Marching into March with the NSD Challenge

butdoineedit?

Welcome to the March NSD thread!!

We are a happy (and some might say mildly insane) bunch doing battle with those retailers - and there’s plenty of temptation at the moment with all the sales on. We are seriously committed to saving money, but nobody said it can't be done with a smile on your face - so we organise riotous nights out and gatecrash any function going - all without leaving the comfort of our own imaginations or armchairs!

On a slightly more serious note, we are here to help each other avoid spending for the number of days we feel we can manage to try to take back some control over our hard-earned money. What you class as a "spend'" is entirely your choice; some people will try to shop on the days DD/SO etc are paid, whilst others will not include essentials such as rent. Have a look for a post from our sponsor (and godmother of this challenge) BigMummaF, this contains some guidelines and ideas for starting you off on the challenge.

It’s amazing how inventive you get when you’re determined NOT to spend - from weird menu ingredients to surprising DIY solutions - but you know what? 99% of the time those wacky ideas work.

Here are some threads to help keep us on the straight and narrow, if you know of others, please post. Many of the lunch box ideas are aimed toward children and are great ideas now that everyone’s back to work or school.


March Grocery Challenge, with lots of recipe ideas.
Tinned Food Recipes.
Leftovers? Don’t Throw It..
Exciting Sandwich Fillings on a Budget.
Lunch for Work.
Laptop Lunchbox Ideas.
Packed Lunches.
Cheap Healthy Snacks
Cheap Snack Ideas to Stop Buying Crisps.
Homemade Snack Ideas…contains further links for ideas.
Sprouting Seeds to Eat.
Really Quick & Alternative Snacks.
Easy Homemade Biscuits.
Muesli & Cereal Bar Recipes.
Weetabix Cake.
HM Popcorn.
Smoothie Recipes.
Yoghurt Without a Yoghurt Maker.
Ham Economics.
Low Carb Kids Lunches...contains advice for diabetics.
Kids Lunch Box Ideas.
Back to School Lunches.
Healthy Kids Snacks.
HM Lollies.
Ice Lolly Ideas
Cheap Healthy Playground Snacks.
Homemade Fudge.
OS HM Sweets.
Forgotten Puddings.
Making chocolates or sweets

Link to last month's challenge is below so any newcomers can see what we get up to (hmmmmm... on second thoughts, that might put you off...)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3763487

Official MoneySavingExpert insert: Users suggest ideas for 'no spend days' (NSDs), offer support and encouragement to one another and post the targets they've met or succeeded. Thanks to butdoineedit? for posting this new challenge and well done to all who take part!

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butdoineedit?

Well, it would just be wrong not to have a spring theme this month, so here goes!!

Target met Target 2 met Target 3 met Target exceeded


abundant1972 - 15 15
Allie Ballie Bee - 12 11

Barbeduk - 10 9
beanielou - 15 15 Target increased to 20 20 22
blindtoast - 10 9
bottleofred - 18 18 19
Broomstick - 20
bt1 - 16 3
bubble32 - 12 4
Butti - 8 5

chris81418 - 19 20 Target increased to 24 24
cuddlymarm - 14 14
cw18 - 15

debtfree future - 10 5
Delilahh - 12 12
DFW_57 - 12 1
donna dynamo - 15 15 Target increased to 17 16

elfen - 14 14

flying_fresian - 8 8
freebyfifty - 15 15 Target increased to 19 19 20
freshair - 20 19
frugaldances - 5

ifwisheswerehorses... - 17 16
Igamogam - 15 13
iwanttogoonholiday - 20

jaffacakegal - 15 15 17
jintyb - 10
Jinty85 - 15 1

katy721 - 15 8
Keiss 21 - 18 18
KellsBells - 15 1
kerri gt - 14 14
Kittikins - 10
Knitting Nora - 15 3

lashley82 - 15 2
Learning2Budget - 12 12
LittleMissHappy - 15 15
littleskintdragon - 10 5
lotti379 - 10 4

marmiterulesok - 17 16
mfmaybe - 12 5
ModestyB - 15 15
mon1o - 15 4
muffin man 7 - 10 10 20
mumofjusttwo - 15 1
mytimetoshine2012 - 14 14 18

