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

wannabee_in_credit

Thanks rising.
It just feels like I'm always having to throw money at something, just when I start to get things back under control. I paid to have my fridge freezer repaired in October and we needed a new toilet in August. It's cost us a fortune and getting my tight OH to open his wallet is like an olympic event.
I'll bounce back - by getting my car back and driving around in it, just because I can.

Hiddenidenity

Declaring number 19 here :j

Wont be a NSD day tomorrow but I will only be getting Electric then thats it for me till after xmas

cw18

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Still, trying to look at it from a positive view ...... although I'm back to £0 savings - at least I've covered it without getting into debt again.

and, in my eyes, that last bit is exactly what this forum (and the support on it) is all about :beer:

kerri_gt

Evening all, just popping in to hang my head in shame as i am doing spectacularly pants this month. Seem to have a neve ending list of things to do/get which are at all ends of the town so I can't do them in one go.

However, xmas dinner was delivered today, plus I picked up the remaining trimmings (incl Gu desserts using 2 x 50p MOC ) and a few remaining odds and sods OH had asked me to pick up so I'm nearly there. Did pop into Mr T to get two specific items, neither of which they had so going to have to nip into the xtra tomorrow evening, which means another NSD off the cards.

Hey ho, on the bright side Xmas dinner is purchased, xmas presents are purchased and cc is up to date, in fact I worked out I saved about £200+ off the presents I've bought this xmas by using saved vouchers (mainly shop and scan - so good they do amazon vouchers now), discount codes, free delivery etc - so not too shabby

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!

butdoineedit?

Sorry i've been a bit rubbish at updating this month, good job you lot haven't been as rubbish at collecting your NSD's!!

Targets met today:

chris81418 – Woo Hoo to meeting your Hall of Fame target!!!! :j:j
& well done for number 15!! Ooh & 16!! :j:j
Good luck with your food shop tomorrow…

Lots of NSDs rolling in today, so well done to:

mf0u1098 – well done for numbers 9 & 10, you’re doing great!! :j:j
Good luck with your shopping trips!!

freebyfifty – well done for number 11, you’ll be at your target before you know it!! :j:j

Hiddenidenity – well done for numbers 18 & 19, you’re having a great month!! :j:j

Cherryjack - well done for number 11, you’re doing great!! :j:j

elfen - well done for number 12 & 3 in a row, you’re doing great!! :j:j

beanielou – well done for number 10, you’re so close now!! :j:j

slowlyfading - well done for number 13, you’re doing great!! :j:j

bottleofred – well done for number 16, just let me know if you want to up your target. :j:j

flying_fresian – well done for number 9!! :j:j
Sounds like you are super organized for crimbo too!!

Frodobaggins - well done for number 10 & 4 in a row, you’re doing great!! :j:j

muffin man 7 – well done for getting to number 14!! :j:j
So sorry to hear things have been so bad for you recently, I do hope DS is doing ok?

donna dynamo - well done for number 8, you’re doing great!! :j:j

wannabehermit – well done for number 8, you’ll soon be hitting target number 2!! :j:j

blindtoast – well done for number 8, keep going you can do it!! :j:j

myteeduck – well done for number 16 & great news about your flat!! :j:j

LittleMissHappy – Well done for number 7, & for resisting the sale goodies!! :j:j

toottifrootti - well done for number 13, you’re doing great!! :j:j

marmiterulesok – Well done for number 10 & yay to getting your money through, perfect timing for xmas!! :j:j

wannabee_in_credit – Oh no hun, so sorry to hear about your car, it’s totally natural to be upset & rotten luck this close to xmas, but well done for number 4, I have total faith you will meet your target!! :j:j

cw18 – well done for number 6!! :j:j
I do have to admit to missing the stories of your whoopsie hauls though!!

And hello to:

ModestyB – great news about your electricity bill, that’s super cheap!!

rising from the ashes – :eek: to the credit bill, but it’s hardly been frivolous spending, sometimes life really gets in the way of being MSE!!

kerri gt – wow to the savings you have made, I really must get to grips with the whole coupon thing!!

cw18

butdoineedit? wrote: »

cw18 – well done for number 6!! :j:j
I do have to admit to missing the stories of your whoopsie hauls though!!

I'd love to say 'normal service will resume on 1st Jan', but I'm actually planning to do as much of my grocery shopping from my freezers and cupboards (and boxes and boxes of food!) as possible for most of next year Hopefully I'll be buying very little but milk, fruit and veg for a while - and I don't often get those as Whoopsies

Keiss_21

Sorry been MIA for a bit, no time to catch up, need to get to bed, driving to Scotland in the morning! :eek:

Have a wonderful Christmas everyone..see you all next week once we get back!

bottleofred

Good morning folks,

Just popping in to declare NSD17 for yesterday please:beer:

BDNI can I please increase my target to 21?

jintyb

Good morning all!
Been MIA for a couple of days, work has been really, really busy, but now I'm off till next Wed.:)
Worked 7.30 till 6 the last two days and I feel really taken advantage of, so after the New Year I will be adopting a different attitude. Trouble is we've got a couple of our team off long-term sick, so we are all having to muck in. However, my team leader forgets that I am only contracted to work three days and I cannot squeeze 5 days work into 3 no matter how much she'd like me to.:mad:
Gosh I feel loads better getting that off my chest!

Today, I am off to Lid£ for one or two things then to W W for the final weigh in before Christmas, eek!
Wont be a NSD today as I am going to get OH's Christmas present and I need stuff out of Boots.
The plus side is that no matter how busy the shops are its infinitely better than being in work ATM!;)

Have a great day everyone!