Avoiding the shops in April - The NSD Challenge

butdoineedit?

WELCOME TO THE APRIL NSD CHALLENGE

Let us help you to make April 2011 a bit less depressing by encouraging you to keep your hard-earned cash safe, loved and cossetted with you rather than being used and abused by those nasty retailers.

We are a happy (and some might say mildly insane bunch doing battle with those retailers - and there’s plenty of temptation all around us. We are seriously committed to saving money, but nobody said it can't be done with a smile on your face - so we organise riotous nights out and gatecrash any function going - all without leaving the comfort of our own imaginations or armchairs!


On a slightly more serious note, we are here to help each other avoid spending for the number of days we feel we can manage to try to take back some control over our hard-earned money. What you class as a "spend'" is entirely your choice; some people will try to shop on the days DD/SO etc are paid, whilst others will not include essentials such as rent. Have a look for a post from our sponsor (and godmother of this thread) BigMummaF, this contains some guielines and ideas for starting you off on the challenge.

It’s amazing how inventive you get when you’re determined NOT to spend - from weird menu ingredients to surprising DIY solutions - but you know what? 99% of the time those wacky ideas work.


The link to our March thread is below so you can see what a friendly group we are. New recruits are joining up all the time - everyone is welcome so please don’t be shy, come and join us, the more the merrier.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3079934

Good luck everyone, our lucky mascot is joining us again for March

butdoineedit?

Target met = Target no 2 met = Target no 3 met = Target no 4 met = Target exceeded =


3Dogs - 12

Actress - 7 7
AlyBaly - 8 8 9
angelflower - 10

beanielou - 15 15 21
bellkat - 10 10 13
bexs.ua - 7 7
Bexterragga - 15 14
BDINI - 16 16
BigMummaF - 15 15 19
bottleofred - 12 12 14
boultdj - 15 15
brummiebabe - 10 10
Buffythedebtslayer - 10 6
burge23 - 15 1
Butti - 7 7 8

caledonian princess - 8 7
castri09 - 10
CatherineMM - 6 1
catslovelycats - 12 7
chris81418 - 19 19 Target increased to 23 23 24
cleggie - 6 6 8
cloudcuckooland - 10 5
ColleenPamela - 12 2
complimentschemistry - 10
cuddlymarm - 16 16 17
cw18 - 12 12 14

DansMum - 15 4
d3mon4ngel - 12
debtfreewannabe321 - 7 4
Dee_cb - 12 8
destroyerofdebt2011 - 10 10 16
determined new ms - 10
dmb - 12 8
donna dynamo - 17 16

ebayqueen - 14 14
ebsaver - 18 16
elfen 16
ElmerFudd - 15 6

fedupandskint - 15 15 Target increased to 16 16 17
fenna - 15 15
fillyfop - 18 13

gothrockchic1 - 10 6

hannah:-) - 10 6
honey - 14 8

ifwisheswerehorses... - 17 17
IHaveNoMoney.com - 10 10
ilovetea - 10 3

jaffacakegal - 12 12 Target increased to 14 14 Target increased to 18 16
jintyb - 15 15 Target increased to 18 18 Target increased to 20 20
jnaden - 7 6

Karb - 12
karmachilovething - 12 7
katenut - 18 14
kathy40uk - 15 15
Keiss 21 - 16 16 Target increased to 18 18
kerri gt - 14 14
kerryallc71 -
kezlou - 10 3

lauzellen - 15 12
LittleMissHappy - 14 14 15
loveGSDs - 10 8

magda73 - 6
Mandamoo - 10
marmiterulesok - 15 15 Target increased to 18 18
MAY1950 - 13 10
muffin man 7 - 15 21

Nargleblast - 10 10 12

pacman2007 - 14
Palema - 13 13 15
_Persephone - 12 1
pinkfluffybabe - 15 15 Target increased to 20 20 21
postingalwaysposting - 17 17 18

Rachel021967 - 10 3
redcoltraine - 10 2
rising from the ashes - 12 10
Rock_Cakes - 15 13

serendipity1985 - 20 1
shezam - 6 6
sibles - 15 1
skaps - 17 16
slowlyfading - 18 15
solventsoon - 20 20 23
Sunnylooloo - 15 8
suzie wong - 15 14

tattooed_lady - 7 7
The Dragon - 10 10 Target increased to 13 13
threemuttleys - 5
thrifty fifty - 10 10 12
Tixy - 12 9
Trinny - 16 16 17
twistedhazel - 20 20

Wee Pilsbury - 10 10 11
wigwam - 10 7
wit40iwtwan- 20 20
wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver - 10 6

Yorkielass - 10 10

Zend - 10

HALL OF FAME:
NSD's in a row challenge

destroyerofdebt2011 - 4 in a row Target met Woo Hoo! Increased to 5 in a row
The Dragon - 4 in a row Target met Woo Hoo!
wit40iwtwan - 7 in a row
chris81418 - 6 in a row Target met Woo Hoo!
muffin man 7 - 5 in a row
Actress - 4 in a row
elfen - 7 in a row
marmiterulesok - 4 in a row

[Deleted User]

Hi butdoineedit?
I'm in again for April - Can you please put me down for 13 NSD's
Thanks
P
X

butdoineedit?

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!

suzie_wong

Me too!! I'm going to try for 15 again in April please. I won't make it this month, but I'm going to have less money in April due to not much tuition work in the school holidays. I will need to seriously watch my spending, because I also have all of DSs sports clubs, cubs and guitar lessons to pay for at the end of the month :eek:

fenna

Hey all, I have done this before but it was probably a good 6 months ago. I am gonna go for 15 days this month, its a big challenge for me but i need to do something. my boyfriend is doing it to but I will update on mine.
Good luck to everyone and I look forward to reading all the tips for saving money.

fishty

I've gone cross-eyed, has Joseph just walked accross the page?

This April is a seriously bad time for a NSD for those with kids. Mine are in school for a total of 7 days!!!

Gonna cost me a fortune

ilovetea

Please can you put me down for 10 nsd please. Lost count in March,don't think I *ailed as I didn't go out much This time I WILL keep track.

ilovetea xx

kathy40uk

:hello:

Hi all NSDers xxx


Please can I go for another 15 please for April

Thanks for keeping us all on the staright and narrow for another month BDINI xxx

:hello:

butdoineedit?

Big welcome back everyone, you're all signed up now!!

elfen - 18

fenna - 15

ilovetea - 10

kathy40uk - 15

Palema - 13

suzie wong - 15

& i'll try for 16 again!

IF

BDINI




For doing Aprils NSD thread xxx

Love the Prizes and Please could you put me down for 17 NSD's Thank you x :A