Avoiding the shops in April - The NSD Challenge

hannah:-)_2

Hurrah NSD #4

No way I can hit target, but at least it's another step in the right direction

Well done to everyone with their impressive tallies this month!:T

jnaden

Hello Everyone!! Hope you had a lovely Easter weekend :j

I have had a NSD #5 today oh yeah!!!! Its been a long time comeing!!!!Im so happy! (sad!)

Good Evening, and here is to another one tomo, i may reach my target! Jo xx

IF

Evening all. Got my 15th NSD BDINI, Thank you x

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!

butdoineedit?

Wow, you are a fab bunch, there have been loads of targets met today, well done everyone!!!

Targets met today:

:j:j solventsoon – Woo hoo well done for meeting target, 20 is great, especially considering what a busy month for birthdays that you’ve had!!

:j:j jintyb – well done for meeting target number 2, you are on a roll this month!! Target increased to 20

:j:j shezam – well done for number 6 & meeting target!!! So sorry to hear about OH’s redundancy, feel free to rant on here if you need to…

:j:j jaffacakegal – well done for number 14!! Of course you can raise your target, check out the front page, I’ve done it for you & given you 2 prizes!!

:j:j fedupandskint – well done for 15 & hitting target!! I’ve increased it to 16 for you

:j:j bottleofred – Target met, well done you!!

:j:j boultdj – well done for 15 & meeting target!!

:j:j Keiss 21 – well done for 16 & meeting target, I’ve increased it to 18 for you. Know what you mean about a garden in transition, mine is exactly the same, I seem to have been working non-stop, but it doesn’t look any different!!

:j:j destroyerofdebt2011 – well done for getting to 14, you have well & truly smashed your target this month!!

:j:j AlyBaly – well done for reaching target, I’m sure you’re right & you have another 1 or 2 in you!!

:j:j brummiebabe – well done for meeting target, thats brilliant!!

Lots of NSDs rolling in today, so well done to:

:j:j Buffythedebtslayer – well done for number 6, you’re doing great!!

:j:j loveGSDs - well done for number 8, you’re doing great!!

:j:j donna dynamo – well done for 15, hope DD was ok?

:j:j BigMummaF – well done for number 16!! I am soooo with you on that soapbox, I have to say I agree with everything you said…. & £450 for a hat :eek:

:j:j honey - well done for number 7, you’re doing great!!

:j:j rising from the ashes – well done for 9 & 10, & I’m glad you had a good day with your friend, sounds like fun!!

:j:j LittleMissHappy – well done for number 13, you can do it!!

:j:j dmb - well done for number 8, you’re doing great!!

:j:j skaps - well done for number 15, you’re doing great!!

:j:j gothrockchic1 - well done for number 5, you’re doing great!!

:j:j hannah:-) – well done for number 4 & for not giving up trying!!

:j:j jnaden - well done for number 5, you’re doing great!!

:j:jifwisheswerehorses... - evening IF, well done for 15!!

And hello to:

chris81418 – well you do have to buy food every now & then, but I have no doubt you’ll get your last 3 in!!

Nargleblast – seeing as you have done so well this month I’ll give you custody of the paintbrush, just make sure you keep it away from Igor!! :rotfl::rotfl:

kerri gt – Ahh bless those poor little wilting flowers are lucky to have you, hope they end up looking fab!! An outing on Friday is such a good idea, are we getting wedding hats for the occasion?????

cw18 – that’s one huuuuge turkey Cheryl, you’ll be clucking by Friday!! Good luck in the ballot, I’ll keep my fingers crossed (well as much as I can between now & October, I may have to uncross them to type :j)

suzie wong – don’t give up yet, there’s still time!!

& another one for me, so just 2 more to get now, it will be tight, but I can do it!!

kerri_gt

Ohhh...Nargle i do like the idea of a best hat competition :j

I was thinking of some kind of full size wedding cake type sculpture, complete with little cut outs of wills and kate on the top, all decked out in union flags...or do you think that might be a little over the top and perhaps block the view of people behind me? :think:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

ps is Igor going to be doing the catering again? _pale_

butdoineedit?