Nargleblast - 13 13
new leaf 88 - 10 2
nicedream - 15

Piquant - 15 15 17
pixiechick99 - 14
poohbear59 - 20 18
Purplemumof2 - 10 5
purpleorchid - 20 16

QueenB. - 16 8

rising from the ashes - 16 16

Sazdaz - 10
SillyBlondie - 15 15 Target increased to 18 18
silvasava - 16 10
slowlyfading - 15 12
Spendaholic Chick - 12 5

TeamNicholson - 10
The Dragon - 10 10 Target increased to 15 15 Target increased to 20 20

wannabee_in_credit - 15 15

yasmin2 - 12 8

zafiro1984 - 15 10

butdoineedit?

This is for anyone who wants to set themselves a target for a number of NSDs in a row. We had some impressive numbers on this over the past few months so if anyone would like to have a go at this, I'll add you here


flying_fresian – 3 in a row

ModestyB – 5 in a row

Delilahh – 4 in a row Target met Woo Hoo!!

freebyfifty - 4 in a row Target met Woo Hoo!!!!

purpleorchid - 5 in a row Target increased to 8

QueenB. - 4 in a row (x2)

freshair - 4 in a row

chris81418 – 6 in a row Target met Woo Hoo!!!

Keiss 21 - 4 in a row

rising from the ashes - 4 in a row Target met Woo Hoo!!

muffin man 7 - 5 in a row Target met Woo Hoo!!

katy721 – 3 in a row - Target met Woo Hoo!! increased to 5 in a row - Target met woo hoo!! Increased to 7 in a row

The Dragon - 5 in a row Target met Woo Hoo!!

wannabee_in_credit - 5 in a row Target met woo hoo!!

poohbear59 - 6 in a row

Allie Ballie Bee - 3 in a row

marmiterulesok - 4 in a row Target met, Woo Hoo!!

abundant1972 - 5 in a row Target met Woo Hoo!!

silvasava - 3 in a row

SillyBlondie - 5 in a row Target met woo hoo!!

new leaf 88 - 3 in a row

butdoineedit?

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!

Spendaholic_Chick

ooh a shiny new thread! I'm not gonna make my target in Feb, will be one day short but only cos one of my cats is v poorly and I must take him to the vet tomorrow - so I still feel Ive done well this month, and therefore going to try and up my game in March and go for 12 NSDs please

butdoineedit?

Ok guys, myself & the fabtastic LMH & Freeby are gonna give this a go in the absence of Spoon, fingers crossed we don;t make a dog's dinner of it!!

Because i am no where near as fabulous as Spoon was, & because i can't put in the same amount of hours keeping on top of it all, please can i request the following things:

1. All targets in a different colour & larger size so they stand out please

2. Please tell me when you have reached your target, so i know that you need your prize (on such a busy thread it's just too easy to miss if you don't point it out to me )

3. Please don't post "1 more NSD for me" as i really won't have the patience to try & work it out (just call me little miss impatient!!)

4. & finally, please keep track of your own total & don't rely on the front page as i might not get the chance to update it every day.

Sorry if that sounds stroppy, i really don't mean it to be, i just really want to hang onto the last thread of my sanity!!!

Happy NSD hunting everyone!!

IF

Thank you BDINI for doing the March NSD thread :A

Could you put me down for 17 NSD's thank you x :A

mooomin

Well I'm away for four days in March and have a craft show to go to, so those days are out. I'm still going to have a target of 12 NSDs please BDINI.

I'm also going for three in a row

bt1

Hey!

First time doing this! Not sure how well I'll get on! (be kind!!)

Going to go for 16 in March! eeeeeeek! :undecided

ModestyB

Hi all, Thank you BDINI for starting the new thread.
Can I be put down for 15 NSD's and 5 in a row please.
Good luck everybody and welcome to all our new nsders.

Delilahh

Thank you for the March thread

Did 10 in Jan, almost at 11 for Feb, so I will try 12 for March and even try 4 in a row!