Springing Into the April NSD Challenge

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!

marmiterulesok

Monday and today take me up to #13.Just one more to go now.:j

bottleofred

Good evening folks,

Very cold and slightly wet in NI today:eek:. Declaring NSD18 for today please:beer:
Rising, the budgeting does get easier and go with whatever suits you regarding the once a month transfer etc.
Kerri, enjoy the boot camp and no pain is definitely good:D
Modesty, glad star is home and creating the normal level of chaos:T

rising_from_the_ashes

bottleofred wrote: »

Rising, the budgeting does get easier and go with whatever suits you regarding the once a month transfer etc.

Thanks Red:) ...... feeling like a total idiot atm but at least I've figured out where I've gone wrong (pants really as it will probably mean dipping into the OD next month which I've not been into for ages) & certainly won't do it again!

kerri_gt

Evening all - 'day of rest' for me today in terms of boot camp, but feeling really good (eh'm except for the 5 biccies I've eaten this evening after dinner ) and muscles seem to be getting over the shock of so much exercise :j (actually I no longer like that smiley...looks far too similar to star jumps! :rotfl:)

Well pay day today (thanks goodness!) and not a NSD. Popped into town and stocked up on wild things like (wait for it...) cling film, foil, jalapeno peppers and a jar of roast peppers, plus two bags of sweet peanuts (OH asked for some at the weekend and haven't seen any for ages, must've been fate) all from the 99p/£1 shop. Then found some IL bath soak in S'Drug. SEL 49p (bargain) scanned 10p :eek: got two of them (OH likes his bubbles ). Then stocked up on two books of 2nd class stamps...:eek::eek::eek: nearly £8.50! Its prob going to cost more to post my xmas cards this year than the cost of the cards themselves. Will deff be reviewing the list and removing several people we never get a card from. Things is, with petrol the price it is, it costs a fortune to hand deliver as well :rotfl::rotfl:

Prob not a NSD tomorrow as need a few bits the other end of town, but hoping target will be reached this month still.

Brrr, chilly here tonight and cat full of beans as she's been in all day.

chris81418

Good morning everyone! :wave:

A flying visit to report that I caught NSD number 21 yesterday! :j

Have a great day everyone!

freebyfifty

Good Morning,


Welcome to Wednesday’s round up



Well done to everyone who captured another NSD


Bottleofred – Up to a brilliant NSD #18 now. :j That is excellent, well done.


Chris81418 – An excellent NSD #20 & 21 for you. :j You are doing brilliantly. Well done. :T What bloomin’ time do you get up??? And I thought I was an early riser.

Donna dynamo – NSD 13 & 14 for you. :T Good luck for that pesky last one.

Ifwishes – A brilliant NSD #13 for you. :T Well done and keep going.

Igamogam – Another 2 NSDs for you. :T Well done, nearly there.

Jaffacakegal – Well done for NSD #13. :j Not many to get now. Good luck with your exam result, I bet you did better than you think.

Marmiterulesok – NSD #13. :T Only one more to get. Well done.

ModestyB – Well done for NSD #8 :T and brilliant news about Star. :j

Silvasava – Well done for NSD #7. :j Hope you haven’t had to build an ark because of all that rain.

Slowlyfading – An excellent NSD #16 for you. :T Well done.



And hello to


Beanielou – It has been very windy here but hardly a drop of rain. OMG – I love Curly Wurly’s it’s ages since I had one.:)

Kerri gt – Happy Payday for yesterday. :T You always sound so organised and in control. I’m in awe.

Rising – I’m glad you got your budget sorted out and figured where you’ve gone wrong. Staying debt free is probably harder than actually getting debt free, me thinks.:mad:

freebyfifty

Good Morning,

NSD #21 for me yesterday :j

Hope everyone is staying dry and warm.


Have a great Thursday x x

Learning2Budget

Norning, well hit my target yesterday with NSD 12. Payday today so know there will be a few pennies spent today! L2B.x

IF

Afternoony all :hello:

Which one would you press!! :rotfl: