A fantastic February with the NSD challenge

IF

solventsoon wrote: »

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!

Knitting_Nora

Evenin' all *taps policeman's helmet...and runs away*

NSD 12 today.

Ta very.

Nora.x

zafiro1984

I've changed the way I count my NSD's. I'm not including the STO's and DD's, it's going to be a just the spendy days. I've had a look at my spreadsheet - got it up to date - and can declare 9nsd's for this month so far. Had I been really good I could have added another 4 into the pot, Amazon and a takeaway to blame. I'm just going to allow myself one trip per week to the supermarket for everything plus one delivery per month of the bulky items. Well that's the plan, see how it goes.
Just been reading about a member's second or other purse, I think I may give that a go.

freebyfifty

Good Morning

Checking in to report NSD #12 :j

Does that mean I've caught up with Missus Knitty.........oh yes it does :T Can't have her running away with the race title can I?????

Have a great Friday. There will be no wiggling from me, I went to the gym last night for the first time in ages and now I can barely walk never mind anything as strenuous as wiggling

Kittikins

Hoorah, yesterday was my hoped for NSD 10 I will probably need petrol today though, but will try and wring another day or so out of the tank....

jintyb

wannabee_in_credit wrote: »

Poor you bdini, hope you're all cleared up soon. Nothing worse than allergic reactions... I get a really bad reaction from some expensive stuff (comes in an orange package but can't for the life of me remember what it's called), and I got a load last Christmas for a gift... it's waiting to be passed on.
I'm stuck on 7 days as well, as suspected I had a spendy day today. Most of it was from my clothing budget and the wedding budget so it was all planned but I also spent £20 on lunch, which was fab!

Just a thought Wannabee - how about sticking it on €bay?

bottleofred

Good morning folks,

Thanks to Little Miss Happy for updating the board. Yes, I had a fantastic time in Edinburgh and always enjoy my time there. The weather was also fantastic, with no rain and indeed long spells of sunshine on Wednesday. I don't think today will be an NSD, as I need to do some shopping, but will check in later. I hope everyone has a good day and is looking forward to the weekend.

Jinty, I've been catching up on the posts and am glad to read you've got the work problem resolved to your satisfaction. Who knows, things may be much better now that it's all out in the open. Enjoy the facial and day off. That really is one glorious city you live in and I would admit to being a bit jealous, as I always liked it there.

Red

jintyb

Good morning folks!

Hoping for a NSD today - going for coffee with Maw n Paw this morning, then the facia,l after which I plan to come home and do zilch!

Have a great day everyone!:)

mooomin

Today's NSD is already gone

I buy a giftcard via work every month as I can use it at my local petrol station and get a 5% discount. I paid for it the other day and it debited today instead of payday - thankfully I have an interest free overdraft so it will self-correct on Monday.

kerri_gt

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Ohhhhh I've got a massage tomorrow *sigh* - can't wait.

I put the money aside at the start of the month (with the window cleaners money;)) so also aiming for another NSD then.

Enjoy ....

For a moment there I read that you were getting a massage from the window cleaner :eek::rotfl:

BDINI - glad the rash is under control now x

Just a quick sneaky peek from me to confess yesterday wasn't a NSD, but I did plan most of the spends (although that did include two tops online ) did get DTD on a box of cat food in Mr T thought so cost me 1.51 instead of the 3 offer (that had expired) Really lovely CS assistant as well.

Right better go, catch you all laters xx