Avoiding the shops in April - The NSD Challenge

Nargleblast

I dare not even attempt to guess how much I have spent today....but the house is full to overflowing with food, including a pack of 18 loo rolls for £3.59 from Home Bargains, bits of cash for various small monthly expenditures are lying in envelopes ready to be used, I have ordered some replacement filters for the cat's drinking fountain and some new underwear for myself, and I have filled the beast with motion lotion so will have the means to get to work next week. Ah, don't you just love payday!

Spoon, if you park the Tardis somewhere near the Abbey then meet up with Igor by the camping stove and barbecue, he can use your guillotine hat to chop the carrots. Don't ask me what he's using carrots in, but burgers and doughnuts were mentioned at one point. And talking of guillotines, I hear that BigMumma will be sat in her deckchair, knitting away as the happy couple walk out of the Abbey whilst other NSD gang members shout Vive La Republique as they storm the prison. Trouble is, Wormwood Scrubs doesn't sound as romantic as the Bastille.

Now off to find my tricolour flag oops I mean Union flag.

kathy40uk

:hello:

Hi all NSDers xx

Well I managed to get my number 12 on Monday but then yesterday I got leccy and bread which was needed. I knew I had to take some money from the bank today to pay someone back £20 I borrowed last month but actually had enough in the bank to get a large pack of baccy from Mr M's while I was there using the cash machine so ended up with a spendy day today too Still I wasn't tempted by anything else so am fairly happy

Going to be a push this month for target but keep at it!!! Still undecided about Saturday but am falling more and more into the 'sod the politics just don't go' mindset

Right must get off as I'm at work at the min and better get off t'interweb .......


See you soon xx

:hello:

IF

Evening all :hello: BDINI got my 16th NSD today, thank you x :A


Bumping for anyone new joining us for May.

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!

hannah:-)_2

A spendy day for me, so still on #4. Had run out of animal food and couldn't really ask the row of cats and dogs to wait a day or two - they get a bit upset if you try to starve them!

Also had to get some flea drops!!! :mad: Normally we're chemical free in that regard and have managed to be flea free for about 3 years now. But dog came back from the groomers scratching like mad and despite tracking down a couple of the blighters, it's not solved the problem. Although it's only one dog scratching, he's going absolutely barmy so chemicals it is before the problem is shared!!! Hopefully he'll be feeling better by tomorrow.

Anyhoo, here's hoping for a virtuous day tomorrow.

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone
Another 2 NSD's to add to my total, taking me over my target for the month
P
X

cw18

And today makes #14 for me

tattooed_lady

#7 for me, and target reached! :j

butdoineedit?

Another good day for catching NSD's well done all!!

Targets met today:

:j:j Trinny – well done for 16 & hitting target, that’s great!!

:j:j fedupandskint – well done for number 16 & meeting target number 2!!

:j:j beanielou – well done for 19 Beanie, you have well & truly smashed this month’s target!!

:j:j Palema – well done for meeting & beating your target!!

:j:j tattooed_lady – well done for 7 & hitting target!!

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

:j:j solventsoon – aww thanks for my jumping men Spoon!! & well done for 21!!

:j:j chris81418 – well done for 21, you can do it!!

:j:j MAY1950 – well done for number 10 & for learning to post in colour, it had me stumped when I first joined too!!

:j:j twistedhazel – well done for number 18, you’re doing great!!

:j:j jaffacakegal – well done for 16, that’s brilliant!! I have increased your target to 18.

:j:j elfen – well done for number 15, you’re doing great!!

:j:j suzie wong - well done for number 13, you’re doing great!!

:j:j slowlyfading - well done for number 13, you’re doing great!!

:j:j postingalwaysposting – well done for number 18 & exceeding target!!

:j:j catslovelycats - well done for number 6, you’re doing great!!

:j:j Tixy – pah nothing, 9 is brilliant, well done you!!

:j:j AlyBaly - well done for number 9 & exceeding target!!

:j:j kerri gt – well done for number 13, have you tried the pound type shops for sun cream, they often have discontinued lines so maybe they might be selling off the SPF’s you can’t get anywhere else?

:j:j kathy40uk – “Going to be a push this month for target but keep at it!!! Still undecided about Saturday but am falling more and more into the 'sod the politics just don't go' mindset” absolutely Kathy & don’t you feel guilty about it!! Well done for number 12!!

:j:j ifwisheswerehorses... – well done for number 16 If, just one more to get, you can do it!!

:j:j cw18 - well done for number 14, you’re doing great!!

And hello to:

bottleofred – :eek: to needing a new fridge, worst time for it to happen when the weather is too nice to manage without!! Hope it’s not too expensive for you.

Nargleblast – hmmm burger flavoured doughnuts maybe???? Still not sure about the carrots though, maybe they are for throwing during the prison storm??? :rotfl:

hannah:-) – :eek: to fleas, chemicals all the way I reckon!!

The_Dragon

have I missed a link to next months thread?

butdoineedit?

Been a very strange day here. Not sure whether i can claim a NSD or not... I paid my bus fare to get to voluntary work, only to find they hadn't left any petty cash for me, so it wasn't reimbursed. Strictly speaking that makes it a spend, although i will get it back next time i'm in..... Hmmm, *scratches head & decides to leave it & think about it tomorrow!*

Was hugely positive earlier, i decided that i don't hate my job (just certain individuals!), that i genuinely believed in the support my manager has been giving me & that future developments were looking bright & i feel like i have a secure & exciting future (security is quite rare in the voluntary sector!)
Then i heard from a close friend of mine that her dad had died (a huge shock as they only found out he was ill a week ago) & from another friend that her relationship had ended & she will be alone with 2 small boys, she is understandably devastated & terrified (& i was actually worried that she may do something to herself), so not sure how i am feeling now.

I know i should feel honoured that people trust me enough to come to me with these things, but all i could think is how much i miss my best friend who died 4 years ago, it's always the wierdest times it gets to me!!!

Oh well rant over, i am happy & healthy (well mostly), i have all of you lot to moan too & therefore i am blessed!!

Bed now i think, tomorrow is another day!!