Bridge the gap with the February NSD challenge

donna_dynamo

Hi all nsd number 9 today. Yesterday I had to get some nappies for the little one so it was a spendy day but today leaving the purse and grabbing a NSD. Had some good news as i am in credit with BT i have a payment free month and the monthly payment is going right down Hooray using the extra money on the credit card. :j

elf06

Well yesterday ended up being a spendy day but of the small sort. DS saw an add for making one of those cress people and asked if we could do it aswell so I decided I couldnt really grudge him a a packet of cress seeds. While I was there I got him a dvd for £3 and got myself some crisps and dip. Couldnt get the rest of what I needed so the money has been put aside to get the extra coupoe of thigs today.................if I only get the couple of bits today I shall be declaring it a NSD but will wait and see how it goes. I already have the tickets for the film purchased and the money aside for some chips after so as long as the other spending is only for milk and local paper It will remain a NSD.
On a slightly different note - I have decided not to worry too much about putting the £5 aside for woopsie shopping each week. I've found the same as Cheryl and that it isnt actually needed so from now on I wont be putting it aside and any woppsies will now be counted as spends.

Hope everyone is well

cw18

elf06 wrote: »

On a slightly different note - I have decided not to worry too much about putting the £5 aside for woopsie shopping each week. I've found the same as Cheryl and that it isnt actually needed so from now on I wont be putting it aside and any woppsies will now be counted as spends.

I could have actually done with it (plus a little bit more) yesterday :rotfl:

Last three days have all been spends

Monday was D/Debit and Whoopsies, including a couple of Pukk@ pies for pennies each (which made for made a lovely tea ), a loaf of 'secretly seeded' bread (not seen this one before, but it's one I'll buy again on Whoopsie ), a carton of drinking yoghurt, a large tub of c&o sandwich filler, and a pack of 2 garlic baguettes.

When I got home I realised I'd forgotten milk, so put money aside for that. But when I went to A!di for it on Tuesday they had some half-price roses, including a colour that would look great in my living room - so I shelled out £1.49 for a bunch of 12. I then pulled the bedraggled daisy type flowers out of Whoopsied bouquet from last week, and put the new roses in with the remaining roses, carnations and greenery. I also paid my running club renewal fee for this year.

Yesterday was a major Whoopsie haul (spent about £6 in total after discount, so closer to £7 from my grocery budget), which included 2x 1litre soya milk, 8x creamy peppered steak slices, 4x steak & ale pies, 1x steak & kidney pie, a dozen mini ring donuts, 10 croissants, a large seeded baguette, 4 submarine rolls, 570g deli ham (down to 24p/100g from £1.49/100g), 2 packs of 2 individual apple crumbles, and just over 1kg carrots (for 37p - which the dog is getting more than his fair share of !!) And then I realised I'd not yet paid for my monthly crafting kit (for some reason didn't get an email I can find from P@yP@l to say the invoice had arrived), so I paid that as well.....

I still need some potatoes (used the last on Monday night) and fresh veg (to go with the carrots), so have put some pennies away for those as I couldn't have carried anything else home last night As long as I buy nothing else today, it looks like I should get to clock up another NSD at last (as no D/Debit has gone out today)

wit40iwtwan

I am so happy with myself... I was really concerned I would fail this month but I am on the right track.

Declaring NSD no. 11as of yesterday!

I am dubious of my other challenge to do 7 NSD's in a row - I suspect it may be more like my current best of 5! But will see if I can go the distance next week for the WHOLE week! whoop whoop!

:j:j:j

Tropicalmoments

Got #10 yesterday so half way there. I'm really hoping that today will be another one as I know I need to spend tomorrow to get train tickets - but I'm going to do my shopping as well so hopefully no more spends required until end of next week. Maybe, just maybe, I will get to target - don't want to count my chickens though

LittleMissHappy_2

Today *should* be an NSD as I put aside money for lunch with my friend earlier in the week, so as long as i don't spend on anything other than that (which I won't. I won't.) I will be up to 9

Anyway, should be doing housework :eek: so best get my bum in gear x

kdenty

OK I've done a recount.

We have so far all saved up at total of
595 No Spending Days.

This means that we have tallied a full year and are now into the next year and have got as far as August 18th on year 2.

Please forgive me if I've done any wrong addings. I'm home today as my OH is poorly and he spent most of last night not dying quietly. Today I'm taking him to the doctors to try and get some straight answers. Could really have not done with a day off work like this but he needs sorting (very severe heartburn).

suzie_wong

Just dropping in to report another 4 NSDs, taking me up to NSD9. Haven't been here because I was away for the weekend to celebrate my birthday and my friend's 40th, but have been really poorly ever since. Day 4 of a nasty chest infection and no sign of any improvement. Has cost me about £100 so far in tuition that I have had to cancel, so not happy

kevstanley

I'm still crawling along with 4 NSDs. Had a couple of last minute requests for money for big trips for the kids this week, without which I'd be up to 6 by now (but which at least didn't send me into a minor panic as they would have done until a few weeks ago, so that's great). And next week's half term:eek:, so heaven knows how that will go. The girls and I are having fun thinking of cheap/free things to do

IF

Good afternoon all :hello:

Well done on your NSD's Spoony!!


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!