The jubilant July NSD challenge

solventsoon

Thanks Red, it's been zapped:T

Rock_Cakes

Morning lovely NSDers

Kathy - I can only echo what everyone else has said. Fingers crossed you manage to get the time off for your interview :grouphug:

Well done LMH on your results.

Well yesterday was a bit of a whirlwind. Had a meeting @ work at 8.30 and then check out of the flat @ 9.15. Which went fine, was cleaning like a mad thing at the weekend as I didn't want to not get our deposit back.

Back to work and had run an event. But then finally jumped on a train to Jintyland (;)) and was met by DH. He made me a lovely welcome back dinner - a warm salad with spinach, butter beans, peppers and veggie haggis. It was delicious. So thats us back together. Once again I want to thank you guys for all your support. :kisses:

I even managed a NSD which brings my total to 4. I am hoping for another today, as I think we have the ingredients for dinner at home.

Hope you all have a good day.
xx

bottleofred

Good morning folks,

As it's a public holiday in NI and I don't intend going out etc I am declaringNSD7 for today please.:beer:

sprozza

Well had my first NSD yesterday:j. Was aiming for another today but need to fill the car up, again:mad:. Think I'm gonna get myself a push bike as I am so fed up of the rising cost of fuel.

IF

Morning all :hello:





Written by solventsoon aka Spoon our hero:-

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!

bottleofred

sprozza wrote: »

Well had my first NSD yesterday:j. Was aiming for another today but need to fill the car up, again:mad:. Think I'm gonna get myself a push bike as I am so fed up of the rising cost of fuel.

Totally agree sprozza. I changed my car recently and the first tank fill was £91:eek: I then decided not to let it go below a half tank until last week of course when it took £79 of liquid gold from a quarter of a tank:mad: A push bike is certainly worth consideration;)

lotti379

I have started using my push bike again for short journeys... My ma and sis have a horse each they keep about a mile away, so it seems daft to drive down to sort them out! My ma doesn't use her bike (an old narrow-tyred racing/touring thingy) and is on the look out for a nice second hand one, so when I have some time I'm going to relocate the stand and panniers from hers to mine (she has given her permission!). Then I can nip to the shops in the nearer town or cycle to work... probably won't do so for evening shifts though, not sure I fancy cycling alone through country lanes at 1am! :rotfl:

jintyb

Rock_Cakes wrote: »

Back to work and had run an event. But then finally jumped on a train to Jintyland (;)) and was met by DH. He made me a lovely welcome back dinner - a warm salad with spinach, butter beans, peppers and veggie haggis. It was delicious. So thats us back together. Once again I want to thank you guys for all your support. :kisses:

I even managed a NSD which brings my total to 4. I am hoping for another today, as I think we have the ingredients for dinner at home.

Hope you all have a good day.
xx

:hello:I thought it was you Rock cakes........:rotfl::rotfl:

Mind you I couldnt see you for all the :smileyhea

beanielou

Great news Rock Cakes :j

Going for Reiki today & hair cut tomorroe :j

elfen

NSD no 10 for me please. Rather chuffed as I've never hit double figures this early in the month! Checked bank and I have *just* scraped in with bills before I get some money come in tomorrow....whew!