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!

kerri_gt

Nargleblast wrote: »

Got some reduced price Chow Mein sauce and prawn crackers today (post- Chinese New Year reductions) and did chicken chow mein for dinner, using up chicken fillets from freezer and serving with mini spring rolls from freezer and a pack of savoury rice from the cupboard. Now packets of savoury rice are the sort of thing I would not normally give cupboard room to, but it was left over from the Christmas hamper and just squealing at me "eat me, eat me!" every time I opened the cupboard. It tasted not quite as filthy as I expected because I added extra seasoning and stirred in fried egg to make egg fried rice. Now there's just the tinned ham to get rid of....yuk! OH likes it but I don't, so I keep putting off using it. Give me real ham on the bone any day!

So, hopefully tomorrow will be NSD number 2...watch this space......

Oh, send the tinned ham this way, I love it - esp the jelly (which my friend likens to the stuff round dog food!) only reason i tend not to buy it these days it because it's largely EU pork and I can't be sure of the welfare standards.

I am also guilty of having a liking for the savoury rice - must be an 80's thing I guess

beanielou

You are not that old surely Kerri?

Nargleblast

Talking of retro food, I used to love the Vesta meals. The risotto was nice, also the Chow Mein with the crispy fried noodles. Not too keen on the curry, though. Yes, I know they bore no resemblance to the real thing but at least it was a gentle intro to foreign food.

kerri_gt

beanielou wrote: »

You are not that old surely Kerri?

errrr... *looks over shoulder to see who is likely to see this post* shhhh..can't beleive I'm gonna admit my age twice in one evening (now you sure this is just between you and me Beanie and no one else will see? )...I'm the grand old age of 31yrs 5mths and 1day ... now no telling a soul

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

IF

kerri_gt wrote: »

errrr... *looks over shoulder to see who is likely to see this post* shhhh..can't beleive I'm gonna admit my age twice in one evening (now you sure this is just between you and me Beanie and no one else will see? )...I'm the grand old age of 31yrs 5mths and 1day ... now no telling a soul

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

:rotfl:I won't tell anyone Kerri

cw18

Yesterday was NSD #3

Checked Whoopsies as I left work today - and was very, very tempted by a few bits and pieces..... but I'm proud to say I didn't even get sa far as picking any of them up off the shelves, which means today is NSD #4 :T

Dee_cb

Finally for NSD number 2 today . Am trying to aim to spend no money this week

suzie_wong

NSD#4 for me today:j

Didn't have the chance to spend anything as DD was off school poorly, and so I concentrated on cleaning etc. Just as well really as I have the feeling that this month is going to be a struggle money-wise Not quite sure why but it seems worse than last month, even though I had all the kid's clubs to pay for then...

beanielou

kerri_gt wrote: »

errrr... *looks over shoulder to see who is likely to see this post* shhhh..can't beleive I'm gonna admit my age twice in one evening (now you sure this is just between you and me Beanie and no one else will see? )...I'm the grand old age of 31yrs 5mths and 1day ... now no telling a soul

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Just a young thing then:D
I wont tell a soul~honest:p