The Solvent September NSD Challenge

greenanne

back from holiday now and back to work in the morning.[why am i still here at this time!!]
have so far managed 2NSDs.am going to try for another tomorrow so have packed up food and a drink to take with me.
will report back tomorrow

IF

Evening all :hello:


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!

solventsoon

debtfree_future wrote: »

Hi
1st NSD for me today. A colleague had surfeit of plums and brought them into work for people to eat or take home. I made a family receipe plum pudding with them. It's basically a Yorkshire pudding mixture into which you put quartered plums and cook as if it was a Yorkshire pud.

Well done for no 1, DFF, first of many, I hope x

The plum pudding sounds scrummy. Do you have a recipe, if so, would you mind sharing it? I'd like to try that I think, it doesn't sound as sweet as most puddings

debtfree_future wrote: »

I had good day cleaning with Mum today, she is feeling a bit lonely since Dad has been in hospital forth last 11 weeks he is 81,has Parkinson's and is suffering from complications due to Parkinson's.:( It is also my Mum and Dad's 57th wedding anniversary tomorrow and it will be the first one where they have been apart.
DFF

(((hugs))) DFF, that must be really hard for your poor Mum to cope with. Hope she gets to spend some time with your Dad tomorrow.

spoon xx

jintyb

Good morning all!

Just been catching up with the posts, and I'd just like to say a huge thanks to you lovely bunch for all the kind wishes - you really know how to lift the spirits!
The doctors came round last night and the latest is that they've had a re-think and they are not going to treat with IV anti-biotics as first thought, but heavy duty oral meds. All being well, he will get home later today. While that's good for him to be home and in his own surroundings, I think I'd rather he was in hospital until the infection has been cleared. I am in two minds about it!

to Debt FreeFuture - so sorry to hear about your Dad.

Off to get ready for work - I think OH has kindly given me his cold, my throat is really scratchy this morning - oh no, that means I wont be able to talk as much :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:


Have a lovely day all!

Nargleblast

Hello everyone! T'internet a bit sslllooowwww today, must ask Igor to put another shovel of coal on the fire.....

Busy working weekend means the Nargle is up to 4 luvverly NSDs.

Hello again to all newbies, keep up the good work!

Jinty - happy hols on your scottish country estate! And hope dad responds to treatment.

Have a good (if windy) day everyone!

squeeeek

NSD 1/15 for me for yesterday hoping to get another today

chris81418

Good morning everyone! :wave:

Popping to report that yesterday was NSD number 9 which also means that I'm up to 7 NSDs in-a-row! :j

Get well soon Jinty's dad! And hello and welcome to the newbies who have just signed up!

Lewby

The weekend turned into a spendy one although it wasn't my own money, it was money given to me to cater for a friends Christening. I bought a present and put £3 in the church collection though so that was spending and I went to the theatre last night with a friend (who bought the tickets as a treat) and I bought a drink. Also bought 2012 filofax diaries for OH and I as I'm already making appointments for next year at work.

As we came out of ther theatre last night I noticed another event in late October (Charlie Boorman who OH loves) and this morning I have booked two tickets for OH and I. They weren't too expensive at £17.50 each and it will give us something to look forward to as we spend the rest of our time on the DFW path

So today isn't a NSD either due to ticket purchase .... so back on the wagon tomorrow and going for 3 in a row Tues, Weds and Thurs. On a positive note I have kept my spending diary up to date to the penny and have meals planned for the week.

Have a good one everyone :j and don't get blown away.

Rachel021967

This weekend I managed to get my first 2 NSDs under my belt.
Unfortunately, today isn't one as had to give daughter money for train fare and food. Also I need to get some fruit and veg.

SpendSpendSpend

I'm sorry I still haven't read anybody else's posts yet. I'm off work this week so will try and catch up at some point, although I've written a HUGE list of things I need to get done this week. I think I'd rather be in work!

I was supposed to have a NSD yesterday as I was going to the cinema for free but then ended up having to pay for parking which defeated the object of a free trip. Also I got there early so went to a coffee shop for a drink & some fruit loaf, which meant I spent even more money. However, I got lucky as they only had 1 slice of the fruit loaf so they offered to refund my money for it but still let me have the 1 slice. I didn't even know you got more than 1 slice when I ordered it & only wanted 1 slice so I was really pleased & it made me feel better about spending!

I hope everyone is well & getting loads of NSDs. I'm off into town now as I've got to get some birthday pressies/cards & seeing as a DD came out today I may aswell spend now rather than waste a future NSD.