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!

ms_night_ryder

Announcing NSD'S 4&5 crimbo day, and today as not been well, tomorrow will be one, as will friday, dont think i will quite make my target, but will keep trying in the new year, i don't like giving up

butdoineedit?

jintyb wrote: »

Good morning all!

Hope everyone had a great day yesterday, mine was a bit mixed.

Ended up in hospital with my Dad. He has had a chest infection (again) and has been feeling gradually worse all week despite being on antibiotics. Yesterday he was feeling really bad so phoned NHS 24 who advised going to hospital. I took him up @12 and finally after a lot of hanging about and tests and humming and hawwing as to whether they were going to admit him or not, they let him [EMAIL="home@9"]home at 9[/EMAIL] last night. The positive thing is they've identified the bacteria causing this recurring infection and had given the appropriate ant-bis to treat it. He is home and also on a short course of steroids to help the breathing so fingers crossed.
So,dinner was a bit staggered throughout the day but we got there in the end.;)

We are all having a quiet day today - catching up with Sky+ programmes and I'll be out for a good walk later as I need some freash air!

On the plus side, I got 2 more NSD's so that's 12!

Enjoy your Boxing Day!

Awwww ((((((((((((((((((big hugs)))))))))))))))) Jinty, so sorry to hear about your dad & what a day to happen!!
I'm really glad to hear that he is now on the right antibiotics now & is starting to perk up, fingers crossed that he continues to recover well x

butdoineedit?

Hey guys, so sorry i disappeared without saying Merry Christmas, time just totally ran away with me!!!
Hope you all had great days, & wow, so many targets being hit, the prizes are filling the front page now!!

Targets met today:

elfen – well done for 17 & 2nd target, increased to 18 now! :j:j

toottifrootti – well done for hitting your target & for getting to 18, that’s fantastic!! :j:j

slowlyfading – well done for meeting & exceeding your target!! :j:j

beanielou – well done for meeting & exceeding your 2nd target, you’ve had a great month!! :j:j

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

freebyfifty – well done for 14, you’re doing great!! :j:j

jintyb – well done for number 13, hope you found yourself a nice treat today, you deserve it!! :j:j

chris81418 – well done for 21, target increased to 24 now. :j:j

Knitting Nora - well done for 11, you’re doing great!! :j:j

Hiddenidenity – well done for number 25 & what a lovely gift!! :j:j

bottleofred – well done for number 20, you’ll be hitting your 2nd target before you know it!! :j:j

donna dynamo - well done for 12, you’re doing great!! :j:j

ModestyB – well done for number 12, but oops to OH’s cookbook!! :j:j

Frodobaggins - well done for 14, you’re doing great!! :j:j

Learning2Budget - well done for number 9, you’re doing great!! :j:j

rising from the ashes – well done for number 10!! :j:j
((((((((((((((big hugs)))))))))))))), hope the table hunt went well?

fedupandskint – well done for getting to 12, I’ve added you to the front page now!! :j:j

ms_night_ryder – well done for 4 & 5, don’t give up yet, you can do it!! :j:j

And hello to:

Learning2Budget – how annoying about your money, the waiting would drive me mad too!!

wannabee_in_credit - you‘ll be back on track before you know it, we all have to have the odd shopping day!!

marmiterulesok – good luck with work tomorrow, I hope it’s not too mad!!

cw18 – wow the turkey was a serious bargain!!

flying_fresian – wow the hotel sounds like a real bargain!! Hope you feel better soon!

oh & 2 more for me, so very nearly at target!

kerri_gt

Evening everyone! I think my bodyclock has moved into hibernation mode as all I seem to want to do is sleep atm, but as OH said, I always seem to have a list of things to do so perhaps my body is just enjoying a well earned rest

Despite the lure of some online sales, yesterday was NSD #8 :j so a last min rally by me this week, annoyingly something I had my eye on is not OOS online but will check intstore when I go out sale shopping this week.

Today wasn't a NSD, but I do have xmas cards for next year (although they did still cost me £8 :eek:) and I needed to pick up some curry sauce for the turkey curry we had for dinner tonight (mine was had with a lovely free bag of rice fusions from the freezer, very :money:) Leftovers now mainly used up, prob enough for some bubble and squeak tomorrow. Really must tidy up the freezer as it's got in a bit of a jumble from squeezing the xmas stuff in there - which meant I ragther missed out on the boxing day meat sales, but might get some new years day (as we don't go out NYE I shouldn't be too hungover) :A

have just joined the Crazy Clothes Challenge for 2012, £500 for the year :eek: but I won't beat myself up too badly if I go over, it will just be interesting to see what I do actually spend. Have given myself a budget for sales shopping, plus there is a hoodie I really do want (to replace a much loved A&F one from NY in 2007, but it's white and has rather seen better days now) just trying to justify the cost of the one I would like

Butti

NSD no. 5 please

How many days left till the end of the month? Hmmmm

B

Keiss_21

Hya folks :wave::wave:

Hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas...not had time to catch up yet.

Back home from a windy, yet warm Scotland. I didn't wear a coat the 6 days we were up there, very odd!! Mind you, I didn't go out very often!! :rotfl:

Have totted up all the NSDs I have nabbed the past couple of weeks, and pleased to report I am up to 15 NSDs :j. Really pleased, as it's difficult when travelling and visiting lots of folk.

Another spendy day tomorrow, as we are off out for DS1's 22nd birthday tea. His GF was waiting with her parents outside the house when we got back from Scotland this evening...the M6 was a nightmare...very sloooow!!

Not staying here long tonight, so much to catch up on /delete!!

Will see you all later in the week xx

zafiro1984

Hi all,
Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas. Chrismas Day was very quiet, just DD and husband, Boxing day just us but had the family down today - at least it stopped me from going out and spending.
Got to really pull my horns in now to get back on track. I've allowed myself just £20 per week for fruit and veg, £20 for the rest, hopefully be able to do it as I've quite a lot of meat in the freezer, enough to last several months.
So I can say NSD, Christmas day, Boxing day, today and hopefully tomorrow. Anyway that's 3 to add to the list making a total of 15

greenanne

whoops tuesday seems to have escaped me.i'll be the first one for wednesday then.
yesterday was another nsd for me.
so thats 9 nsd's for me please.

chris81418

Good morning everyone! :wave:

butdoineedit? wrote: »

chris81418 – well done for 21, target increased to 24 now. :j:j

Thanks BDINI! Another NSD caught yesterday, so my running total is now 22 NSDs! :j

Have a good Hump-Day everyone! :xmassmile