Avoiding the shops in April - The NSD Challenge

kerri_gt

cw18 wrote: »

EDIT : In other news......
The first chap I met has gone very quiet on me (after I phoned him when he was having tea with a female friend prior to going to a pub quiz night - and I didn't know he wasn't home alone, so the call wasn't planned to cause trouble or check-up on him)
It looks like I'm not going to get to meet the one I've not yet met with - his shift pattern just doesn't seem to fall so that we can manage a meet in a public place in daylight hours.
But I'm still in daily contact with the one I went bowling with, and he was impressed this morning when I said I'd spent last night batch cooking bolognese, chille and cottage pie for the freezer

Liking the sound of #3 and his being impressed by your batch cooking (which I am too - send some over to me will ya? hee hee!) He sounds like he'd fit right in on this MSE lark, see if he wants to join up for the NSD challenge....or perhaps best not :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

jnaden

Yay! I manage another NSD yesterday so that is #4 for me :-)

Its going to be a while now, prob next week before i have another one got too many things to do and buy over the next couple of days!

ElmerFudd

I'm not doing very well. Besides the NSD's I mentioned earlier in the month I have had a series of LSDs. If I keep all my spending to 5/6 days a month it's a lot easier. I have looked at things and will modify a number of things and hopefully it will at least give me 4 extra NSD's per month, although I will be hard-pressed to reach my goal this month I can do it!!!

chris81418

Good morning everyone! :wave:

Checking in to report that I'm now into double figures with NSD number 10 collected yesterday, and so I've also beaten my Hall of Fame in-a-row target with a run of 7 NSDs in-a-row! Woo hoo!

Today, however, will be a spendy day as a weekly food shop is over due!

Have a good day everyone and good luck collecting more NSDs!

LittleMissHappy_2

Morning everyone

It's a bit early, but I'm reporting NSD 8 today.....I have loads of things to do at home and am going out tomorrow, so will save any spending until then

Have a good day x

fenna

hey everyone,
everyone seems to be doing well...
impressed by the donuts!! hehe might try that myself
I managed to get another NSD yesterday and hoping for another one today but not sure how well that is gonna go. fingers crossed.
So I'm up to 7 NSD now.
weather isnt so good today but never mind. keep up the good spirits.

Trinny

Hi BDINI

NSD 7 today please. Sorely tempted to buy a coffee this morning on the way to a meeting but managed to resist - temptation over for the day, declaring early

Thanks

Trin

Dee_cb

Had another no spend day on Sunday and one yesterday, which brings my total to 4 NSD's

fillyfop

Well, I'm working from home today and have no intention of going out so I can declare NSD #7 for me today!

It's quite cold and windy here today. Was hoping for some sun so I could sit out in the garden ... just my luck!

IF

Good Afternoon all. BDINI got my 9th NSD thank you :A

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![/QUOTE]