Springing Into the April NSD Challenge

beanielou

Thanks for the lovely shiney new thread
I love the prizes
Can I please go for 15 & 4 in a row?

kerri_gt

BDINI - sorry to hear about your friend, thank goodness she has friends like you there for her.

Can i be put down for 14 NSD again this month please? I do have some possible costly expenses before next pay day and bank is still slightly in shock over the car from last month, ugh, plus I've just remembered breakdown cover is also due :eek: going to have to do some very creative accounting before pay day me thinks.

Not sure if today will be one of not, did really want to purchase a couple of new underwear items from Deb's today before the 10% code ends - will have to work out if I can really afford them now.

Oh, have 1 item on fleabay atm, 18 watchers and no bids...argh! will someone bid already please! :eek:

Nargleblast

A new month, a new challenge, thanks to freeby!

Bdini - don't worry. Sometimes our other lives get in the way of things, and it sounds as if you were being a good friend.

April - Spring, Easter, lovely weather (apart from Tuesday,apparently) and loads of chocolate....

Has anyone noticed how Easter is getting commercialised like Halloween and Christmas? All the more reason for the NSD gang to join together and do battle against the many temptations out there...all those retailers wanting to get you to spend your hard-earned dosh on a load of old tat, so you end up wondering where your wages went to......

Here's to a month where we are all disciplined with our spending, so we can save up to pay off debts and/or buy nice, worthwhile things without bashing the plastic.

Put me down for 12 NSDs for April please!

Let the challenge begin....

Piquant_2

Thank you for the new thread. Please put me down for 15 NSDs for April [I've already achieved NSD 1 today!]

Piq

cuddlymarm

Hi

Can I try for 20 NSDs for April please

Thanks
Cuddles:)

lotti379

Good evening everybody! I'm going to stay the course this month, promise! I was doing really well before crimbo, I seem to have come unstuck since then... :cool:

So... 10 NSDs to start with please!

I have GOT to stop splashing the cash, I seem to have gone a bit crazy with the CC this month.

Keiss_21

Evening all, thanks freebyfifty for setting up the April thread.

BDNI - you were busy being a good friend, so don't worry about us here...we'll survive (for just a little while at least!!)

Managed to nab NSD no 1 today :j

Going for my usual 18 NSDs and 4-in-a-row this month..this could possibly be more (or less) as I am heading to the far north to Scotland for the second half of the month to see my dad. Spending patterns could go all to pot!!

Right, off to bed soon...shattered. See you all later in the week xx

Delilahh

I would like to have

13 NSDs
and
4 in a row

Thank you:beer:

IF

Evening all :hello:

freeby, LMH and BDINI got my 1st NSD thank you all xxx:A:A:A

IF

freebyfifty 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!