The “how many paydays ‘til Xmas” November NSD challenge

LittleMissHappy_2

I'm wiggling Doing xmassey things with the littlies this afternoon so getting in the mood

Got some candles from Mr T this morning - did a T raid straight after the school run and got the last 9! No spiced apple though so the hunt is onnnnnnnnn!

(obviously this means no NSD )

wannabehermit

Yippee, I managed to get 2 nsd's yesterday & Weds, bringing me up to a grand old total of...4!!!

DD is upstairs having a very long sleep. Waiting for her to wake up so that I can go out. HAve a few cheques that need paying into the bank and have to get a couple of bits from MrT. But need to leave at 1.30 at the absolute latest to not be rushing too much, 1pm would be better, but don't think that's going to happen somehow as she'll need lunch first.

Have been having a nightmare week with ds2, so he's going to my parents for the weekend so that we can have some much needed time with ds1 and dd. Will be doing something nice with them over the weekend, would take ds1 up to London, he loves war things and that and would take him to the Imperial War Museum, & HMS Belfast, but it's going to be a relaxing weekend without ds2, so don't want to be fighting with a pushchair on the tube , so we'll have to come up with something else.

Ah, there are sounds coming over the baby monitor, must go. Have a good weekend all. :beer:

solventsoon

ifwisheswerehorses... wrote: »

Afternoony all :hello:

Love this If :rotfl::rotfl:


Definitely wiggling now

fedupandskint

Same here, loving the piccy

I'm wiggling too now with a big smile!

Keiss_21

Love the puddy cat. so does DS2

Back now, had to go and rescue the washing from the rain...turning cold and dark here now

Just had a delivery from Matalan: a coat for me (it almost fits, so keeping it...good incentive to lose the bat-wings!!) and numerous socks to sell as sock-cupcakes at the xmas fairs I'm doing. I had no smaller-sized ones, so did an on-line order, and with a 20% off voucher, I did pretty well!! :j Any I don't sell @ Xmas, I can sell throughout the year...will just need to change the cupcake holder I make. Using double sided Xmas backing paper I got free with a couple of magazines last year. Still have the template for all the different sizes, so realy pleased. I should get some made up this afternoon/evening.

Doing a bit of wiggling,this afternoon, if only to keep warm!

Have a good weekend everyone x

PS. Can you tell I'm starting to feel better!!

lotti379

sock-cupcakes?!

Keiss_21

lotti379 wrote: »

sock-cupcakes?!

You roll a pair of socks up to look like a cupcake (hold together with an elastic band). Put into a cupcake holder (make my own and put sock size on the bottom). Add a golden or red "cherry" (old xmas dec!), then wrap up in cellophane, looks good!! See here for a good tutorial on folding.

Sold out of female ones last year, so needed to get more. House-bound atm due to op, so Matalan came to the rescue!!

fedupandskint

It was a NSD afterall. Took the dog out for along walk this afternoon instead of shopping, was pretty chilly out there brrr!

Need to go and get some shopping in tomorrow - milk, fruit, bit of veg etc - bare basics week this week due to noooooooooo money at all. Anyway payday monday and bill paying day and Sunday will be a NSD too

Number 10 for me today please

slowlyfading

Not one for me today - bought a couple of christmas presents

IF

solventsoon wrote: »

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!