The jubilant July NSD challenge

chrisico

Two more so that's NSD 9 and 10. I'm going to have to be really strong to fit in 4 more before the end of the month.

Chris

Learning2Budget

NSD 10 for me today, not going out again now!!!!!!!!!!! 2/3's of the way to my target!

Nargleblast

And today makes a glorious 11 NSDs!!!!!


Ooooh I am so excited I could crush a grape.

marmiterulesok

Still at #13,as I just had to buy some organic tomatoes!

:mad::mad: Silly me...

I won't get one until Wednesday now...:o

Hope that you're all having a pleasant Monday.

I'm still off sick,don't go back until Wednesday.Trying to relax and catch up on sleep....Blame it on the steroids.:(

IF

Afternoon all :hello:






Written by solventsoon aka Spoon our inspirational mentor:-

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!

boultdj

No nsd for me today, treated myself to a dark chocolate bou*ty bar seeing as I'v not seen any of 'em for ageeeee's.

mrso2b

I'm up to 11 now!

Wee_Pilsbury

Evening all

Just popping in to declare NSD 12

suzitiger

Hi guys, hope that you have all had a good monday. I had my FIRST NSD yesterday, so no.1 can go down for me now. Yaaay. I am finding it hard to get organised enough to not be spending little bits everyday, i do seem to have a money leak, even if it is just 70p for my staff-semi-subbed taxi home after work, but this stopped me having a NSD saturday. I have bought my friend's bday pressie today and lunch (bad, bad suzi) becasue I was too hungry to wait until i got in after work, so I only have 6days to get another 4 NSDs before the end of the month, heeeeeeelp!!

Wee_Pilsbury

solventsoon wrote: »

Hello to:

Wee Pilsbury - wow!! £20 for the weekly shop is pretty good going and well done for washing your car, it’s much better for the polish than the car washes and good exercise too:T

Why thank you Spoony . I'm trying this thing I used to do - called using up what you have in the freezer already before you buy more