Making mayhem in May with the NSD challenge

cw18

Yesterday was a very interesting day for me.....

My male friend (for newer members - he was a match on a relationship site, but we hit it off as very close friends and nothing else) went to meet another match just over a week ago - and promptly ended up in her local hospital for 48 hours !!!!

As she lives in the Peterborough area he's now staying at her place - registered as a temporary resident with her GP - while he waits for some follow up work (finally a hospital seems to be taking an long-standing problem seriously, which is excellent news :T). But I've been fretting about him a bit as I know he plays down how ill he's feeling.

So yesterday I drove down to check up on him - with her blessing, as he'd thankfully told her about me when they first started chatting (and she has some close male friends, so accepts it's possible to be 'just good friends' with someone of the opposite sex)

So that was a 300 mile round trip - with me leaving home at 12:40pm, arriving there around 15:15pm, leaving there at 1:40am (!) and getting home at 4:40am (:eek:). Feel much happier now I've seen him and received a face-to-face and blow-by-blow account of medical goings-on from both of them, rather than trying to glean the info in a couple of phone converstations. (She's also a trained nurse, so totally understands what's happening and can fill me in on anything he's not sure about - something she started doing on the phone last Monday. I suspect this is also helping get him the help he needs, as she can't be fobbed off due to having to accept what the doctors are saying ) She and I have swapped mobile numbers, which also means she can keep me informed of what's happening with regards to hospital admissions and how he's doing while in (and if I can't raise him I can try her number before starting to panic that he's been rushed in as an emergency again)

I was very nervous about going, as I was worried about how she's feel about having me at hers - even though she seemed OK about the friendship. But I needn't have worried as she and I got on really well - to the point she's insisting I get a dog sitter (or use kennels) for a couple of days to go down and stay at hers on a weekend she and another female friend go clubbing (something they do once a month). He's told me that's it's probably easier for me to give in gracefully, as she'll only pester me until I agree

But I haven't refuelled the car yet (first very long run I've done in the car, and was amazed to be told by the on-board computer that I averaged over 50mpg instead of my normal 43-44 given I did the drive down at a steady 70mph where allowed), he bought us all a drink when we went for a wander around her local (and very beautiful) town centre, and she very kindly cooked tea for us all.

So yesterday was NSD #5

BigMummaF

Phew! It's over, thank Goodness. The Offspring looked real good in their wedding fineries yesterday (& not just a biased parental opinion either!) & being collared to chauffeur "Mum's Taxi" to various friends & family paid dividends; I didn't have to part with a penny all day but was kept refreshed with many soft drinks
The typically quaint village church is not visible from the main roads I use almost weekly so was a wonderful surprise, & the Reception Venue spectacular. There were a few showers that thankfully held off for the important bits so all in all, a lovely Spring Wedding Day.

I had been expecting a few more spending days during the run-up to the wedding to get those annoying bits you remember at 2:25 am, so am VERY pleased to declare 5 nsds up to & including yesterday :j
I'd like to ask if one of our mathematically-minded mates would mind explaining how to work out percentages? I've taken 795 days to collect 500 nsds, which on reflection doesn't look that good & although it would be lovely for you to do all the hard work & just give me the answer, I'd still appreciate the lesson so I can apply it to other stuff too. It's pretty certain I joined the Challenge before then but I hadn't thought to keep a running total :doh:

cw18

BigMummaF wrote: »

I'd like to ask if one of our mathematically-minded mates would mind explaining how to work out percentages? I've taken 795 days to collect 500 nsds, which on reflection doesn't look that good & although it would be lovely for you to do all the hard work & just give me the answer, I'd still appreciate the lesson so I can apply it to other stuff too. It's pretty certain I joined the Challenge before then but I hadn't thought to keep a running total :doh:

795 days = 100%
500 nsds = x%

looks better written as

x% = 500 nsds
100% = 795 days

so x/100 = 500/795

multiply both sides by 100 to give a full 'x', so

x = 500/795 * 100

in this case meaning x = 62.89 %

BigMummaF

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!

Thanks Cheryl; I did when I saw your light on! I've just changed my sig & it looks as though I'm averaging 100 nsds over a five month time span. I'm rather chuffed with that *struggles to pat self on back & bangs knee on desk*
Hope your friend is comfortable & now gets his health issues sorted out; it's been going on for some time now hasn't it

And

Happy Birthday If :T

May your ALL of your Days be Filled with Sunshine xx

cw18

BigMummaF wrote: »

Thanks Cheryl; I did when I saw your light on! I've just changed my sig & it looks as though I'm averaging 100 nsds over a five month time span. I'm rather chuffed with that *struggles to pat self on back & bangs knee on desk*

Hope you could understand the way I set it out
I think my light's on most of the time (apart from when I'm actually in bed), but I'm often reading other forums so don't always see new posts immediately

Hope your friend is comfortable & now gets his health issues sorted out; it's been going on for some time now hasn't it

It's been on-going for a lot longer than I've known him, and he was starting to get to the point where he let it run his life. It's been hard work trying to convince him that he had to try and carry on 'as normal' and adjust plans if/when necessary instead!

Keeping my fingers firmly crossed that he can get answers now, though at the moment it looks like it could have to be diet controlled (not diabetes related) - and if so excludes loads of his favourite foods (which actually makes a lot of sense as to why it's been such a big problem with so many relapses)

Catslovelycats

Sorry for not being on yesterday - really busy. I prob won't get a chance to update again this weekend. Apologies. Anyway, here are mpst up to date figures. Well done everyone! Special mention maybe goes to muffinman7 on 7 in a row already!

Updates from post 392
Cw18: 5
Trinny: 4
georgieFTB: 2
thrifty fifty: 6
donna dynamo: 5
wouldbequalitymoneysaver: 1
trinny: 3
angelflower: 4
the dragon: 3
muffinman7 : 7 (and in a row!!)
Caledonian princess: 2
Postingalwaysposting: 4
Miss T: 5
Honey: 4
Lula: 4
Destroyerofdebt2011: target 12 pls and got 3 so far
Piggybankshaler::5
Bdini: 4
Keiss 21: 5
Ebayqueen: 2
Jintyb: 4

bottleofred

Hi folks,

NSD2 for me today please.:beer:
Happy Birthday to Ifwishes as well. I hope you have a gread day:)

elfen

NSD no 4 for me please!

PiggyBankShaker

Quick check in. It's NSD 6 for me today. Congrats to everyone who is on the way to their targets. Been eBaying my socks off yesterday and should do some more today, but I just have to tidy the house as it it is really getting on my nerves!

chrisico

Hi Everyone. I've just popped in to claim NSD 3 and I'm feeling quite pleased with myself! It has helped me to focus on the fact that I often go to the shops for something to do instead of getting on with the jobs I have to do.

Thanks for that!!

Chris