Marching on in March - The NSD Challenge

IF

Hello all. Got my 6th NSD yesterday. Big group hug from me



Bumping for any Newbies joining us xx

butdoineedit? wrote: »

Hi lovely NSD gang:A
As you can see there is lots of activity on this challenge 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.

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!

lauzellen

Yesterday was a NSD so that takes me up to 6 yay :beer:

Thanks to BDINI & solventsoon - I'm ok thanks Plenty more fish in the sea eh

MessyMare

somehow managed to clock up 7 NSDs so far! How I've done it, I don't know! Something to do with not wanting to break that crisp £20 in my purse I think :P

jaffacakegal

I hate T£sco - all supermarkets are evil :mad::mad::mad:

I go in there with a list of a few things and come out spending over £100 - with nothing to actually make a full meal with, just snacks and fruit juice and frozen stuff! How?!

Well that was my yesterday anyway so not NSD for me!

Must try harder! Think today should be ok, won't count my NSD chickens before I catch them tho

JCG x

kerri_gt

Forgive me BDINI for I have sinned, it's been....errr...1, 2...errr....a long time since my last NSD day and today I purchased some new foundation (mine ran out this morning), new eyeshadow (mine is literally in crumbs and it's not supposed to be), a new kabuki brush (as my current one is shedding like a cat), and got a free blusher (which I didn't need but it was free so might eBay). I also hunted the high street for Glamour and finally found one that a) some little oik hadn't nicked the Clinique sample out of b) had a sample that I wanted. So all in all I've spent about £22 today :o:o

How many licks of the paintbrush is that? :eek:

Trinny

Hi Spoon

NSD 4 today please

Declaring early as there is no need for me to shop today

Thanks

Trin

elfen

NSD no 5 for me please.

Still not well....

DansMum_2

Reporting today number 5 hopefully not too early

muffin_man_7

REPORTING NSD 4 FOR TUESDAY AND WITH TODAY THAT MAKES 5 IN A ROW:j One target down and one to go we made pancakes last night even tossed a couple

BDINI found some coins spread over the house and it put leccy on the meter £3 not bad also found i still had some credit left on a couple of mrA shop cards so put that to good use got milk with it and a cutter thing to cut new tabs for my migraines more tabs to take but if they work i'll be happy so still counting as a nsd cos these were from last year that's ok isn't it? hopefully money situation will be a bit more sorted soon

solventsoon

lauzellen wrote: »

Yesterday was a NSD so that takes me up to 6 yay :beer:

Thanks to BDINI & solventsoon - I'm ok thanks Plenty more fish in the sea eh

That's the attitude, lauzellen, well done you:T:T:T
xx