The "Cripes, Christmas is almost here" December NSD thread

butdoineedit?

WELCOME TO THE DECEMBER NSD CHALLENGE

Well, we're a wacky bunch here, with plenty of rowdy virtual outings planned for the festive season, all helping to keep the pennies in our purses & our sanity (at times) very close to the edge :rotfl::rotfl:

On a slightly more serious note, we are here to help each other avoid spending for the number of days we feel we can manage to try to take back some control over our hard-earned money. What you class as a "spend'" is entirely your choice; some people will try to shop on the days DD/SO etc are paid, whilst others will not include essentials such as rent. Have a look for a post from our sponsor (and godmother of this thread) BigMummaF, this contains some guidelines and ideas for starting you off on the challenge.

It’s amazing how inventive you get when you’re determined NOT to spend - from weird menu ingredients to surprising DIY solutions - but you know what? 99% of the time those wacky ideas work.


The link to last month’s thread is below so you can see what a friendly group we are. New recruits are joining up all the time - everyone is welcome so please don’t be shy, come and join us, the more the merrier.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3581233


Good luck everyone, our lucky mascot is joining us again for December


Here are some threads to help keep us on the straight and narrow, if you know of others, please post. Many of the lunch box ideas are aimed toward children and are great ideas to help balance the budgets.

March Grocery Challenge, with lots of recipe ideas.
Tinned Food Recipes.
Leftovers? Don’t Throw It..
Exciting Sandwich Fillings on a Budget.
Lunch for Work.
Laptop Lunchbox Ideas.
Packed Lunches.
Cheap Healthy Snacks
Cheap Snack Ideas to Stop Buying Crisps.
Homemade Snack Ideas…contains further links for ideas.
Sprouting Seeds to Eat.
Really Quick & Alternative Snacks.
Easy Homemade Biscuits.
Muesli & Cereal Bar Recipes.
Weetabix Cake.
HM Popcorn.
Smoothie Recipes.
Yoghurt Without a Yoghurt Maker.
Ham Economics.
Low Carb Kids Lunches...contains advice for diabetics.
Kids Lunch Box Ideas.
Back to School Lunches.
Healthy Kids Snacks.
HM Lollies.
Ice Lolly Ideas
Cheap Healthy Playground Snacks.
Homemade Fudge.
OS HM Sweets.
Forgotten Puddings.
Making chocolates or sweets

butdoineedit?

Well, it just had to be a Christmas theme for the prizes this month, so here goes!!

Target met Target 2 met Target 3 met Target exceeded


ashleighsalem - 8

BDINI - 16 16
beanielou - 11 11 Target increased to 14 14 Target increased to 21 21
blindtoast - 12 8
bottleofred - 15 15 Target increased to 2121
Butti - 8 8

Cherryjack - 12 12 13
chezabelle - 10
chris81418 - 19 19 Target increased to 2425
cuddlymarm - 12 12 22

debtfreeeju - 20
donna dynamo - 15 15

elfen - 15 15 Target increased to 17 17 Target increased to 18 18

fedupandskint - 15 15
flying_fresian - 10 10 11
freebyfifty - 13 13 Target increased to 16 16 17
freshair - 10 7
Frodobaggins - 12 12 16

greenanne - 10 10

Hiddenidenity - 15 15 29
his missus - 15 13

ifwisheswerehorses... - 17 17
Igamogam - 10 10 11
itsapuzzle - 15

jaffacakegal - 12 12 13
jintyb - 10 10 Target increased to 15 14

Keiss 21 - 18 18
kerri gt - 12 8
kezlou - 10 10 18
Knitting Nora - 15 11

Learning2Budget - 8 8 9
LittleMissHappy - 10 10 12
LittleMissKirsten - 15
LondonGirl252 - 10 8
lotti379 - 12 5

marmiterulesok - 14 14 Target increased to 17 17
mf0u1098 - 15 15
miss_t - 10 10 12
ModestyB - 10 10 15
ms_night_ryder - 10 6
muffin man 7 - 15 15 21
myteeduck - 17 16

Nargleblast - 15 10

pipersky - 10 5
positivelypurple - 8
prepareathome - 22 9

recurrent-ostrich - 10 9
rising from the ashes - 12 12
road-runner15 1

seasidesarah - 8 2
shezam - 8
SillyBlondie - 8 8 13
sirish1979 - 10 10 12
skaps - 18 18
slowlyfading - 15 15 20
solventsoon - 22 20 Target increased to 22 22 24
SOT2011 - 15
suzitiger - 10 6

The Dragon - 10 10 Target increased to 15 15 18
toottifrootti - 14 14 20
TwelveStopsThenHome - 13 9

wannabehermit - 7 7 Target increased to 10 10 11
wannabee_in_credit - 5 5 7

zafiro1984 - 12 12 17

butdoineedit?

This is for anyone who wants to set themselves a target for a number of NSDs in a row. We had some impressive numbers on this over the past few months so if anyone would like to have a go at this, I'll add you here


chris81418 - 6 in a row target achieved, woo hoo!!

miss_t - 3 in a row target achieved, woo hoo!!

suzitiger - 5 in a row

The Dragon - 5 in a row target achieved, woo hoo!!

LittleMissHappy_2

I'm so happy i am the first to post after the lovely BDINI


I'm going for 10 again this month please BDINI :rudolf:

Also, I'm happy to do some updates this month, just pm me if you need me to x

bottleofred

Hi folks,

Thanks for setting up the thread BDNI. As I have a few dinners to go to, can I please go for 15NSDs please

The_Dragon

My usual start of 10 (with a run of 5 please!)

suzitiger

Ooooooooh sign me up for 10 again please, i will aim to beat this though. Also i am goinf to try and get 5 in a row too. Should be fun in December, can't wait for prizes!! :j

sirish1979

Hi All,

I am seeing this challenge from long and didn't know what are the basic rules.:o If someone can explain them to me in short I would like to join this challenge. Looks like a good one.

Thanks.

beanielou

Will go for 11 this month I think.

butdoineedit?

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!

Frodobaggins

Can u put me down for 12 please?