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!

lotti379

Good evening everybody, so much for my early night!

Still, I have NSD number 1 held firmly in the bag!

Unfortunately I dropped my shiny snazzy touchscreen phone while out walking the the pooch, and the shiny snazzy touchscreen broke so I can't use it at all... this is why I wanted a phone suitable for a builder. I am too clumsy for all this smart techy stuff! Although I have got used to the email access, weather updates and calendar functions, I will learn to live without them again..! BUT, the upshot of all that is I need to go and talk nicely to the man in the v0daf0ne shop tomorrow, which will most probabaly cost money. Boo hiss.

Hiddenidenity

Hello all Im back to joining you Can I please be put down for 15 although I am moving so might be a stretch

NSD 2 today so far so good, but tomorrow will be a spend day unfortunatly

k8eh89

Well done to everybody on your NSD's so far - what a great start to the month.

I'm declaring yesterday as my 2nd NSD but unfortunately looks like I need to get diesel on my way to work - fuel will be the death of me!!!

I'm sure this weekend will be spendy as it's easter so hoping to achieve 2 more Weds/Thurs.

Good luck everyone xxx

mooomin

Not a NSD today as Ebay got the better of me

freebyfifty

Good Morning

I have updated the first page. It's looking good already but if you see any obvious mistakes just yell at me.


Bottleofred - I've looked and looked but I can't find what your target is Can you tell me again please - sorry

Purpleorchid - I still need to know your target too. Can you let me know so I can add you to the front page please


I think that's all for now. Have a great Tuesday x x

chris81418

Good morning everyone! :wave:

LittleMissHappy wrote: »

chris - well done for NSD 1 :j:j:j great going, keep it up

Thanks LMH! :T And I managed to catch NSD number 2 yesterday! :j

(((Hugs))) to LMH, Rising and everyone else who needs them!

Have a good day everyone!

LittleMissHappy_2

if - sorry Was really tired Have now changed you back to 1 NSD That will teach me to whizz through it so quickly

IF

Afternoon all :hello:

[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] freeby, LMH and BDINI got my 2nd NSD thank you all xxx:A:A:A[/FONT]

LittleMissHappy wrote: »

if - sorry Was really tired Have now changed you back to 1 NSD That will teach me to whizz through it so quickly

Don't apologise LMH, I was only pulling your leg xx :A

jaffacakegal

Don't you just hate it when you nip to A$da for eggs and bread and end up spending £110!!! :whistle: even more so when you then use the wrong bank card to pay so have to transfer money later :doh:

Ah well, my friend owes me £65 worth of this, and I also managed to get a full tank of petrol, new work shoes, and some ice cream ready for the end of lent so was quite a good random outing all in all (plus no NSD sacrificed as I had the DDs going out too )

JCG x