Jolly June's NSD Challenge!

slowlyfading

Welcome to June's NSD challenge!

For anyone who hasn’t joined us before, we are a happy (and some might say mildly insane(grin) bunch doing battle with those retailers - and there’s plenty of temptation all around us. We are seriously committed to saving money, but nobody said it can't be done with a smile on your face - so we organise riotous nights out and gatecrash any function going - all without leaving the comfort of our own imaginations or armchairs!

On a slightly more serious note, we are here to help each other avoid spending for the number of days we feel we can manage to try to take back some control over our hard-earned money. What you class as a "spend'" is entirely your choice; some people will try to shop on the days DD/SO etc are paid, whilst others will not include essentials such as rent. Have a look for a post from our sponsor (and godmother of this thread) BigMummaF, this contains some guidelines and ideas for starting you off on the challenge.

It’s amazing how inventive you get when you’re determined NOT to spend - from weird menu ingredients to surprising DIY solutions - but you know what? 99% of the time those wacky ideas work.


The link to our May thread is below so you can see what a friendly group we are. New recruits are joining up all the time - everyone is welcome so please don’t be shy, come and join us, the more the merrier.


:)Good luck everyone, our lucky mascot is joining us again for June:)

slowlyfading

Thanks to all the regulars and newbies who have joined up already, hoping lots more of you will come along for the ride - it's definitely a case of the more the merrier on here

I must warn you also, I'm not very good at posting pictures so they're going to be really boring ones... sorry

:j = target met. :T = target 2 met :dance: = target 3 met :A = target 4 met

:beer: = target exceeded!

Actress - 7 3
AlyBaly - 9 9 :j
angelflower - 15
batgirl21 - 10 7
beanielou - 15 17 :j :beer:
bellkat - 12 9
bexs.ua - 12
Bexterragga - 15 8
BMF - 15 15 :j
bottleofred - 12 11
brummiebabe - 10
butdoineedit? - 16 11
butti - 8 4
caledonian princess - 8
castri09 - 10 3
CatherineMM - 15 14
cazza83 - 10 1
Charlyze2 - 10 1
ChihiroSen - 10
Chloris - 12 4
chrisico - 12 11
chris81418 - 19 18
copperboom - 10 2
cw18 - 12
debnmatilda - 8 1
Decluttering - 10
Diana Prince - 6
dmlambert - 10 11 :j :beer:
donna dynamo - 15 12
ebayqueen - 14 6
elfen - 16 14
elsiepac - 10
fedupandskint - 15 11
GeorgieFTB - 8 5
gigglesworth - 12
hannah:-) - 10 2
Horseygirl - 10 6
hotspur_pam - 10 7
If - 17 15
jaffacakegal - 15 13
JAMIEDODGER - 16 9
jintyb - 15 13
jnaden - 8 6
jojitsui - 10
karom - 12
katenut - 18
katholicos - 13
kathy40uk - 17 8
Keiss 21 - 18 18 :j second target - 20
kerri gt - 14 14 :j
kezlou - 15 9
laisbojar83 - 10
Learning2Budget - 10 11 :j :beer:
LittleMissHappy - 15 11
lotti379 - 8 5
Lula-Hula - 16 15
Madone13 - 10
mandz1 - 10
marmiterulesok - 15 10
meersy22 - 14
miss_t - 10 6
mrs.butler - 15
mrso2b - 21 15
muddlemess1
muffin man 7 - 10 17 :j :beer:
Nargleblast - 12 12 :j
niccatw - 10 14 :j :beer:
Palema - 10 5
PaP - 13 12
penny pauper - 4
pinkfluffybabe - 20 18
psychopathbabble - 15 11
Purpletea65 - 15 4
Rachel021967 - 10
rdchick - 10 10 :j
risingfromtheashes - 15 8
Rock_Cakes - 13 11
shezam - 8 1
SillyBlondie - 15 14
skaps - 17 3
slowlyfading - 18 14
Sparkerly - 10 1
spoon - 20 19
strawberriesandcream - 10 8
Suitcase - 25
Susi_Wa - 8
suzie wong - 14 3
taka - 12 1
The Dragon - 10 10 :j new target - 15 :T 3rd target - 20 18
thriftyfifty - 15 7
Trinny - 17 13
twentyninetimes - 5
Urg123 - 10
Vicky496 - 16 9
Wannabe01 - 10 1
Wee Pilsbury - 10 5
wouldbequalitymoneysaver - 7 8 :j :beer:
youngmummy
Yorkielass - 15 2
zpr1c3 - 10 4

slowlyfading

This is for anyone who wants to set themselves a target for a number of NSDs in a row. We had some impressive numbers on this over the past few months so if anyone would like to have a go at this, you will be added onto here

Actress - 3 in a row
batgirl21 - 3 in a row
Lula-Hula - 3 in a row
miss_t - 3 in a row now aiming for 4 in a row
thriftfifty - 3 in a row
AlyBaly - 4 in a row
Keiss 21 - 4 in a row
Kezlou - 4 in a row
The Dragon - 4 in a row
marmiterulesok - 5 in a row
muffin man 7 - 5 in a row
Rock_Cakes - 5 in a row
slowlyfading - 5 in a row

slowlyfading

Please can you to highlight your number of NSDs in a colour and in bold and preferrably LARGE so that I can see them easily when I whizz through the posts - any colour will do, though I am personally partial to PURPLE




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!

laisbojar83

Hi SlowlyFading,

Can you please put me down for 20 NSD this month?
I MUST control myself lol :rotfl:

Thanks.

L x

Madone13

Thanks for setting up the June thread slowfading -

May was my first crack at this and I finished a bit short with 6 when aiming for 10. Going to try and up my game in June and go for 10 NSDs

The_Dragon

Going for 10 again please , oh and 4 in a row

jnaden

Whooo a nice new thread,

Considering i smashed my May target by 1, I will up my game and aim for 8 NSDs for June!

I know its not much of an increase but I am new to budgeting and moneysaving! Really been watching everything since March and its amazing what I use to spend.

8 NSDs for June for me please

AlyBaly

Going for 9 NSDs again and 4 in a row , not going to be easy with my Birthday in June and 10 days off work. Will just need to be extra organised

IF

Seeing you like purple SF, this is for you for taking on this months challenge :A

Could you put me down for 17 NSD's thank you :dance:

psychopathbabble

Going for 15 I think as it's my first full month, I secretly want to get at least 20 as I don't think I have much planned for June except MrS's birthday but I've got that mostly covered. Thanks SF!