The Marvellous May NSD Challenge

mooomin

Yesterday was NSD #10

Today will be spendy as I'm going out for dinner (overspent my entertainment budget this month) and tomorrow is payday so that's when I allocate my food, entertainment and petrol money for the month. That's always a spendy day!!

slowlyfading

It's not going to be one for me today - I'm going out for dinner with a friend

LittleMissHappy_2

Won't be one for me either, going out for dinner with friends too Got birthday pressie shopping to get for one of my friends as well plus I need a new pair of jeans so hoping I can get all shopping done today then I should be able to squeeze a couple more NSD's in over the weekend x

Igamogam

Claiming 3 more which brings my total up to9 so only one more to reach target

ModestyB

debtfree future, good luck for tomorrow. The worst thing about having that done is drinking that awful stuff to clear you out. Once that's done you'll be fine. Hope your results are good.

BDINI, I hope work gets better for you. Moving 2 households at the same time? :eek: You deserve a medal! Have a star too :staradmin

LMH, I agree, where have they all gone? Hope everyone's ok.

Yesterday wasn't an nsd after all, DH did spend at Mr M but only on what we needed. Came under £5.

Frodobaggins

NSD#9 for yesterday and 5 in a row.

Today will be a spendy day though, fridge is empty!

ladymay

Not doing too well this week oops! Bit of planning and should have a NSD weekend though...

The_Dragon

I'm up to 9 nsds please - not sure I will get the 5 in a row as we have taken to taking me out to the pub mid-week to stop my depression getting any worse

IF

Afternoony all :hello:

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!