The Solvent September NSD Challenge

solventsoon

RonniesMummy wrote: »

hey all
just reporting I have had a spendy day today - but I had to as received a call this morning offering me a job and I start next week!! After not working for the best part of 2 years I am nervous and excited - but if I'm working I have less time to spend !!!!
xx

Woohooo.. fab news RonniesMummy, I'm really pleased for you:j:j:j:j:j:j

Fingers crossed all goes well next week.

spoon xx

solventsoon

sparklysaver wrote: »

Thanks for giving me the inspiration, everyone. :grouphug:

Hmm, having posted it, that group hug smiley is marginally disturbing, no?

Those of us who've been here a while call it the "dodgy hug", sparklysaver, I think that sums it up well:D

sparklysaver

solventsoon wrote: »

Those of us who've been here a while call it the "dodgy hug", sparklysaver, I think that sums it up well:D

Hmmmm, yes, think I might not be using that one in future, for the avoidance of doubt. I mean, I'm genuinely grateful to you all for inspiring me, but not THAT grateful!!

Nargleblast

Good evening gang, and how's we all a doin' on?

Bit too knackered for wiggles or hugs, dodgy or otherwise, as this morning I completed a forty-eight hour week of nights. Just unwinding after a shower and a glass of port, catching up with the gossip on here. Still on a glorious, fluorescent-pink 0 Nsds at the moment but I hope to catch the first one at the weekend then persuade a few others to join it over the course of next week.

Nice to see you back fired up, wired up and ready to go, Big Mumma - though suspicious me thinks you may have been at the falling down liquid already! Did you get the wooden leg fixed in the end? You know, when Igor's headdress (large tin of fruit salad) fell on it during the carnival conga?

I also see Beanie is plugged in to the mains again - no more dipping it in caffeine, now!

Well, let the challenge begin!

runnerbean17

nsd #1 :t

IF

Evening all NSD'ers :hello:

Got my 1st NSD thank you BDINI x :A



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!

Squidge123

I had my NSD #1 today. I'm not including buying stuff for work because without buying food for lunch boxes I would have to spend everyday I'm at work. I work in a supermarket so it's been difficult to not buy anything!!

lynnette78

my first official NSD today:beer:
went for a lovely walk to feed the ducks and to the park afterwards, gotta keep the kids entertained somehow whether spendng money or trying not too. even left my handbag at home so that we werent tempted by ice cream:money:

will try again tomorrow:A

SillyBlondie

NSD no 2 today please Spoon. I thought it would be a spend day, but I was treated to a lovely lunch.

kerri_gt

My goodness you lot can't 'alf yap, 9 pages already :eek: I'm totally pooped tonight (explaination further down) so only been able to do a brief skim read so far

I can declare a big fat ZERO NSD for Sept so far, tried a couple of glitches in Mr T yesterday but none worked (so returns to do tomorrow), but did have to get a friend's b'day card as I won't see her again before her b'day. Today wasn't a NSD either...again xplaination further below...

butdoineedit? wrote: »

kerri gt - signing you up for 14 now, good luck!! So where are we headed on your birthday outing??? Hubert can’t wait!! :j
:j

I'm actually away on business for my b'day so if you all fancy hopping over to Canada in the Tardis it would be lovely to see you all

i did however have an early b'day celebration today - and the reason for no NSD. Myself and one of my best friends took the day off work and went to the zoo for the day. We saw penguins at Penguin Beach, sleepy lions and tigers, and meerkats....simplez! We also filled the day with ice cream and tea/cakes, rounded off with wandering back through Regent's Park in the most glorious sunshine - it was beautiful. Had a really really fab day :beer:

oh and had a butterfly land on me in the butterfly house - luckily I didn't :eek: and swot it :rotfl:

Tomorrow prob won't be a NSD, I have my first mystery shop :cool: (though it wouldn't count as I get reimbursed) but I also have some Mr T MOC to use (quite good ones) so might do all that in one hit. Sun though should hopefully be a NSD - I'm thinking about cashing in on the good weather and doing a car boot. Not heard back from my friend who normally comes with me but considering just going on my own if I don't hear back - can't imagine I'll fancy it next sun after a week away and jet lag.