The Solvent September NSD Challenge

IF

Afternoony all :hello:

Keiss_21 wrote: »

Love the piccie

SpendSpendSpend wrote: »

If - Where on earth do you get all of your pics from? They're brilliant & always make me . Thank you!

Pleased you both like them, I find them on G00gle or Ph0otobucket xx






Hi NSD'ers Could I ask you please to highlight your number of NSDs in a colour and in bold so that BDINI can see them easily, thank you :A



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!

IF

Ooops forgot the friday ~ Wiggle ~ :doh:

jaffacakegal

Hi all,

Well yesterday was a spendy - and I wasn't even organised enough to buy something else whilst the DDs were coming out

Today will also be a spendy as well I think - need the dreaded liquid gold (with 5p off litre voucher ) and off to cinema with my clubcard exchanged tickets tonight!

JCG x

TizerCat

Well I'm up and running with No 1 NSD yesterday!!:j Was unplanned as had a leaving drinks do after work, but the boss bought me a drink so I didn't spend anything:D

first weeks shopping of the month done this morning so none today.

ModestyB

Hi all, was trying for an NSD today but ended going to Morrisons with my DD. I am trying to only buy what we need instead of what we want. I am proud to announce that today is NSD No 2. I actually walked around a supermarket without spending anything at all!!!! Saw loads of stuff I wanted, just getting too mean to buy them. Lol! Thanks for all the inspiration everyone.

CountingPennies

Looking forward to starting this challenge now i'm a part of it! My first NSD won't be till monday. But i WILL stick to it!! Lol

slowlyfading

Number 1 for me today

honey

solventsoon wrote: »

Hi honey:wave:

It's lovely to see you again, hope everything's OK with you?

Good to have you back.

spoon xx

Hi spoon,

Aw thank you

Still the same problems for my S.Dad I'm afraid. He's hanging on in there though, should only be 2 months until another op which should really improve things for him. Unfortunately my Dad is now very poorly too and in a care home so it's been a naff old time really! I don't think I've ever mentioned it on here but Dad has early onset alzheimer's and has really gone downhill.

But anyway, I'm trying hard to appreciate what we have now, sorry I've gone on a bit!

How are things with you? Hope all is good and you're having a lovely summer.

honey x

fedupandskint

NSD 2 for me - I did it and didn't spend on a Friday for the first time in ages! Overcame the temptation for a coffee and stayed strong - yeah!

Tomorrow is a spend day and I am determined to stick to my list and only buy what I need instead of thinking 'I'll pop it in the freezer'.

honey

Thank you for signing me up BDINI, no NSD's to report yet. We're going to a maize maze tomorrow so it'll be a low spendy day but finger's x'd for Sunday!

Have a great weekend all,

honey x