The Marvellous May NSD Challenge

stripeyjumpergirl

Hello! Yay, today has been NSD 2.

fozziebeartoo

NSD number 2 for me today!!

:j

The_Dragon

Roisin Dubh Rising? (Black Rose) for the wonderful Pooch

Oh and I got my 1st NSD of May!

muffin_man_7

will catch up on posts in a bit has a bit of trouble with lappy charger dog we are looking after decided to chew charger cable not good

can i go for
in a row 10 nsd and 4 in a row
not sure if this is red or not sorry if its not screen on blink
i've only read last page good news rising re new dog will catch up soon

Deb4

NSD 3 today :j

3 down 12 more to go

Barbeduk

Hi all, just popping by to report NSD #2.:D

Learning2Budget

NSD 1 please.x

rising_from_the_ashes

The_Dragon wrote: »

Roisin Dubh Rising? (Black Rose) for the wonderful Pooch

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone Dragon I do like that but ..... might struggle to spell it correctly all the time:o - however, Rosy sounds promising!

Nargleblast

Or even Mabel? Could spell it Ma belle, meaning "my beauty"?

Anyway, what a luvverly doggie!


Am still waiting to get off the starting blocks for May, but there's plenty of time so not panicking yet!

Maypole in situ for Saturday evening, loads of flower garlands draped around the trees and bushes, Igor currently setting up the bar - having experienced several NSD gang outings, it takes him several days to construct a bar big enough for the occasion. Goodness knows what he's got in those barrels, I'm trying to think what manner of alcofrolic beverage has green fumes coming off it.... - whoever it was volunteered the Pimms, I suggest you bring loads because we might be needing it!
Who's organising the music, then? The drag act that provided the music for our last outing are currently on tour and were last heard of playing in some rather dubious mens' club out in the sticks somewhere. Oh well, must go and thread 2500 lumps of cheese and pineapple onto cocktail sticks, if I start now might just get done in time for the first maypole dance....

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!