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

IF

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

Finally NSD#4 for me today. Partly because I didn't get home fronm work until 10 tonight, and partly because I've nothing left to spend.:p

mooomin

flying_fresian wrote: »

I have had a spendy, spendy weekend. Hopefully today will be a NSD though

Nope :mad: Ended up posting some parcels (not Ebay related) and buying 10 2nd class stamps for Christmas cards. Can't believe how expensive stamps are now *sob*

Hoping for a NSD again today......

freebyfifty

Good Morning,

Checking in to report NSD #6 for yesterday I posted ebay parcels but I'm not counting them
Hoping to have another today, I need to pay into the tea fund at work but I took that out of my purse at the weekend and put it in my coat pocket. I wasn't letting one measley pound rob me of another precious NSD

Have a great Tuesday x

jintyb

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

I'm having a dilemna as to whether there will be huge discounts after Christmas .... and working out if I can survive a fortnight + with the stuff in the garage I'd be well p'd off if I buy one now & then there's loads of money off better quality ones in a couple of weeks or so.


AAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH

Hi Rising - have you checked out freecycle? You might get lucky with a freebie which would tide you over for now ( until Jan sales);)

chris81418

Good morning everyone! :wave:

butdoineedit? wrote: »

chris81418 – well done for number 7, you’re off to a great start!! :j:j

Thanks BDINI! And congrats with the tenant!

HI - sorry to hear about your keepsafes! (((hugs)))

Reporting that I had a big spendy day on Saturday; however, I caught 2 more NSDs on Sunday and yesterday, so I'm now up to 9 NSDs ! :j

Today will be a big spendy day, as I have a food shop to do and few other bits n bobs to buy; but I'm hoping that I won't have to spend again for quite a while after today.

Have a good rest of the week everyone!

Hiddenidenity

Good Morning all, Hope everyone is well

Today isnt going to be a NSD here I need to go for baby milk but thats all I'll spend Im going to leave my purse at home :rotfl:

IF

Morning all :hello:

blindtoast

NSD#6 yesterday which takes me half way to my target!! :j

Today has already been spendy as I've had to buy my lunch due to us not having been shopping for 2 weeks. This is probably tonights job. Thought as I was already spending i'd also fill my car up with petrol even though it could have got me to work another day.

I also treated myself to a DVD boxset - Doctor Who S5

Tomorrow will probably be spendy as it's my birthday so will probably go out for some dinner somewhere and I said I'd buy cake for work. (unfortunately I still have to go! - i think there should be a law that means you don't work on your birthday - like a personal bank holiday!)

beanielou

No 9 today.
Really really windy here again.Eeek.