Avoiding the shops in April - The NSD Challenge

IF

Afternoon all :hello: Well where's the fab weather gone!! :doh:

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!

marmiterulesok

Well,another NSD for yesterday and today,which means that I'm up to no.9!

For the second time this month I have managed 4NSDs in a row.

I have visitors coming at the end of the month,and I probably won't manage many NSDs then.I think that I'm just trying to cram them all in now!;):cool:

caledonian_princess

At last! Another NSD, I was working over the weekend and that derailed my planned NSD yesterday but I'm back on track today.

cw18

butdoineedit? wrote: »

:j:j cw18 – well done for number 5! Oh no, sorry to hear about your muscle, how does it feel today?

It had eased up enough by 8pm to take the dog for a 3 mile walk at normal brisk pace (but without any running). I could still tell I'd done someting to it, but it wasn't painful or cramping. It's been absolutely fine today

My heart's been telling me I should have tried to complete the race yesterday, but my head knows I made the right choice as I can't afford any more injury outages before my half-marathon

Nargleblast

And today makes 4 NSDs for the Nargle!!!

That soggy paintbrush is going to be a dim and distant memory at this rate!

Spendy day tomorrow, though - online delivery from Mr T's using a £10 off voucher, plus need to get some motion lotion.

Keep up the good work everyone!

Got your outfits for the Marathon? Remember the plan is to come dressed to represent your user name...and we need volunteers to run behind Hubert with the dustpan and shovel so as to keep the road clear for all the runners behind us.

bottleofred

NSD number 4 for me please:j

fillyfop

Got #5 today

To be honest, I've been thinking about it and I really don't think 18 is achievable this month. As of next week, I'm at college doing CIMA revision courses rather than work so will need to buy lunch and then I'm on holiday from 27th which of course means daily spending.

I'm still going to crack on and see what I can get but not much hope of hitting the target

Wee_Pilsbury

NSD 6 in the bag :j

Probably won't get another until Wednesday at the earliest as I have a couple of nights out this week (planned for with money put aside )

pinkfluffybabe

NSD No. 9 for me today

beanielou

No 8 today.