Have an adventure in August with the NSD challenge

bellkat

Hi everyone, NSD 1 for me today.

I'm going to find it quite hard this month with school hols, but at least if the weather stays nice we can go to the park and hopefully not spend too much!!!

beadgirl87

Yesterday was a NSD for me, off to a good start, I hope it carries on!

laura2481

Hi! NSD no1 today for me

IF

Gosh it warm here!! Wish I had air conditioning!


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!

niccatw

Number 2 for me today.

solventsoon

Hi lovely gang:A
Just to let you all know that I won't be doing an update tonight. I'm having the week from hell at work and I'm kernackered:(

Will be back tomorrow, hopefully in a slightly brighter frame of mind xx

'night everyone
spoon xx

Actress

Aaah fairplay Spoon get some rest x

YEA NSD No 1 for me today! August is gonna be a good one :j

cw18

Night Spoon - hope you wake up feeling more rested


Today was NSD #1 for me - even though I spent !!

The more I looked at the pillow case and curtain tie-back draped over my headboard, backed by the wallpaper sample and patch of paint from a tester pot, the more I decided the colours just didn't match well enough.

So I had another look at a bedding set I'd seen on the JL site, and comparing pics between the two it looked darker - and it was also one heck of a lot cheaper. So on Saturday I ordered that for in-store collection (only available on-line), but tonight was the first chance I've had to go down.

Took my previous bedding purchase with me (as one or both would be returned), and after collecting and checking the new one it was clear there was very little difference in the colour - so a trip to a till to get a full refund on everything followed. I then wandered the length and breadth of the Traff0rd Centre looking for other places that may sell bedding - found a few stores, but no bedding that even vaguely appealed and was affordable - even opening myself up to a full change of colour scheme.

I then nipped over to Mr A, and managed to find one that looks like it might work (and is one heck of a lot cheaper again), but the quilt cover is totally plain which wasn't something I'd been considering. Decided it had to be worth a shot to see if the colours match as well at home so paid for them - but 'cos the bedding is slightly darker than the curtains it means the paint and paper I'd bought won't tie in any more......

So having left Mr A it was next stop the orange DIY store - I'd thought to take the paint and paper with me in case I ended up totally changing my colour scheme. Got a full refund on those, then went in and picked out new selections...... though I've lost some of the savings on the bedding as the paper is £4/roll more expensive than the one I returned :eek:

Need to check it all out together in the natural light of my room tomorrow morning, as I need to get to Arg0s tomorrow evening to return at least the original bedding I got from there - but if this lot doesn't match up then I'll have to take back everything

Classing today as an NSD because all I bought was replacement stuff for doing up my room - and lost a couple of NSDs for my original Arg0s and decorating purchases, which wouldn't have needed replacing had the colours all matched properly in the first place

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Well it's a No Spending day No 1
I have got to get my feet done, overdue. Mum invited me to London where we got my hair done, as a result I may have got myself a new hairdresser who is miles better than my current girl. Planned visits to London mean I should get job done in London rather than here.
My feet are like claws, gonna tell a VIP about them so as to be real physically with him, and so we can be honest about any physical deficiencies and that be ok. I have to dedicate £70 to getting job done easily a trip to Mr T or preferably Waitrose (more Mr T waste due to use by dates grrrr):mad::mad::mad:. I need to get to Scotland for holiday but it all seems uncertain atm. Edinburgh and Highlands are the aim either or and both and at some time in my life.
I am still no nearer to using Home Budget on Iphone which may be a lifesaver. Mum offered to help me set it up. I keep all my reciepts.
I hope everyone is well. Birthday Greetings and ((((hugs))) for anyone who needs it. Nice to see the newbies on the thread as well as the old timers.:money:Some incredible goals NSD wise, good luck and may I be inspired by you enough to do it myself one day.,
Thiinking of walk to mr t the long way, that way I get 2 miles in and mr t is less for exercise and more for spending and less temptation . I hate the dark. But it will help me exercise for today now I have my Pedometer which operates in all conditions unlike GPS on Iphone.

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver

Got to get back into swing of things here otherwise I will lose the will to live on this thread.