Jolly June's NSD Challenge!

IF

Good evening all :hello:

Got my 12th NSD today, thank you :A

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!

cw18

Nargleblast wrote: »

Jinty, I think you had better put the kettle on and brew up some Ringtons blow-yer-socks-off-extra-strong tea for everyone!

Could you bring me one of those please?

(Preferably instead of, rather than as well, as the cake!)

Keiss_21

Sorry I missed the party...realy shattered tonight. I've been on my feet a lot, hardly got out of the kitchen all day!

Hope you have had a great birthday Jinty. DH and DS2 loved the choc+breetroot brownie cake...probably one of my best so far!

niccatw - you'll be pleased to hear I didn't iron in the end, I was too kn*****ed! I can wear my no-iron crinkle shirt for work, then get some ironing done tomorrow night. I don't like ironing, but still feel I have to do it...it's the Scottish Presbyterian in me...always punishing myself!! One day I will manage a non-iron system...my MIL never irons and always looks smart...can never work how she does it!!!

Right, printing off something for tomorrow, then off to bed.

Night, night all x

cw18

Keiss_21 wrote: »

niccatw - you'll be pleased to hear I didn't iron in the end.......

:eek: I knew I forgot to do something today :eek:

But, on second thoughts, that's OK - I've got a weekend off from the dreaded task as I don't need any work uniforms this week due to being on Annual Leave, so the iron's on strike until next weekend :rotfl:

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

I have written down names of apps I would like, using apps I have and planning others is one way to slow down spending which is as bad as 'amazoning' another great weakness.
Today I don't think I spent, a day on and day spending! so today makes it NSD no 6
Hi to everyone
Got to check the latest on the thread.:beer:

Keiss_21

cw18 wrote: »

:eek: I knew I forgot to do something today :eek:

But, on second thoughts, that's OK - I've got a weekend off from the dreaded task as I don't need any work uniforms this week due to being on Annual Leave, so the iron's on strike until next weekend :rotfl:

Love it Cheryl!

I take voluntary redundancy at the end of June, so only have a week or so of work left for a while...then I will catch up with the mega-ironing pile...famous last words!! Mind you, it's having to iron clothes for work that forces me to do any ironing at all atm!

Enjoy your DIY on your week off, sounds like you've made a great start...you'll need to get back to work for a rest! :rotfl:

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Happy Birthday Jinty
Keiss Good luck on the Job Front.

Keiss_21

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

I have written down names of apps I would like, using apps I have and planning others is one way to slow down spending which is as bad as 'amazoning' another great weakness.
Today I don't think I spent, a day on and day spending! so today makes it NSD no 6
Hi to everyone
Got to check the latest on the thread.:beer:

Wouldn't it be a good idea would-be to see if you can avoid buying any new apps for a whole month?? Maybe you can reward yourself with one app at the end of a month if you manage it. . Can you plan to do things other than spend money perhaps?

I find staying away from the computer and shops is a good way of saving money, I am gradually getting better at it slowly but surely.

I have an old blackberry (no apps, no email access), which I use as a diary and a phone and that's all. Costs me £15 a month in total (300 mins calls & 600 texts per month) and is all I need. I have thought about a £10 deal and might look into it soon.

I find going onto the computer helps me lose many hours in the day and have decided to cut down on my online-time. I have lots of things I need to do, but I never get done as I spend too long on the 'puter...tonight is a case in point, so I am signing off now...night night!! xx

Keiss_21

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

Happy Birthday Jinty
Keiss Good luck on the Job Front.

Thanks would-be, thinking of setting up my own business...but still working out what!

Night, night.

thrifty_fifty

Belated Happy Birthday Jinty

I'm not doing very well at this NSD thing this month. Seems I need to make little spends each day-ibuprofen for cold, and so on. Although yesterday it was very nice to buy my dad an apple turnover for Fathers day (his favourite), and to buy him a pint at the pub. It was naughty spending, but it was also nice to have some quality time with my pa. Got a text later in the day to say he was just tucking into his turnover. Which goes to show that you don't have to spend much to bring a little joy.

The plan for the rest of the month is to have my last spend today, which leaves enough days until the end of the month to achieve my 15 day target. Oh yes and as you can see by my sig, number 5 achieved over the weekend