Bridge the gap with the February NSD challenge

IF

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


Some helpful suggestions and ideas to follow below from our sponsor and godmother, BigMummaF :A

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!

DansMum_2

Good morrow good people Hope you're all well

Declaring Friday as NSD 2 for Feb... Sorry I havent had a chance to catch up on everyone, but its hard to keep up with the thread!!

Just an ask - DansDad and myself are getting fence panels tonight (finally getting round to doing the garden :j) Part payment will be a gift voucher and part payment Christmas money.... Does this count as a NSD for today? I tend to think it does somehow....:D Especially if I can wangle DansDad to pay the difference :cool:

Have also transferred an ISA and changed the s/o date so it coincides with a dd therefore giving me another true NSD :money:

Have a good weekend x

beanielou

moneypenny~try to take it easy.
jinty~Glad you had a great day yesterday
spoony~4 months would be just awesome

Keiss_21

solventsoon wrote: »

Can't be as bad as me, Keiss, I was doing a hand-made buttonhole on a coat once, had the coat on my lap and stitched the buttonhole and coat to the skirt I was wearing:o:o:o

:rotfl:Love it Spoon!!:rotfl: Got some knitting done last night. (pretty good match, speaking as a Scottish lass) ..the first sock for DH...turned the heel, so on the easy straight bit ...must try not to knit too much though!!

May knit a pair of fingerless gloves today..a very belated Xmas present!!! I was going to do something else (X-stitch...too slow with that atm!), but decided at least this way she will get something before spring arrives!

DansMum wrote: »

Just an ask - DansDad and myself are getting fence panels tonight (finally getting round to doing the garden :j) Part payment will be a gift voucher and part payment Christmas money.... Does this count as a NSD for today? I tend to think it does somehow....:D Especially if I can wangle DansDad to pay the difference :cool:

Sounds like an NSD to me!!

Talking of which...I am declaring today as NSD no 4. Looks like I could well manage another tomorrow...here's hoping!

Have a great weekend everyone...off to do some cross-stitching now, honest! Have tidied up downstairs and managed to get DS2 to wash up the breakfast things, so an hour and a bit before lunch to fit in some stitching! Then of course this afternoon it's wall-to-wall rugby, so some knitting and ironing methinks! HM burgers for tea in the freezer - sorted!

kerri_gt

Afternoon all!

Spoony - that's great about you DFD, the end is in sight :T. So pleased for you and it's spurred me on to really push ahead with mine (which will hopefully be later in the year too)

Cheryl - what time do you want us over for tea? mixed grill sounds yummy :rotfl:

Dansmum - the good thing about this challenge is that the rules are up to you. Personally if you can pay for the fence panels with vouchers and xmas money, I would count that as a NSD. However if I had to add my own money to make up any diff, I would count it as a spendy (do fingers crossed Dansdad will pay any extra )

Will be a spendy for me today - we've run out of milk :eek: and bread :eek::eek: so will have to pick up that later (when I'm out of my pjs) and sandwich filling for next week. Also supposed to be meeting my friend tonight but haven't heard from her as yet.

Oh, spoony - dinner last night was v.nice - though it was smoked river cobbler which I didn't realise and I'm not a huge fan of smoked fish. Still, had some for dinner last night and two more portions in the freezer so all good there (and the cat got some too )

Have a good day all! xx

solventsoon

Karb wrote: »

Hi all. Sorry I'm a bit late, but is is still alright if I join for this month?

With 7 of us at home, plus a dog and numerous fish, I don't get too many opportunities for a NSD, as I have to buy bread and milk most days, but I think with a bit of effort I should be able to achieve 7 NSDs for the month.

:hello:Hi Karb and welcome to the NSD challenge, it's never too late to join us:D

Sounds as though you need to be organised with everyone at home, so well done for choosing a target you think is achievable:T

I'll add you to the front page when I do the update later, in the meantime consider yourself a fully-fledged member of the NSD gang and feel free to join in with the chat and general nonsense on here:D.

Good luck
spoon xx

cw18

kerri_gt wrote: »

Cheryl - what time do you want us over for tea? mixed grill sounds yummy :rotfl:

Abut 8:30?

And there may be plenty to go round.... pulled a load of stuff from the freezers, and was out buying the last bits when I got a text to say his van won't start!! He's currently waiting on the breakdown people in the hope it's something they can sort on the spot

Pulled out a large (whoopsied) piece of sirloin steak - now defrosted enough to cut in half, each around 180g - along with two (whoopsied) pork steaks, and 2 large (whoopsied) sausages. Already have tomatoes in for grilling.

Been out to get (whoopsied) mushrooms - he does eat them - and frozen peas, and also picked up a pack of frozen lamb chump chops (2 for tonight, 6 for the freezer) and a bag of battered onion rings. Already had garlic and herb potato wedges in the freezer, so that's our "light" tea sorted

But despite putting the money for the food to one side, I still can't declare today as an NSD. I nipped into a local charity shop, and picked up 3 dresses (one summer, two summer or 'casual' nights out) for £3.50 total.

chris81418

Hello everyone!

Yesterday was NSD number 4 for me! Yay! Today should be another one, but I won't count my chickens just yet.

Congrats Spoon on being so close to you Debt Free Date - you're an inspiration to us all - so much so, that I've made an extra payment towards one of my debts this month to try and bring my DFD a bit closer too!

Cheryl - I hope your man gets his van fixed and makes it over to your's tonight.

Have a good weekend everyone, and good luck with collecting more NSDs!

skaps

up to 3 so far

beanielou

no 3 today.
Havent been out & dont intend to go out.