Marching on in March - The NSD Challenge

SOT2011

Hi everyone,

Flying visit, I've not got time to catch up on the thread today, but I hope everyone is ok and hugs to anyone who could do with one.

Update is that I am now on 6 NSDs so far this month. Yesterday missed out on one as was stuck at work over lunch so couldn't get home to eat the planned leftovers, but other than that, seems to be going ok so far, certainly better than the end of last month.

X

jintyb

cw18 wrote: »

They'll also want to get back the £60 you owe them, so that's another £5/month over the year. But this still only comes in at £720/year or £60/month.

I recently had a similar thing with Sc0ttish P0wer, and a phone call to them saw my payment being left where it was.

I did promise to monitor my useage more closely again (had been doing 4-weekly readings, but the last bill covered 85 days), which means I should really have submitted readings last week and I haven't. Must get it done in the next week I suppose

Thanks Cheryl! I have just phoned them. The explanation was that they had migrated my old accounts to their new "single" bill system at the beginning of Dec and the new DD amount was based on my usage from Dec- Jan ( winter bill, so obviously higher usage)
I queried their projected figures and and their rep could not understand how that equated with the proposed new DD amount.
The result is my DD is remaining at the same amount. :T In their favour, she was very helpful and polite and I had no hassle!
You've got to watch these companies like a hawk!
BTW - do you just keep a note of your readings or :mad:do you submit them monthly to the power company? I'm going to start keeping a note too!

cw18

jintyb wrote: »

BTW - do you just keep a note of your readings or :mad:do you submit them monthly to the power company? I'm going to start keeping a note too!

I have an on-line account, so I submit them to the company and generate a bill each time I take readings

(I do also have a spreadsheet I keep track of my readings in - along with what the bill came to, my payment history, and my current balance situation. Means that when I phone them to negotiate a change in payments I have all the figures I may need to quote readily to hand )

tattooed_lady

slowlyfading wrote: »

tattooed_lady - hope you're feeling better soon x

Thanks so much xx

elfen

It'll definitely be NSD no 6 for me today, still not well, not spending a penny but need to drag self to uni later.

Keiss_21

Coming in and declaring today as NSD no 8, early I know, but not going anywhere else other than the garden today.

Have had DS at docs this morning about his being ill for the past couple of weeks. He went in on his tod today (18 now!)...got the dippy doc who reckons he is drinking too much water and not eating enough!! He is diabetc, so we have to monitor him a bit more closely. He did neglect to say that DH and I had had similar symptoms...so he didn't get the "Oh it's a virus" talk...boys!!

Right, off to get changed into my gardening clothes and head off out into the sun. I have already watered all the plants in pots...the sun and wind, combined with lack of rain is making this a daily occurrence atm. I must clean and sort out my watering system...it got a bit damaged in the snow, so have to check it.

Have a great day every one, and ((((((hugs)))))) to those who need them. x

IF

Good morning all :hello:

butdoineedit? wrote: »

:j:j ifwisheswerehorses... – well done for number 6 & huge thanks for doing the daily “bumping”!!


& another one for me, no chance to spend while i was attacking the bathroom ceiling with a roller!!

Thanks BDINI, I do hope it doesn't annoy anyone me bumping it regularly

Well done on another NSD too :A

Sunnylooloo

Hi all just wizzzing past to say up to No 8 NSD.

Jinty I had a similar problem with N Power and my bill.... they put it up by a ridiculous amount - and by the next quarter I ended up in loads of credit (as I told them I would!) so I just voted with my feet and moved supplier with a nice little cash back too!

solventsoon

cw18 wrote: »

I have an on-line account, so I submit them to the company and generate a bill each time I take readings

(I do also have a spreadsheet I keep track of my readings in - along with what the bill came to, my payment history, and my current balance situation. Means that when I phone them to negotiate a change in payments I have all the figures I may need to quote readily to hand )

My OH does the same thing with all the utilities, Cheryl, it's come in very handy in the past.....

IF

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!