Jolly June's NSD Challenge!

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

cw18 wrote: »

Taking a day or three to think about things I see has probably been my biggest change in shopping habits since my income dropped - in the past I'd have just used a debit (or credit) card to get whatever, and then probably not worn/used it more than once

I think it's a good idea and would probably open my eyes along with some kind of Financial prog on Desktop and or Iphone. I could run Finances prog from Iphone as money saving expert genius:beer: mum does.
Thanks for caring CW18.:beer:

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

This place works best as a totally honest confessional with real lifestyle needs met in sensitive financial advice-even if we disagree or find others lifestyles and MSE'ing totally freaky, and that is ok.
Maybe I could justify why I spend x on y so folks see why I do it and it does not look like a pointlessly frivolous or extravagant exercise as I do with my beloved Riverford Organics box which believe it or not is better than Tesco.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

One does NOT need to hide. We all have far too much against not to pull together as a Commmunity and be able to strategise against those Corporate Swearwords and Govt Swearword and any other expletive earning body taking any more money than they actually deserve.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Today is either NSD cos I get refusal at Station so can't get to London, which is a regular trip to see very good caring Family or its a wee Spendy just to get there, get to London and Plan A getting magnificently and as easily as possible reinstated.
London takes more courage as Mum thinks I was not planning to go despite extensive planning of bag items etc only the finances getting in the way resulting in a big row this morning.Agggh

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Total lack of record keeping and administration. Baad.

slowlyfading

Okay, so Friday’s update:

batgirl21 – well done on numbers 6 and 7 :j :j :j
chris81418 – well done on number 17 :j :j :j
thrifty fifty – well done on number 7 :j :j :j
jintyb – well done on number 12 :j :j :j
donna dynamo – well done on number 12 :j :j :j
Learning2Budget – well done on number 10 and reaching your target :j :j :j
SillyBlondie – well done on number 14 :j :j :j
kerri gt – well done on number 13 :j :j :j
beanie – well done on number 17 :j :j :j
Nargleblast – well done on number 12 and reaching your target :j :j :j
pinkfluffybabe – well done on number 17 :j :j :j
PaP – well done on number 11 :j :j :j

slowlyfading

NSDs being collected on Saturday:

Trinny – well done on number 13 :j :j :j
Keiss – well done on number 17 :j :j :j
ebayqueen – well done on number 6 :j :j :j don’t worry – I’ve found it really difficult this month for some reason!
Learning2Budget – well done on number 11 :j :j :j
fedupandskint – well done on number 10 :j :j :j
CatherineMM – well done on number 14 :j :j :j
psychopathbabble – well done on number 11 :j :j :j
elfen – well done on number 14 :j :j :j
jintyb – well done on number 13 :j :j :j
rdchick – well done on number 9 :j :j :j
kerri gt – well done on number 14 and reaching your taget :j :j :j
Lula-Hula – well done on number 15 :j :j :j

kerri_gt

Well not a NSD for me but not a total wash out.

Needed to get kit some more flea drops as she's overdue a treatment, after lots of searching I found the usual ones I buy her at a 'reasonable' £17 for 6 mths supply (with an offer of free p&p for new customers) but a banner on the site recommended another new brand with the same active ingredient for £10 - so I've gone for those, saving me £7 :j

Popped into town with OH asking me to get him some eye drops, ones he normally gets are £3-£4 but I popper into Sav*rs and got another brand (which do the same thing) for £1 :j (again)

Then popped into H*mebase, wanted some polyfiller but they didn't have what I wanted (there's one that you can plug a hole with that doesn't require drilling to re-fix something but it's proving elusive), and some bamboo canes but the ones they had were really long and 'expensive'.

Popped instead to the £1 and got a pack of 10 in there, resisted getting plant ties as I remembered I had some cable ties that will do the job (some people do say they aren't good for plants but tbh they are made of the same thing as the plant ties?) I'll also be able to use the canes for my tomato plants when they get big enough (really need to be re-potted)

So I spent £2 in total.

Overall spend today, less than what I was originally going to spend on flea drops this morning :beer:

I have decided I need to write a list of the bits and bobs I need/want for the house and garden - like the polyfiller, some storage boxes etc so I can go out armed and dangerous at the weekend and get what I need.

Glorious evening here - think I'll need to look out summer clothes for work tomorrow.

Oh, one downside of today - I niticed OH car bonnet has been scratched sometime between yesterday afternoon and today - looks like someone has gone over it with a pan scrubber or a stone, all in big arcs. He thinks it's kids, but given that to do that you just need the mentality of a child I'm not 100% sure. Should polish out (job for later when it's cooled a bit) but :mad::mad::mad::mad:

mrso2b

NSD 15 for me today!!

IF

Good evening all :hello:

Hope everyone has had the sun today :dance:

slowlyfading wrote: »

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!