Marching on in March - The NSD Challenge

DansMum_2

Another NSD yesterday so making 6 so far :j Thanks all xxx

IF

Afternoon all. BDINI got my 7th NSD yesterday, thank you :A

Hope your all doing the Friday ~ Wiggle ~

boultdj

And it was a spend day today.......again ......only a low one but still a spend, parking in the town centre.

solventsoon

boultdj wrote: »

Yesterday made #4 seeing as I stayed in all day waiting for delivery's, now I just need to put the shelf[?] and I keep walking up and down the new carpet.......it's sooooooo warm and cosy now....
dosent take much to keep me happy

Yay to the new carpet, boult, glad you're pleased with it:j:j

jintyb wrote: »

Good moring all!

Thanks Cheryl and Spoon for the guidance re the power companies! I will be working on a shiny new spreadsheet to monitor the costs ( ooh I love a spreadsheet! Sad eh!):T
Today will be a spendy as its grocery shop today, plus I need a couple of vouchers for birthday presents. I have three birthdays to buy for this week!:eek: My sister, and two of the GC's!
I've decided to make some fudge to sell for Comic Relief, so I need to get cellophane bags for that. I have most of the ingredients so dont need much to make a couple of batches. I'm making white choc and cranberry and a plain chocolate one.
I'm going to hit the shops early today as I fancy having a quiet one for the rest of the day!
Have a lovely day everyone!:)

Happy spreadsheet-ing, jinty:D:D
Oooh.. expensive week ahead:eek: and well done for making the fudge:T:T

butdoineedit? wrote: »

Awww thanks Spoon, i'm quite enjoying this, so you're welcome to more holidays!

Thanks, BDINI, I may well keep you to that!:A

butdoineedit? wrote: »

Am hoping i might here next week about handing my notice in, (although i've said that before!), so fingers crossed!

Yep, definitely fingers crossed for you, you need to get out of there....

butdoineedit? wrote: »

& as for the electrician, i've crossed all but the essential jobs off the list, he's going to finish them today & then i'm going to pay him off & not use him again!! (slightly more legal than battering him with a sledgehammer i think! :rotfl:)

... but not half as much fun.....:rotfl:
Hope he got everything finished today

beanielou

No 5 today.


Am trying to get some prices for getting essential work on my house done.
Its scarey how much the pricdes can vary.
But Im sure some load their prices when they see a woman on their own.
Thouroughly cheesed off.

Trinny

Hello Spoon

NSD 6 today - still no spending, finally getting going this month

Thanks

Trin

solventsoon

ifwisheswerehorses... wrote: »

Afternoon all. BDINI got my 7th NSD yesterday, thank you :A

Hope your all doing the Friday ~ Wiggle ~

I'm wigglin', If....:D:D:D

romylou_2

Hello everyone,

I would like to report NSD No. 9 for me today:j. Still a long way to my target. Tomorrow I will have to go food shopping (bah - hate spendy days!!):D



Keep up the good work.

Catslovelycats

NSD 6 for me
Yippee

IF

Good evening all x

Bumping for any Newbies wanting to 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!