Avoiding the shops in April - The NSD Challenge

fedupandskint

Not a NSD for me today as went to Mr S and PO however came in a £24 for all that.

Should be NSD for the next 2 days and need 3 more to hit the target in the next 7 days. I'm expecting to get there and exceed too - Aiming for Sun/Mon/Tues/Fri as have an eye test on Wed and haircut and physio on Thurs (expensive day). Anyway lets see how I get on

IF

Afternoon all

Hope you had a Happy Birthday Elfen 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!

Keiss_21

Ooops, forgot to wish you a Happy Birthday for yesterday Elfen.
:bdaycake:

boultdj

And another 2 caught, so think I'm up to 12

kathy40uk

:hello:

Hi all NSDers xx

Well, good start to the day I thought when I found £8 in my drawer at work which was some lottery money I had been refunded as we had won something last week so this month's worked out free

But then got caught out as my collegue (sp??) sent a resident out to get us an ice cream and they were 85p each :eek:, she didn't want the money but I know she is as skint as me at the min so gave her the money for it..I guess I am still £7 up but it's still a spend...have to think like that or I will get into cheating!!!

Was nice being on an early, I think I caught kitty out as she was fast asleep LOL.........she isn't now :rotfl:

Right off to sort out some washing and get ready for Doctor Who.......glad it's still daylight it's supposed to be scary :eek::D

And for those who like a summery touch to the theme tune I found this on You Tube a while ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1EyR8ClqX0

Back tomorrow.............definitely taking no purse with me in the morning

:hello:

kathy40uk

:hello: again



..........Just joined the 100 day challenge again....best get my NSD's into gear :rotfl:

:hello:

suzie_wong

kathy40uk wrote: »

:hello: again



..........Just joined the 100 day challenge again....best get my NSD's into gear :rotfl:

:hello:

Me too

A spendy today, but tomorrow should be a NSD, and with a bit of luck and a following wind monday will be as well.

elfen

NSD no 13 for me please...Declaring tomorrow as 14 as weel as not planning to go out...Too much sorting and cleaning to do!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes, had a nice surprise of 15 vouchers from Toluna finally arriving, so putting them towards my birthday money and I'll get the perfume I wanted

rising_from_the_ashes

Elfen, happy belated birthday!


Feel a bit cheeky but I think I'm going to ask for No 8 today

I did buy a small hedge trimmer (on offer for £20) but I used the profit I made at the car boot last week, so hoping I can count that - what do you think?

Trinny

Hi BDINI

NSD 14 for me today

Thanks

Trin