The Marvellous May NSD Challenge

bottleofred

Oops, almost forgot to declare NSD12 for today please:o
I hope everyone has had a good day and has a great weekend. I may spend Sunday morning in the kitchen making soup and bread and will also make cheesecake either Sunday or Monday:D

Frodobaggins

NSD#10 for me today please.

butdoineedit?

Nargleblast wrote: »

(Cue blues guitarist in the background, with harmonica on the side....) Seeing as everyone is a bit down at present I thought I would provide a little entertainment fitting for the occasion.

Well I woke up this morning.....feeling kinda ewwwwhew!
Kicked the cat off the bedclothes, the chicken and the goldfish too-hoo....
Then I turned around, looked at my man, and, Baby, up I threw-hoo....

I got those ten days to payday blues, the wet, soggy Mayday blues, holes in my blue suede shoes....but hey! am I crying? No chance of tears a-flying 'cos I'm gonna keep on trying to.......grab me an NSD or two-hoo!

(End of performance. Audience sits in stunned silence...then turns back to his pint of beer and pickled egg. Ok, Igor, it was a good idea at the time but now let's get the heck out of here....)

Brilliant Nargle, i love it!!!!! :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

& thanks everyone for the hugs, i feel so much better for the support, you are all :A

Forgot to declare number 9 for yesterday :j
Not one today, as did the grocery shopping but that should mean i can get a no spendy weekend - i need some compost tomorrow as i could only carry one bag today, but i've put a couple of quid by for that, so won't count it.

freebyfifty

Good Morning,



Well done to everyone who captured another NSD

Bdini – An excellent NSD #9 for you. :T I hope you are feeling better and a lot less stressed today. Enjoy your weekend.

Bottleofred – NSD #12 done and dusted. :T Well done. Cheesecake is my favourite....save a slice for me

Deb4 – All those NSDs racked up to take you to NSD # 9. Well done.:T That is excellent.

Emsloves- Well done for NSD #8 & 9. :T Enjoy your new furniture.:)

Frodobaggins Well done for NSD #10. :T You are doing really well.:)

Kerri gt – NSD #9 for you. :T Brilliant. 5 weeks of boot camp You are one determined lady. I’m struggling with the Shred dvd everyday

Magni – NSD #4 clocked up for you.:T Well done.:)

Oodnood – Well done you. NSD # 12 and 4-in-a-row all done and dusted. :j You are doing so well.:)

Rising – A brilliant NSD #11 & 12 in the bag for you now. :T Hope you and Maisie have a great weekend too.:)

TarantulaLady – Well done for NSDs #2 & 3.:T Keep going, you are doing great.:)


And hello to
Slowlyfading – Petrol :eek: I think that is more expensive than the weekly shop these days and doesn’t last nearly as long.:mad:

Nargle – Thank you, that wee ditty made me :rotfl::rotfl:

freebyfifty

Good Morning

NSD #16 racked up for me yesterday

It will be a spendy day today though, gotta get the weekly shop and fill the car up with liquid gold :eek: I seem to be spending more on fuel than anything else these days :mad: Got to get to work somehow though or I won't be spending anything on anything :rotfl:


Have a brilliant Saturday x

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!

hedgesparrow

Well, yesterday was another spendy day and I suspect today will be too with a wedding we are going too. It is very interesting doing this challenge. I never really realised how often I spend money. I am still on budget but this is helping me focus. I've got 11 days left to try - Hopefully I will reach my target.

Nargleblast

Hello NSD gang, just dropping by to announce today makes NSD number 6 for the collection.

Now off to put a hot poultice on Igor's head - an unfortunate encounter with a broken bottle at the end of last night's gig. Glad some people liked our musical efforts anyway!

Frodobaggins

It would have been a NSD for me today, but I bought 2 mirrored pictures for my living room. Just couldn't resist them, and I have to say i am really chuffed with them!:p

Hope everyone has a good weekend.

kerri_gt

freebyfifty wrote: »

Good Morning,
Kerri gt – NSD #9 for you. :T Brilliant. 5 weeks of boot camp You are one determined lady. I’m struggling with the Shred dvd everyday

Thanks Freeby, but I'm not really, it helps that it's something I can do at lunchtime so I don't need to find motivation before / after work (she also does one at 6.30am :eek:) plus I'm going with a friend from work so skivving off isn't really an option, lastly, I've paid upfront and I'm too much of a tight ar*se not to go :rotfl:

Must ask though...whats the Shred dvd?

Nargleblast wrote: »

Now off to put a hot poultice on Igor's head - an unfortunate encounter with a broken bottle at the end of last night's gig. Glad some people liked our musical efforts anyway

Careful he doesn't eat it Nargle, you know what Igor's like. I still rememeber the unfortunate incident with the calamine lotion when he had chicken pox :eek:

Well I can declare yesterday was NSD #10 :T today hasn't been already. Popped into town as needed bread (but was very good and put back the packet of biscuits I was holding after reading they were 70 calories a biccie and thinking I have ingredients at home to make my own :A) did spend £6.50 on fruit (and one lone corguette) from the market - treated myself to a lb of cherries although they do tend to aggravate my lips for some reason. Market was selling 2lb for £3.50...tacto was £5.99lb :eek: Picked up a couple of other bits in Savers and a few bits in Sainsbobs, including some THD spiced fruit muffins, but that was prob the only real 'treat' purchase and I think I can allow £1.25 on those.

Got a few things to order (new fitness tops and a dance outfit) now, but have been planning these - although it will mean I'm over budget for the month and it's still a week til pay day