Bridge the gap with the February NSD challenge

IF

Good afternoon all :hello:


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!

suzie_wong

Just dropping by to report NSD11/12. Not that it's been difficult- still very poorly and stuck indoors. I am SOOOOOOOOO bored- no energy to do anything at all. My bags are still where I dropped them when I got home from a weekend away on Monday Surely I must start feeling better soon.

butdoineedit?

jintyb wrote: »

BDINI - my sort of DIY is a supervisory role, as in I sit on the couch and watch OH slog away while I offer "helpful" remarks!:rotfl:

Nothing wrong with that Jinty, although i am now a fully fledged plumbers apprentice :rotfl:
Hope the sideboard has arrived & is looking fab?

beanielou wrote: »

DS has got a conditional :j :j :j :j :j

Congrats to your son Beanie :j

Suzie, hope you're feeling better soon

Well i am now bathroomless (is that a real word :rotfl:), although i do have a toilet.... after 8 hours of leg crossing & asking "do we put the toilet in now?" :eek:)

Am going to get some groceries now as can't do it Monday as plumber has to come back, all this DIY is not helping my only spend once a week challenge. Think i might put my pub money to one side (incase i manage to sneak out after the plumber has finished), i only ever spend £6, so as long as i don't go over that i don't feel too guilty not counting it & might give me a chance to rack some more up next week, as tomorrow i really do have to go & find a giant bucket to stand in whilst showering in the kitchen!!!!

beanielou

Did you enjoy being a plumbers mate though?

NSD today.Some snow this morning & mucho skinto so havent been out.
So no 14 today thanks Spoony.

fillyfop

Evening all ... Well today is officially NSD #10

So I'm still on track to hit my target (just!) Tomorrow should be another, but I have a feeling it may be tricky as I'm out all day but I'm sure I'll do it. Fingers crossed.

Well done to everyone for all the good numbers coming through!

kerri_gt

...right, bit of food in the fridge for the week (milk, bread for sarnies - errr, and a caramal surprise dessert thing from Mr W....now how did that sneak in lol!) so I should be able to clock up some more NSD this week, due to the fact I'm skint now until pay day except for bills I bascially need 7 out of the 9 days left to hit target - and I know one day next weekend will be a spend as I have to collect the lawnmower from fleabay.....so that gives me one day's grace...wish me luck or call me a kipper!

muffin_man_7

Hi spoon im back even though ive not been able to join in on here ive still kept track of my nsd for feb up to now im on 11 nsds and would like to go for 18 if that ok
sorry not been updating more but havent had my laptop sorted died on me but my son-in-law found me a little mini one cheaper than getting other one fixed so im happy hope ive not missed too much will catch up as quick as i can its so good to be back

holidayaholic

Had a bit of an (early) spring clean today, so stayed indoors all day away from temptation!

That means I made it to NSD # 12 :j

And I've spent the evening so far scrutinising my accounts and atarting to figure out a plan to get myself debt free (eventually...!) :money: so that should help to stop me overspending next week while I'm off work.

kdenty

Today was Number 12

cw18

Yeah - double figures for me :T
NSD #10 today

Just a shame that it came at the expense of company for the weekend
Have had to make do with several phone calls instead - about 4 hours worth just today
(I don't think I've ever had to recharge a mobile phone as often as I have the last couple of months )