Good news though, I can get books out at my local uni library (even though I don't go there, go to uni in the next city... living here is all to do with Mr L really) as I'm a postgrad! So don't have to get on the train every time I need a book! (If they have it of course... )

Nargleblast

Hello 23rd spiral and any other nurking lewbies out there.....welcome to the NSD gang. I will "bump" the rules of the game for you to peruse. Solvent Soon (aka Spoon) and Slowly Fading (aka SF) will no doubt give you the official NSD gang welcome when they next clock in.

Nargleblast

ifwisheswerehorses... wrote: »

Good afternoon all, Bumping BigMamma’s and Spoon’s posts x




Written by BigMummaF x

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!

Bumped for the nurking lewbies as promised.

moneypenny2k

BigMummaF wrote: »

kerri_gt wrote: »

....Regarding the caffeine thing - I don't think i've had any more/less than normal on the tea front today but deff no headaches...1*it's either my screen...or I think it might be 2*the heating at work - which sounds silly....Or perhaps I was just tired....3*I used to get a lot of headaches at one time in school, they never really did find the cause of that either - might be stress?..../QUOTE]
1* If you think it's your screen, your employer should be paying for sight tests & contribute towards spex; also if you need safety glasses for your job.
2* Nothing unusal about air con or heating causing headaches & again, bring it to the attention of your HR dept. You may be surprised at how many others are also suffering, & may just need an atomiser or something to keep a bit of moisture in the air. Remember too that you MUST drink more if the heating is on as dehydration can cause all manner of nasties
3* Could also be the lighting. Those awful strip lights were a real pain for some & some unfortunate souls could see every little flicker

Have you tried using My$uperm4rket to compare prices Bella? You can use it to do online shopping but I just check the price per 100g etc twix the big four. Another one is F1xtur€ F€rr€t; you need to pay about a fiver a year for that one but it gives you the current special offers for around 8 or 9 supermarket chains.

Oh it does..AND very compulsive Had to collect a script for me muvva yesterday [spoke too soon but thankfully nothing too serious *phew*] & was sorely tempted by two puzzle books at half price. The chemist was empty tho so they did the deal straight away, or I would have gone to the chicken house (coop..geddit? ) next door to see what to leave The Offspring for today too. Upshot was I kept my nsd intact yesterday by the skin-o-me-teef to add to Monday's & making my current total 8 :j

I'm convinced work makes us ill. I don't cough during the holidays, as soon as I'm back at work off I go.

BigMummaF wrote: »

Please remember tho that we all have different home/work/family set-ups & that can make a huge difference For me, my lot SIZE=1]aka The Offspring![/SIZE are all adults now so the demands on my purse are considerably less than if they were at school.

That's why I encourage folk to be proud of their own achievements & not compare themselves against others, & why the f@il word is not permitted on this thread

big MummaF are you a teacher? Life coach? if not retrain now lol

suzie_wong wrote: »

Oh dear , really feel I should join this- I know it's bad for my health and wallet, but I LOVE it ..... what to do???

Come on over and cut down at least Suzie. I'm amazed at how popular the thread has been today.

Thanks to Spoony and Keiss21 for coming over and saying hi, and to the people who have joined up. Not a drop has passed my lips today :A

Oh and I've a nsd today making 8 out of 10 for me Mistress' Spoony and Slowly

BigMummaF

Nargleblast wrote: »

....Chinese New Year sounds interesting, anyone know which year it will be? Just so Igor can have a think about main course menues - hope it's not Year of the Rat, though, I dread to think what he would try and serve us... (fast forward to the NSD gang Chinese New Year dinner....."Igor, it's supposed to be Chop Suey, not Chop Sewer...")

Rodents & door furniture Nargle..RAT-a-TAT-Two-wee :rotfl:

BigMummaF

H'nd agin!

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!