Have an adventure in August with the NSD challenge

SillyBlondie

NSD no 1 for me today.

IF

Good evening 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!

MattSS

My first no spend day today. I got a bit lucky because I didn't make lunch to take to work but a colleague bought in some apples so I munched a bunch of those instead of buying something. I wasn't hungry and I could live off just fruit if I had to so fine with me.
Sad to admit it but I go round my mum's for a haircut from a friend of her's and my mum always pays. I'm 25!!
Still, free hair cut and a NSD

niccatw

Hola, can I gor for 15 agian this month. The pesky little NSDs kept slipping through my fingers in July, but in I have dusted my hands down and am ready to give chase in August! Beware NSDs, I shall hunt you down!

And to show I mean businees, number 1, I have already bagged you! Ha.

niccatw

suzitiger wrote: »

I want to try for 5 NSDs in a row too and see how I get on with that, need to check the diary to see when I will be doing that. Anyone got tips on how to get a few NSDs on the trot? :A

It's all in the planning Suzi. Make sure you have all the basics you're likely to need food-wise (bread, milk etc.) and any essentials (don't run out of loo roll!)

Then keep a list of the things it'd be handy to pick up if you weren't in the middle of an NSD role. It's then just a case of putting off the spend for one more day at a time.

I usually try to "allocate" the spendy day a week in advance and on a day I know I'm spending already (usually "hair cut day" as I will also be in the city centre and out and about in general) as I find it easier to talk myself into holding off a few more days for whatever it is I think I need.

And then I try not to cry when I realise how much I've spent on "hair cut day"! :rotfl:

robedha_2

Today is number 1 of my NSDs which I wasn't expecting. I was supposed to be going swimming with friends but one couldn't make it so we are going to go tomorrow before fat club. I'm also going to get some groceries tomorrow (checking the reduced sections first of course) but that means the rest of the week should hopefully be NSDs.

Frodobaggins

NSD #1 for me today. Hope to manage another tomorrow but car running on fumes, unless I play soft and let OH fuel up!:p
Frodo x.

solventsoon

Hi lovely gang :A
Hope you’ve all had a good Monday (if there is such a thing..), never mind, it’ll soon be Friday with the way the days are whizzing by at the moment. Lots of pages for me to get through tonight so I’d best make a start:D....


Lots more newbies joining up today so a very warm welcome to you all, it’s great to have you on board. If you’re not sure about anything please ask, we’re very friendly and there’s usually someone around to help. Feel free to join in with the chat and general nonsense on here, we’re fairly tame (well, most of the time, if you humour us). Good luck with your first NSD challenge - keep posting, that’s the secret to success here.

So a big welcome to:

:hello:*Mari* - hi and welcome, yes of course you may join in, you’re very welcome. This is indeed a good place to start but it does get very addictive, you have been warned.
All signed up for 10 now, good luck with getting there, you can do it!

:hello:timbstoke - all signed up now for your 10 now, good luck with getting there, you can do it!
Keep posting, that’s the secret to success and ask away if you want to know anything, we’re a friendly bunch (if prone to flights of fancy occasionally...)

:hello:ms_night_ryder - all signed up now for your 10 now, good luck with getting there, you can do it!
You’re sounding very organised with taking your lunch into work, that will definitely help a lot

:hello:mrs.butler - all signed up now for your 16 now, good luck with getting there, you can do it!
You did brilliantly to get 14 last month, well done!

:hello:cranbornekat - hi and welcome, of course you may join in, you’re very welcome. All signed up for 10 now, good luck you can do it!

:hello:MattSS - all signed up now for your 10 now, good luck with getting there, you can do it!
This challenge is definitely very motivating and it becomes very addictive as well, you have been warned!! Taking lunch into work really will help, good luck!

:hello:sibles - hi and welcome, of course you may join in, you’re very welcome. All signed up for 5 now, good luck you can do it!

:hello:toothfairybuttkicker - hi and welcome, yes of course you may join in, you’re very welcome. All signed up for 13 now, good luck you can do it!
I love your user name, it’s brilliant!

