Making mayhem in May with the NSD challenge

solventsoon

Good morning lovely gang:A

Well it's Friday, it may not be sunny but we can still have a wiggle to chase those blues away!!



Back later to check up on your progress, fingers crossed for lots of NSDs today:D

IF

Morning all :hello:

Spoony got my 4th NSD yesterday, thank you x :A

Doing the friday ~ Wiggle ~ too :dance:

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!

Tales_of_Pip

Morning

Can I join please, I have been lurking for sometime but I think somehing has to be done as we are only on the 7th and I have like no pounds left for the rest of the month! :eek:

Can you put me down for 10 NSD please.

Could with loads more but who knows what the month will hold

Wish me luck and thanks in advance

Regards

Pip

verynewmoneysaver

Hi, Have not been here for a while and spending creeping up again.Please could you put me down for 5 NSD for this month to start. Thank you.

LittleMissHappy_2

solventsoon wrote: »

LittleMissHappy - hope you're feeling a bit better x

Thanks Spoon - as long as I am dosed up on cold and flu tablets and ibuprofen I am absolutely fine Also I am having my medicinal vino this afternoon which will cheer me up!

I'm claiming today as NSD 4 as I know there will be no spending going on today....did some budgeting last night with OH and it was a bit :eek: and at the same time! (Owed a little more than I thought, but more money in the bank than I thought too!) We saved quite a bit last month.....

Sun is peeking out from the clouds here and I'm hopeful for a sunny afternoon (Cambs area)

Isn't the Friday feeling great :j:beer::j Have a fabulous day and a great week-end (I'm doing the Friday wiggle too!) x

Rock_Cakes

jintyb wrote: »

Just popped in to say - loving the prizes Spoon - GENIUS!!

Also, managed to negotiate a good deal for my new mobile phone contract without having to change providers, plus I got my dongle contract via Quidc0, so £80 cashback for that! The cost of my new package inc the dongle and an upgraded phone is just slightly cheaper than my previous one, so Im rather happy.;) Looking forward to my new "toys" arriving soon!
It's a be-yoo-tiful day here so I'm going to relax!

Have a good 'un!

ohhh, what phone did you go for?

My new phone has arrived but now current provider wants to try an beat the offer, so I am awaiting their call. So must be strong . . . won't open parcel . . . this could be a long day.

suzie_wong

jintyb wrote: »

BTW - GOOD LUCK TO THE GALS DOING THE MOONWALK

I am full of admiration for you!:A My best pal at work is doing the Edinburgh one in June and I know how much effort and time she's put in to training for it. Personally, I dont think the materials for decorating the bras should be a "spend" as it's for such a good cause!

Thank you
I have to say I am looking forward to getting my life back afterwards as the training is taking up all of my days off!

toottifrootti

Hello eveyone
I havent been on for a few months but have been trying to keep up with the NSDs- have now moved house and am further away from the nearest shop so less temptataion - but really need to get the spending under control again.

so please can I go back on the list Spoon? I will aim for 20 days and I have 4 already (counting today). I still have my regular week in hospital so that helps but the next one is into June so will have to be very good from now on.

love and hugs to you all
toots xx

chrisico

Hi everyone! I have logged another NSD so that's 2 in the pot.
I had a lovely day pottering about doing housework and then decided to walk down to the library which is about 30 minutes away. Had a browse through the books, got a couple of interesting ones and walked home.
Funny how that feels like shopping, isn't it?

Chris

Kerry78

I really didn't think this would be this difficult!! I knew I did a fair bit of "frittering" away of money but I didn't acually realise I shopped this much! And it's all little things. Like I wanted to have a NSD today but OH asked me to get him something to drink (he's working on a house with no running water) and to get a key cut. I also needed diesel.

And I need to do my food shop tomorrow so not going to be a NSD either! Need to pull my socks up for next week.