Making mayhem in May with the NSD challenge

Actress

Whoo hoo! To No Regrets, here here!

Thanks for the new thread Spoon, please can you put me down for 7 NSDs for May. Think I can just manage to meet Aprils target (one NSD to go - which I'm hoping will be tomorrow with the Royal Wedding) so setting my target nice and low to hopefully exceed it in May.

Could I also go for 3 NSDs in a row?

Cheers
xxx

IF

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!

bellkat

12 this month for me please, that's 2 more than last month.

Thanks Kath

solventsoon

elfen wrote: »

Just to give our newbies a boost..... I've already managed 75 NSDs this year and I haven't regretted a single one! That's 2 and a half months no spend there!

YAY!!! well done elfen, looks really good when you total them all up like that:j:j:j:j


Hello old and new members of the NSD gang:A
Lovely to see you all again in the new thread and great to be back running it again after my two-month holiday courtesy of the lovely BDINI:A:A

A huge WELCOME to all our newbies, great to have you all on board, I will welcome you all officially tomorrow and add you to the front page

An equally huge WELCOME to all the oldies:D, lovely to see you back again, looking forward to another month of fun and frolics

And thanks to everyone who's welcomed me back:A

I'll add everyone to the front page tomorrow while I'm avoiding watching whatever's on TV tomorrow:( and get all the totals and days in a row challenges organised.

See you all tomorrow and thanks for joining up

'night everyone
spoon xx

bexs.ua

Hi everyone!! Haven't updated Aprils challenge yet, but I just made target :j:j

May is a complete nightmare month for me, work goes from virtually nothing to full on chaos and just to top it off its the birthday month from h*ll!! I have my Mum, Dad, Step Dad, Step Brother and his daughter all within 2 weeks of each other :eek::eek::eek:

On the other hand as work is so busy I don't really get chance to spend :rotfl: sooooooooooooooooooooo..... I'm going for a target of 10 NSD's this month please :T

jintyb

Good morning everyone !

A big to all our newbies! Hope you're all prepared for the madness that is this thread!


Today I am up and on the ball early as I want to get my food shopping and other little tasks done so I can watch the wedding.
No NSD for me today as I also have the dentist later, I have a couple of grumbly teeth!

Here's a little aside:

I was reading and article yesterday about Martina Cole (the writer) She was asked about her upbringing,and she said that when she was younger she was taught to respect money as things were a bit tight when she was a child. Her favourite budgeting tip was from her Mum which was to send yourself a £5 or £10 note by second class post on a Monday so that you would always have money for the weekend. She said she did this when she was a single Mum trying to make ends meet, before she found success as a writer. I love hearing other peoples tips, and I thought this was an interesting one, so I thought I'd share it with you guys!;)

Have a lovely day everyone:)

Nargleblast

Good morning peeps! Yes, 12 should be a good target to aim for in May.

Ouch! Watch what you're doing with that barbecue fork, Igor! And no, you do not need to wear a fascinator just to cook burgers, the Union flag apron will do, much nicer than your usual one with the bra, pants and strategic tassels. Can't see BigMumma's deckchair yet, she usually saves us all a good spot at these occasions. (I always associate BigM with a deckchair because she's located somewhere near the seaside. Suppose in real life she's 35 with a mini skirt and multiple piercings.)

Now, where's the rest of the NSD gang? Just look out for the home-made loopy hats and the "alternative" fashions.....

hannah:-)_2

Nargle - your posts always getting me smiling!! Thanks for this morning's episode

caledonian_princess

Hi everyone. I think I'll go for 8 again this month. If I don't spend anything today and tomorrow I will be one day short for April so I should think I can do 8 in May especially as I don't have a friend staying for 2 weeks and eating me out of house and home.

I'm also a May baby... happy birthday in advance to all the other May babies on this thread.

Lula-Hula

Hi Spoony & gang,

I'd like to join in please, need to keep myself in check, but havent officially done this challenge for a while so going to ease myself back in slowly.
Please put me down for 16