:hello:dannie - hi and welcome, yes of course you may join in, you’re very welcome. All signed up for 18 now, good luck you can do it!

:hello:rictus123 - all signed up now for 31 now, good luck with getting there, you can do it!
Good luck with your challenge, fingers crossed you get there

:hello:cuttingbackisitfun? - hi and welcome, yes of course you may join in, you’re very welcome. All signed up for 15 now, good luck you can do it!


Welcome back to the oldies and regulars, great to see you all again:

:wave:Lula - all signed up for 16 now, you can do it, we’re with you all the way!
Hope you enjoyed your hols

:wave:laura2481 - all signed up for 8 now, you can do it, we’re with you all the way!

:wave:GeorgieFTB - all signed up for 10 now, you can do it!!

:wave:wouldbequalitymoneysaver - all signed up for 10 now, you can do it!!

:wave:slowlyfading - all signed up for 20 now, you can do it!!

:wave:suzitiger - all signed up for 10 now, you can do it!! And signing you up for 5 in a row as welll, good luck!

:wave:nicca - all signed up for 15 now, you can do it!!
Happy hunting!

solventsoon

And NSD no 1 in the bag for the following, great start to the month for you all:

:j:j:jmarmiterulesok - hope you enjoy the public holiday, sounds ideal

:j:j:jelfen - great start, keep going!

:j:j:jDorsetGirl - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s worth celebrating.. and your birthday tomorrow as well!!

:j:j:jrising from the ashes - great start for you, keep going now!!
Don’t feel bad about your hols, we all need a break, you enjoy them!

:j:j:jif - great start for you as well, keep going now!!
Love the fox picture, that’s brilliant!

:j:j:jdannie - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s worth celebrating!!

:j:j:jLula - back on the NSD bandwagon again, that’s a great start!

:j:j:jDee5565 - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s worth celebrating!!

:j:j:jLily_The_Legend - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s definitely worth celebrating!! Well done for avoiding the P!zza Express, that’s willpower for you!

:j:j:jThe Dragon - that’s a great start indeed, keep going now!!

:j:j:jsuzitiger - and a great start for you as well, you can do it!

:j:j:jfakeplastictwee - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s worth celebrating!!
Will keep my fingers crossed you get another one fairly soon

:j:j:jkaren is trying - and a great start for you as well, you can do it!

:j:j:jcuttingbackisitfun? - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s worth celebrating!!

:j:j:jpositivelypurple - and a great start for you as well, you can do it!

:j:j:jLoobeyloop - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s worth celebrating!!

:j:j:jbabysteps24 - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s worth celebrating!!
I definitely wouldn’t leave the envelope out overnight either....

:j:j:jdonna dynamo - and a great start for you as well, you can do it!
Good luck with the decluttering and fleabaying

:j:j:jSillyBlondie - and a great start for you as well, you can do it!

:j:j:jMattSS - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s worth celebrating!!
There’s nothing wrong with a free haircut to go with your NSD you know!

:j:j:jnicca - first one hunted down and caught, great start for you!

:j:j:jrobedha - woohoooo.... your first NSD, that’s worth celebrating, especially as it was unexpected!

:j:j:jFrodo - and a great start for you as well, you can do it! Fingers crossed OH co-operates with the fuel tomorrow


And hello to:

L2B - good luck, you can do it!! Fingers crossed for you

Lily_The_Legend - fingers crossed for you too, taking your lunch into work is a good start, definitely

Red - sorry about the direct debits

iwanttogoonholiday - oh dear, sorry about your shopping. Hope some of it is salvageable

Cheryl - more great whoopsies today I see




No 1 in the bag for me today as well, very happy with that.


Off to update the front page now, see you all tomorrow

spoon xx

marmiterulesok

No joy today,as have a few direct debits coming out.Still at #1.

I've got some shopping to get,was going to wait until tomorrow,but today'll do now.

Tomorrow I'm getting my hair cut.I've put the money aside,but I think that I'll still have to count it as an spend day?

Have a lovely day,fellow NSDers!