A fantastic February with the NSD challenge

IF

Morning all :hello:

This is so me with computers!! :doh:

Frodobaggins

Yesterday turned out to be a spendy day, but I'm hoping to catch one today so I can meet my 2nd target for the month.:)

Keiss_21

Managing to nab NSD 19 today, one over target!!:j

People not eating for a couple of days means we still have plenty of food about. Makes being ill and feeling rubbish worth while after all!!

So sorry you are having to give up working on the NSD threads Spoon, but you have to do what's best for you atm. Thankyou sooo much for all your encouragement and wise word of advice. You will be sorely missed. I look forward to you popping in every once in a while though. Thank you again xxx :T:T:T:T

Popping over to the March thread in a bit.

Have a good Wednesday x

rising_from_the_ashes

cw18 wrote: »

And my final D/Debit of the month has gone out today - meaning I've lost the last 3 days of the month to these little blighters !!!
I'll also lose tomorrow to the first of them for March - so that'll be 4:0 to D/Debits

One of the reasons I don't include them .... I've got 19 D/debits that come out over the month:eek: (all on different days as I deliberately spread them out over the month;)) so I'd be really struggling.

Today .... I won't be physically spending any money but it's pay day and I count this as my "bill" day as I move money to my account where the D/debits come out of / pay my CC bill etc.


Trying to negotiate a new mobile contract .... fingers crossed - stumbling block was a Saturday delivery (£10 cost but cheaper than taking an unpaid leave day:() but now the accessory pack is OOS & they say I may need to wait until next Sat to get it .... hoping to hear back shortly.

Contract is £21/month but with cashback redemption it equates to £8.50/month over the year which isn't too bad I think (?)....

ETA: There's also £40 cashback!

Barbeduk

Darn it, haven't got time to read the last couple of pages (supposed to be working) but sneaking in quietly to report 8 NSD out of 9.

So more work to be done in March! Will aim again for 9 and see how it goes. See you in the March thread everyone!:)

cw18

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

One of the reasons I don't include them .... I've got 19 D/debits that come out over the month:eek: (all on different days as I deliberately spread them out over the month;)) so I'd be really struggling.

In a standard month I have 8 - 2 of which always leave on the same day, so only costing me 7 NSDs

In Feb & March I don't have Council Tax, which is a 'stand-alone' one, so they only lose me 6 NSDs

After March I don't have my Endowment (another 'stand-alone' one) any more, so a standard will be 7 D/Debits over 6 days max

rising_from_the_ashes

cw18 wrote: »

After March I don't have my Endowment (another 'stand-alone' one) any more, so a standard will be 7 D/Debits over 6 days max

Ohhhhh - now wondering how on earth I've got so many!:eek:

Most things are still on monthly payments rather than being able to save money by paying them annually - apart from the house insurance which I managed to pay in a lump sum a few months ago (& I am putting the money saved each month into a pot for renewal time;)).

Hopefully by this time next year, I'll have a few less - but it's he**ish trying to pay for the current year & put money aside to pay in full at renewal!

rising_from_the_ashes

flying_fresian wrote: »

Mr F surprised me with gig tickets for tonight, but it's in Newcastle (we're in Edinburgh!!) so we're driving down when I finish work this afternoon. I am going to have to buy food for the trip as we won't have time for dinner anywhere, and I plan to buy a t-shirt souvenir too

Ohhhhh wonderful have a lovely time both of you (are you working tomorrow?:eek:)

IF

Hello my no spendy chums :hello:

Got my 15th NSD today and reached my target :dance:

A special thanks to my mate Spoony for being the head NSD'er for these last few years xx :A





And thanks to BDINI, LMH and freeby for keeping us all updated and encouraging us xxx :A:A:A

IF

March NSD thread - Click here

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!