The Solvent September NSD Challenge

LittleMissHappy_2

Betsie2010 - well done for number 7 :j:j:j
chris81418 - well done for number 18 :j:j:j
honey - well done for number 6, 7 & 8 :j:j:j
Keiss 21 - well done for number 16 :j:j:j
The Dragon - well done for number 12 :j:j:j
Ed from beds - well done for number 12 :j:j:j
jaffacakegal - well done for number 12 :j:j:j
elfen - well done for number 12 :j:j:j
rising from the ashes - well done for number 10 & 11 :j:j:j
Saving the family silver - well done for number 5 :j:j:j
pinkfluffybabe - well done for number 18 :j:j:j
beanielou - well done for number 15 :j:j:j
slowlyfading - well done for number 13 :j:j:j
bottleofred - well done for number 17 :j:j:j
Lily_The_Legend - well done for number 10 :j:j:j

Sorry I didn't do the update last night....feel asleep early

bottleofred

Good afternoon folks, from a dry and sunny NI:eek: A spend day for me today as I've had a visit to Mr Sainsbugs for a few bits and pieces. I hope everyone is well and has a good weekend.

fedupandskint

I'm back with a NSD at long last - 9 NSD

Hope everyone is having a good weekend and Happy Birthday for yesterday Spoon

rising_from_the_ashes

Been a beautiful day here today - DM visited and did 3 loads of washing for me, all dried on the line and ironed, then we had roast chicken for lunch, yum, yum.

It felt very odd having her cook in my kitchen and I felt really guilty about the washing/ironing but until I'm up on my feet again these are unfortunately beyond me .


Have managed to resist buying anything else online too :j:j so now up to No 12 and 3 in a row! (which is good for me!).


Hope everyone's having a great weekend.:D

IF

LittleMissHappy wrote: »

Sorry I didn't do the update last night....feel asleep early

No worries and thank you for doing it Little Miss :A

bowlofsoup

Hello All
I'm a newbie here - only joined today as had a horrid £2500 LBM earlier this week. My strategy for tackling our debt is to aim for as many NSD's as possible as when I spend I cant stop and to have a strcit shopping/petrol budget-a novelty! I've had 4 nsd's out of 5 since my LBM (had to get shopping yesterday) and am going to try to not spend a penny until next Friday when I go shopping again...
Soupy.

solventsoon

bowlofsoup wrote: »

Hello All
I'm a newbie here - only joined today as had a horrid £2500 LBM earlier this week. My strategy for tackling our debt is to aim for as many NSD's as possible as when I spend I cant stop and to have a strcit shopping/petrol budget-a novelty! I've had 4 nsd's out of 5 since my LBM (had to get shopping yesterday) and am going to try to not spend a penny until next Friday when I go shopping again...
Soupy.

Hi Soupy and welcome to the NSD challenge

Well done for your 4 NSDs so far, that's good going and especially well done for your LBM, you've made a great start to clearing that debt:T:T:T

If you'd like to set yourself a target for the end of the month we can get you added to the front page and you may even get a little prizelet at the end:D:D Otherwise just feel free to pop in here and update us and you can always join in for October if you'd like too.

Good to see you and hope to see you again soon.

Take care
spoon xx

Nargleblast

Good evening everyone, just dropping by to announce I am on NSD number 10!!!!

Well, if anyone wants an equinox party (yes I know it was yesterday but every day can be party day in NSD land) then I should warn you that Igor has indeed made a huge plate of stuffed Michaelmas goose sandwiches. Complete with fevvers.

Hubert has dropped by for his usual carrot canapes with peanut butter sauce, and is helping(?) Igor set up the cocktail bar.

The whole of Chateau Nargle is looking very festive with strings of onions, peppers and courgettes draped everywhere, several jars of my latest creation (blackberry raspberry and apple jam) are cooling on the worktop, stewed rosehips are draining into a large bowl, ready to be turned into rosehip cordial, and a band is playing cool jazz in the background.

Now, what to wear? The slinky black number with the chain mail cardie? Or the fluorescent orange ballet tutu with my lovely green lurex tights?

IF

Hello :hello:

Got my 14th NSD today, thank you BDINI and Little Miss xx :A:A

IF

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!