Making mayhem in May with the NSD challenge

Nargleblast

Good evening everyone, it has been a lovely day here but with a cool wind blowing.

Happy hols to Kerri and Jinty, you may have a low target for may but it will still be a bit of fun and a challenge for you to try and beat it - and you can give us all some tips about being MSE on holiday!

Brace yourself for the dental work, Jinty, but it will be worth it once it's done. And even posh Hollywood film star smiles are all veneers and crowns so only a fraction of those smiles are actual real genuine bedouin teeth! Talking of which, my dentist hinted I might have to have my double front crown replaced later this year....better start saving up I suppose.

Who's game for a frolic around the maypole tomorrow, then? I'm carbooting tomorrow pm so it will have to be the evening - a nice evening spent doing quaint country pursuits around the maypole followed by Igor's famous sheep roast? I promise he will take the coat off it this time....

PiggyBankShaker

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to MSE but loving the forums. I've been doing really well on avoiding the shops and going days without spending anything, since my LBM back in December. So why not count them and be proud? Can you put me down for 20 days please? Steep, but on my current form I think it's doable.

beanielou

Spoony~Great to see you back :j

jinty~So sorry to hear about your teeth

I think I will go for 15 this month.

beanielou

Oh & happy holiday's kerri & jinty :j

tattooed_lady

Hi Spoon,

Please can I be put down for 8 this month...

xx

IF

Good evening all :hello:

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!

Trinny

Hi Spoon ( and welcome back)

This month i am increasing target to 17 NSD's please

I am hoping that the extra day will be a nsd

Best of luck everyone

Trin

solventsoon

Hello lovely gang:A
Wow... page 5 already, you are a lovely talkative bunch and are certainly going to keep me on my toes this month, I can see:D

I have some lovely helpers this month so you'll be seeing updates from catslovelycats during the weekends and slowlyfading on Wednesdays and Fridays. I'll still be around most days though to egg you all on and add up the numbers:D Along with these, the lovely If will carry on posting the reminders to help all the newbies, so we're a merry band again this month.

More newbies have joined up today so a very warm welcome to you all. It’s great to have you on board, if you’re not sure about anything please ask, we’re very friendly and there’s usually someone around to help. Feel free to join in with the chat and general nonsense on here, we’re fairly tame (well, most of the time). Good luck with your first NSD challenge - keep posting, that’s the secret to success here.

So a big welcome to the challenge to:

Nichelette - yes of course you may join in, you're very welcome. Good luck with the CC debt, I'm with you on that, fingers crossed you make it. What a lovely OH paying for your birthday drinks and dinner - but seems as though you're having a busy month. Good luck!


nic_santorini - hi and welcome, you're added to the front page now. Good luck with your first NSD challenge, you can do it!


PiggyBankShaker - hi and welcome. Well done for the NSDs you've had so far, you're doing well but you're right, you need to stand up and be counted and be proud of 'em.. Good luck, you can do it!


And welcome back to the “oldies” and regulars signing up today (you’re an oldie and a regular on your second month, we don’t stand on ceremony here, you’re part of the furniture now):


fenna - glad you loved last month, it's good to have you back on board. Good luck but it seems as though you're going to have a much easier time of it this month.

jnaden - hi and welcome back, oh dear, more birthdays to buy for, good luck with making your target. Ooooh... a wedding, yippeeeee:j

kerri gt - thanks for the welcome back:D. Sitting it out is not an option, jinty's right we'd miss you. Ahh. great news you're staying:j, all signed up for 8 now, you can do it!

cleggie -well done for making your April total and good luck for May - all signed up now... ooh, more jollies!

catslovelycats - you can do it, you know you can. I've added you to the front page now, no changing your target!! Hope you enjoyed your outing today - ahh.. I've just read you were going to do an update, oops:o:o, sorry....

slowlyfading - all signed up no, you can do it, April's been a bad month for lots of people, too many bank holidays...

cuddlymarm - all signed up now, good luck with getting your 16, you can do it!

beanielou - thanks for the welcome back:D, all signed up now, good luck, you can do it!

tattooed_lady - all signed up now, good luck with your target, go for it!

Trinny - thanks for the welcome back:D. Well done for increasing your target - you can do it! Good luck.

And hello to:

hannah:-) - well done for getting the spends money back, you're doing well. Fingers firmly crossed for you for this month, you can do it!

Lula - oops, sorry about the "oldie" bit... is "veteran" any better?:p
It must be brilliant to be free of that old debt, I'm following close on your heels. Hope you're pleased with the new cooker when it arrives

elfen - come on.. tell us more about the pretty nails, what colour?

Nargle - I'm up for a trip around the maypole tomorrow but I'm not sure my stomach could cope with another of Igor's sheep roasts:(

All updated, 1st of May tomorrow so let the fun, frolics and mayhem commence:D:D

'night everyone
spoon xx

Diana_Prince

Hi all!

Has been a while since I was last here but am determined to clear some c/c debt so am back!!

Could you put me down for 5 NSDs to start please spoon?! Thanks!

Woop can't wait!!

Lula-Hula

Spoon - I dont really mind, it just makes me feel as though I should be wiser too ... erm, uh, yes, well moving on

kerrigt - never feel guilty about joining in, it's an open house over on the CCC, anyone can pop in & I'm all for vicarious spending

Count me in for a whizz round the May Pole & maybe a glass of something refreshing too.