Making mayhem in May with the NSD challenge

katholicos

I think i'm up to 9 NSD's . The best news i have though is that I am now debt free, just about! Living on the breadline like many, and will never have savings as just keeping head above water financially is taking everything I have incoming...but it's such a weight off my shoulders to be free of debt after all these years!

kerri_gt

katholicos wrote: »

I think i'm up to 9 NSD's . The best news i have though is that I am now debt free, just about! Living on the breadline like many, and will never have savings as just keeping head above water financially is taking everything I have incoming...but it's such a weight off my shoulders to be free of debt after all these years!

Yeah! that's fantastic news - well done you :T:T:T

Nargleblast

3 cheers for katholicos - I think I sense a NSD gang celebration night coming.......

GeorgieFTB

Nargleblast wrote: »

3 cheers for katholicos - I think I sense a NSD gang celebration night coming.......

Do you think livers and sanity could take it?:D

I've come on to say NSD 3 please spoon.

Gx

CompBunny

Thankyou Kathy very kind of you

Kerri, mine wasn't quite as masterchef as yours A vegetarian chilli without onion (ran out!) with sweet potato wedges sprinkled with a teeny bit of parmesan and grated mature cheddar. I never used to buy Mature cheddar but its true you really don't need as much! Good for waistline and the purse! Had no tomato puree to add to the tinned toms, so added some reduced sugar ketchup...it did ok!

Did you all enjoy Doctor Who? We had it on in the background but didn't catch alot of it, will have to watch it on iplayer

LittleMissHappy_2

katholicos wrote: »

I think i'm up to 9 NSD's . The best news i have though is that I am now debt free, just about! Living on the breadline like many, and will never have savings as just keeping head above water financially is taking everything I have incoming...but it's such a weight off my shoulders to be free of debt after all these years!

:j:beer::T That is great news katholicos :T:beer::j

CompBunny

katholicos wrote: »

I think i'm up to 9 NSD's . The best news i have though is that I am now debt free, just about! Living on the breadline like many, and will never have savings as just keeping head above water financially is taking everything I have incoming...but it's such a weight off my shoulders to be free of debt after all these years!

Gosh I missed this post! WELL DONE YOU! I know the feeling of no longer having any debt...just...amazing. I hope you have started sleeping more soundly! Congratulations!!:j:T

kerri_gt

CompBunny wrote: »

Thankyou Kathy very kind of you

Kerri, mine wasn't quite as masterchef as yours A vegetarian chilli without onion (ran out!) with sweet potato wedges sprinkled with a teeny bit of parmesan and grated mature cheddar. I never used to buy Mature cheddar but its true you really don't need as much! Good for waistline and the purse! Had no tomato puree to add to the tinned toms, so added some reduced sugar ketchup...it did ok!

Did you all enjoy Doctor Who? We had it on in the background but didn't catch alot of it, will have to watch it on iplayer

Hmmm...not sure the same could be said about the red lentil and chilli soup I've just made. It's missing a little 'something' but not sure what. Prob needed some tomato puree as I think I overdid the water/stock but like you I don't have any (should have opened my pasatta in hindsight). Still, seems a little better blitzed (had to use my mini chopper as no blender) and it's only 3 portions so at least it's not the turkey casserole all over again :rotfl::rotfl:

Saving Doctor Who until tomorrow...so :shhh: anyone who's seen it

cw18

katholicos wrote: »

The best news i have though is that I am now debt free, just about! Living on the breadline like many, and will never have savings as just keeping head above water financially is taking everything I have incoming...but it's such a weight off my shoulders to be free of debt after all these years!

Fantastic news :T :beer: :T

Nargleblast wrote: »

I think I sense a NSD gang celebration night coming.......

Definitely

GeorgieFTB wrote: »

Do you think livers and sanity could take it?:D

Livers - yes. All cyber food and drink is calorie (and anything else nasty) free

Sanity - not so sure :rotfl:




I've not reported in for a few days, so here goes.

Thursday was a spend day - thanks to the window cleaners coming for payment

Friday was NSD #8 :T

Today was another spend day. I decided to go and get a few bits I was running short on, paid a P@yP@l invoice I'd forgotten about on Thurs (for a monthly crafting kit), and sponsored a very young chap a couple of ££s for a fun run he's doing tomorrow (raising funds for the British He@rt Foundation).

I've also had to allocate some pennies for some on-line shopping I want to do (to replace the running kit I returned to Mr T on Wed). Was all set to do it today, but will have to do it tomorrow having lost the entire afternoon and evening to F@ceb00k chat instead (as a result of which I expect next Sunday to be a spend day, as I have a date for a meal and a trip to the cinema)

IF

Evening all...just :hello:

Spoony got my 9th NSD today, thank you x :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!