Competetive wrote: »

Thank you Kerri!!:T

Can I please join the crew and set 8NSDs for May Challenge

Nargleblast wrote: »

Competitive - welcome to the asylum. As kerri said, check out the rules and regulations on the first page of this thread. We start a new thread at the beginning of each month, and you will meet bdini, who sets the prizes for those who achieve their targets and administers the soggy paintbrush for those who don't. Updates on everyone's progress are provided by slowlyfading and catslovelycats, and there's BigMumma to keep us all in order. And boy, do we need that!

Welcome to the madhouse Competitive!!!
Spoon will be setting the May thread up sometime soon (she's definitely the guardian of this thread, i'm just her helper!!:D), just keep your eye out & there will be a link on here, but feel free to have a little practise & post on here for encouragement, we're a really friendly bunch!!

Oh & don't listen to Nargle, i'm nice really, it's only Nargle that gets beaten with the paintbrush regularly, so you're pretty safe :rotfl::rotfl:

You'll love it here & hopefully save loads of cash into the bargain!!

butdoineedit?

kerri_gt wrote: »

Ohhh...Nargle i do like the idea of a best hat competition :j

I was thinking of some kind of full size wedding cake type sculpture, complete with little cut outs of wills and kate on the top, all decked out in union flags...or do you think that might be a little over the top and perhaps block the view of people behind me? :think:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

ps is Igor going to be doing the catering again? _pale_

Totally over the top kerri, but i think you should do it anyway!!

IF

butdoineedit? wrote: »

:j:jifwisheswerehorses... - evening IF, well done for 15!!

Evening BDINI :dance:

solventsoon

kerri_gt wrote: »

Talking of which....a spendy day for me today. Eyebrows duely threaded, found out they have been so successful with their stand they are moving to a shop to offer more treatments next month.

.. what.. your eyebrows??? Sorry, kerri, I couldn't resist that:D

kerri_gt wrote: »

Oh, and picked up a little pack of impatiens in Mr W - they were the tiny ones that were normally £2.50 but these were on their last legs so reduced to 50p. Very droppy and dry, but I picked the ones that seemed to have the most new leaves and put them in some water while I was at work. Lo and behold that perked them up (so they were at least attempting to stand upright and not wilted over) and I've put them in some potting compost this evening so hopefully they will recover and not only will I have some bargain plants, I'll feel like I saved them too :T

YAY! bargain kerri:j:j:j

kerri_gt wrote: »

ps are we having a Tardis outing on Friday? spoony perhaps we should paint the union flag on the outside?

Well I'll pick you all up and take you there but I might have to wait outside otherwise I'll get slung in the Tower - totally anti-royals I'm afraid, sorry:o:o:o I won't get on my soapbox, just leave it there I think:o



PS: If, I love that giraffe

solventsoon

jintyb wrote: »

Good morning all!
Well I made it #18 yesterday - 2nd target met! Go on BDINI - revise my target to 20 please!




Had a very easy day yesterday, reading and generally pottering about. Well done Spoon on your 20! March is my nightmare month for birthdays, so I know how that feels!
Back to work today, but a nice short week!

Have a lovely day everyone:)

YAY!!! to target no 2, jinty, that's brilliant.
And thanks, much appreciated:A April is never an easy month for me but I'm pleased with what I've done this month:j:j
Hope puss is still OK?
x

donna_dynamo wrote: »

NSD 15 today. Back to work today:eek:. Got to go in to work and tell them i cannot do a whole day as i need to come out and sort DD2 out a bit worried about what they will say but at this moment i feel determined and i will tell them tough as she needs her inhaler and checked on.

Good for you, Donna, hope it went OK and hope DD2 is a bit better today?
spoon x

shezam wrote: »

Morning all,

Been a rubbish weekend. Other half got news of redundancy and i've had a sickness bug, only just back to work today.

Oh dear, sorry to hear about both, shezam. Hope you're feeling better and hope that OH manages to find something soon.
spoon x