Making mayhem in May with the NSD challenge

LittleMissHappy_2

:wave:

Thank you spoon - I knew it would be hard and I made my choice, so I am just going to limit the damage Even if it means I spend every day until the end of May I will be trying to keep my spending as low as possible but I don't want to worry about if I spend every day at the expense of time with my friends and family (I have lots of different groups of friends plus a close family) x I'm hoping to get at least Monday (my birthday, DH will pay for everything, bless him) and Tuesday, anyway! I just wanted to add that I really appriciate that you always take the time to mention everybody and always have lovely things to say to them :kisses3::A you are a :staradmin

Jinty - that is great news about your OH debt and getting closer to your DFD x

lotti379

Curry Recipe
As I said to kerri yesterday, this has sort of evolved over a couple of years, so apologies if it is a bit wittery/vague in places! It started life as a waitrose recipe card for chicken and red lentil curry, and became veggie during my 2nd year at uni, when I couldn’t afford free range chicken so didn’t buy any! So for four people:

2 tsp oil
2 onions, sliced/chopped
1-2 cloves garlic or a squeeze of garlic pur!e
A mix of:
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp garam masala
• Fresh black pepper
• Curry powder to taste
(also - a bit of fresh ginger works really well if you have any in)
Veg – yesterday I used 2 rather small sweet potatos, and 1 normal potato, but it also works well with cauliflower, carrots and potato, or whatever you fancy. Mind you, broccoli isn’t so good (2nd year experiment there...). Whatever you have, cut into medium-sized, about 2cm, chunks.
150g red lentils
Enough veg or chicken stock to cover all ingredients
3-4 tbsps plain natural yoghurt

Heat the oil over a gentle to medium heat, add the onion and cook for 5 mins until softened. Stir in the garlic and spices, and cook for 1-2 mins more. Add the veg and fry in the spice mixture until well coated (this should only take a couple of minutes). Add the lentils and pour over enough stock to cover all the veg. Bring to the boil, cover and turn the heat down, then leave to bubble for about 15-20 minutes until the lentils are cooked and daal-y.

If you like a creamier curry, take the pan off the heat and add 3-4 tbsps natural yoghurt, stir in well. Can also be topped with toasted cashew nuts, which adds a nice crunch!

On a NSD-note, I can't make my target now as my Pa reminded me today that my Granny's birthday is on tuesday, so I'd better get sorted and get a card today! So still aiming for 7/8 before tues...

kerri_gt

Morning....errrr...crikey...afternoon all! (and I'm still in my pjs - oh the shame )

I am wondering whether it is allowed to have Creme egg ice cream for brekkie? :rotfl:My OH tried some last night and said 'oh i can see why you like it, it tastes just like creme egg' nom nom nom (no I'm not on comission lol!)

Well today won't be a NSD as we're now going out for dinner (there's a new indian in town and we've been invited out for a meal tonight) Spoony - before you fire those kippers at me...it is our anniversay today - so I guess a meal out is allowed .... please... :A However, that does mean that tomorrow won't be a NSD either as our original plans (before meal out was arranged, and also prior to OH realising the football was also on tonight) was to go to the cinema for our anniversay - so that's postponed until tomorrow now. Argh, June is gonna have to be a quiet month.

Jinty - that's great news about OH DFD :j and the fact it will bring yours closer. I also (forgot to mention) hit a mile stone this week where I paid the final payment to one of my cc .

Lotti - thanks for sharing your recipie - as I mentioned to you last night, OH has been badgering me to make a curry for him (veggie) and I also have lentils in the cupboard that I'm a bit rubbish at knowing what to do with so this is fab. :T

Have a lovely Sat everyone whatever you may be up to (me supposed to be up a ladder pruning today but it's a bit windy so not sure on that one :eek:)

Trinny

Hi Spoon

NSD 13 today

not gonna make target this month - but planning on another three NSDs in a row so should make it to a respectable 16 for May

Cheers

Trin

psychopathbabble

Congratulations to MrJinty and good news on your debt free date!!

No nsd to report for me, hopefully I'll grab another one today... had a really nice day and evening with the girls last night (the birthday girl only had one tantrum) and only spent a fiver more than I had set aside, although I did have to borrow it from my friend and will pay it back on payday. Just a tad tired now, so probably just going to veg on the sofa... MrS is at a wedding in Dundee or I'd go to his and make him fetch for me! Back at work on earlies tomorrow... boooo.

slowlyfading

Number 18 for me today which means I've met my target :j :j

kathy40uk

:hello:

Hi all NSDers xxxx


:eek::eek:Eeeek I can't believe that it's been over ten days since I've last been in :eek::eek:

I have dipped into another thread quickly but I like to chat in here and just don't seem to have got round to it :o:(

On the plus side I have been counting my NSDs and have managed to get up to 15 :j so I am hoping to get to target.

I did have a blip where I didn't manage to get leccy and petrol on the same day and had a terribly embarrassing moment last week when I got petrol. I had taken out cash wise what I needed for baccy and then petrol from Mr M's. Got the baccy in store and had my £21 left for petrol (as I can't do it without the extra few pence dribbling in at the end) put in my petrol really proud of myself for not overspending on the day.........got to the till and was told 'that's £26 something'. I gasped and must have gone so red stammering that I only had £21, apparantly I had been looking at the litres not the price and it was 20.14 litres. There was a massive queue too as they wrote me out a default notice . mental note to self never to buy petrol when I'm tired again!!! Went off to second job and then back with the remainder out of my 20p tin as I was determined not to lose an NSD the next day and wasn't getting paid for two days.....I hope they don't think I was being awkward. Of course it was empty then too why couldn't it have been earlier :rotfl:

Have tried to have a catch up and aploogise if I have missed anything major

well done on the car Nargle..hope it serves you well
Hope the rib is on the mend Beanie
Welcome back BMF
Rock_Cakes.....you are being so brave about the job, hope everything works out. You sound very relieved about making the decision.
Kerri :eek: at the bird :eek: Luckily Lara is still only bringing in snail shells and twigs.


All this talk of hot stone massages and yoga is giving me wishful thinking :rotfl:

Thanks as always to Spoon and everyone helping out again this month :T

Best get back to work I suppose.......am doing a double shift today and feel like I'm falling asleep already, still a late start tomorrow Worst bit is I'll miss Dr Who tonight.......thank heavens for iplayer


lots of love to you all

:hello:

bottleofred

Afternoon all,

Another spend day for me today as I had to get coal and liquid gold. I hope everyone is well and enjoying the weekend.

Red

Lula-Hula

Hi spoon & gang,

got my number 16 yesterday so target achieved :j

Having another one today too - just showing off though

IF

Afternoon NSD'ers, Sorry I've been AWOL.....I'm busy catching up reading the posts!! It may take a while me thinks!!:D:p

Spoony reporting in 16 NSD's thank you :A

solventsoon 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!