Avoiding the shops in April - The NSD Challenge

beanielou

NSD no 3 today.
Mucho skinto til tomorrow.

jaffacakegal

NSD 3 for me yesterday! Not sure about today yet, may need to make a trip to L!dl for padded cycling shorts I have been told about!

Trying to eat less, and also eat what I have in the freezer up this month. Currently have 4 pints of skimmed milk to use up - cereal every day for dinner - very hungry! I will be thin, I will spend less money, I can do this

JCG x

Yorkielass

BigMummaF wrote: »

Hey Yorkie :wave:..when I play taxi-driver I take a puzzle book, note pad & biros at the very minimum. I use the time to catch up on writing letters to friends or whatever, working out meal plans, shopping lists etc, etc. On a couple of occasions I've put all the odd socks into the boot, then sat on the back seat & paired them up :rotfl: It's doing the jobs that I like having a bit of peace & quiet for with just my mob-ill-aye & the radio for company, a bottle of water to quench thirst & parking close to a loo & good street light to see what I'm doing

Meant to say, have a look at Making Things with Face Flannels thread for some alternatives to expensive chocolate eggs, & some good ideas for kids holiday activities. I made reindeer for crimbly & me muvva took a liking, so I'm going to have a go at a wasskilly wabbit for her, being she's diabetic too.

Thanks, yes I normally take a book or some sewing but went out the house in such a hurry yesterday morning (having not gone to bed until 2am ) that I forgot. He volunteers at a theatre and if there isn't a show in but he's got a meeting/training and I go with him I'm usually found sewing or planning for my Guide units but that isn't an option when he's actually working on a show and there are paying hirers in.

I do think I will put some paper and stuff in the car for next time, I didn't even have my normal handbag with me so no paper and pens from there.

Taking the socks sounds very organised!

debtfreewannabe321

Well I've been out and back again and not spent a penny i even managed to walk around Dunelm Mill and not pick up anything!!! (apart from the internet order i had delivered there -paid for last week) was very proud of myself lol....so 1/7 so far...it's taken me long enough to get off the mark!

IF

Good afternoon all, this pic made me go awwwww :dance:

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!

bellkat

No NSD today for me, ordered a couple of things online which I had planned for, but realised after I did the order that I could have done it another day at the same time as other spending, never mind.

Kathx

slowlyfading

Number 3 for me today

Wee_Pilsbury

Evening all

It's a hat trick for me 3 NSDs in a row :dance:

Methinks this month's target is looking possible

gothrockchic1

NSD # 1 FOR ME :j

Hoping tomorrow will be the same!

fillyfop

Hey everyone.

I just scored NSD #3 I'm going to finally decorate my bedroom and was planning to buy paint this evening so I can see some kind of progress, but too tired now after work. I'll do it on a planned spend day instead to help with the target

Hope everyone's doing well today!