The Marvellous May NSD Challenge

marmiterulesok

I've not been around for a while,but I've managed to get #12 today though,so pretty pleased.:D

Hope you're all well and gettings loads of nsds!

emslovesmickey

NSD 11 today - won't be one tomorrow as i have to go to Bristol for training

butdoineedit?

If - absolutely loved that picture, made me lol & has totally cheered up my night!!!

kerri_gt wrote: »

i have however been very domestic, lawns mowed, washing done, made a virtually no fat banana loaf, chilli bubbling on the stove for dinner and sandwich fillers for me and OH chilling in thr fridge. Just the ironing to do now .... *flop* I'll be going back to work for a rest :rotfl:

Snap Kerri - what is it about Sundays??? Saturday i can quite happily potter doing nothing, but come Sunday for some reason i just can't stop doing!!

Well all that doing got me NSD 10, & i have a spotless house, lawns mowed, more seeds started in the propagators, more seedlings in the greenhouse, & some hardy souls planted out in the sunny spots
Oh & a very full stomach after roast lamb, garlic & rosemary potatoes & spinach & baby tomatoes in balsamic. Now just have to find room for the home made peanut butter & marshmallow cakes

Have to admit to not getting one yesterday, stuck to budget in Mr W getting the soil, but had to get a hairdye when i noticed how out of hand my grey was getting & couldn't resist the enormous bottles of shampoo for £2.50, the better than half price summer glow body lotion & my favourite bubble bath reduced in $uperdrug, still with points the whole lot cost less than a tenner & now the toiletry stash is looking healthy for a good few months.

Right half an hour on job app's before a bit of rubbish tv & cakes... i love Sunday's!!

OMG - -just gone to withdraw some money from paypal, was expecting about 30 squids & found there was nearly £70 in there, so that will make a very nice overpayment on my CC!!

hedgesparrow

NSD # 6 today. Nearly bought a cookbook online but realised if I didn't that would give me a NSD and a headstart on the personal spending for the week!

Deb4

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

Hi Freeby

Thank you, I am enjoying this challenge, I have #10 for today :jhope rest of the week will have a few more NSD in it. starting my diet tomorrow so no more buy cakes,sweets, pop at work so that will hope to:)

Take care
Deb4

kerri_gt

butdoineedit? wrote: »

Snap Kerri - what is it about Sundays??? Saturday i can quite happily potter doing nothing, but come Sunday for some reason i just can't stop doing!!

Well all that doing got me NSD 10, & i have a spotless house, lawns mowed, more seeds started in the propagators, more seedlings in the greenhouse, & some hardy souls planted out in the sunny spots
Oh & a very full stomach after roast lamb, garlic & rosemary potatoes & spinach & baby tomatoes in balsamic. Now just have to find room for the home made peanut butter & marshmallow cakes

OMG - -just gone to withdraw some money from paypal, was expecting about 30 squids & found there was nearly £70 in there, so that will make a very nice overpayment on my CC!!

Wow, your house really does sound like mine, except I have deferred bathroom cleaning until tomorrow. Would you mind pinging me the recipie for the peanut butter and marshmallow cakes? I have some mini marsmallows in my cupboard which REALLY need using up and need a recipie to use them in

I actually have the urge to make cookies now too...WHAT is wrong with me today? It's like Nigella has posessed me (thought better Nigella than Igor :eek:)

That was a turn up with Paypal :T

ladymay

Evening all!

NSD 8 for me today :j and the salt water gargle is working, throat is feeling much better yay!

butdoineedit?

kerri_gt wrote: »

Wow, your house really does sound like mine, except I have deferred bathroom cleaning until tomorrow. Would you mind pinging me the recipie for the peanut butter and marshmallow cakes? I have some mini marsmallows in my cupboard which REALLY need using up and need a recipie to use them in

I actually have the urge to make cookies now too...WHAT is wrong with me today? It's like Nigella has posessed me (thought better Nigella than Igor :eek:)

That was a turn up with Paypal :T

Hmmm, i have deferred ironing - just hope i can keep the mojo to get it done tomorrow!!!

Here is the recipe, they are actually peanut butter cupcakes:

100g plain flour
140g caster sugar
20g cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
Pinch salt
35g soft unsalted butter
12oml full fat milk
1 egg
Couple of drops vanilla extract
3 tbsps smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3
Beat the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter until well mixed.
Whisk the egg, vanilla and milk in a jug and add slowly to the beating dry mix and continue to beat until you have a smooth mixture.
Add in the peanut butter and continue beating until it’s completely mixed in.
Spoon into a 12-hole cake tray and bake for 20 mins or so – until the sponge bounces back and a skewer comes out clean. Once cooked, leave to cool completely.

The marshmallow bit comes in as i found them lurking in the baking cupboard looking a bit sorry for themselves, so i stirred them into some melted chocolate with a spoon of peanut butter, while it was still over the bowl of water so they started to melt a bit & get gooey, then i just put a big dollop of the chocolate mixture on top of the cakes & left them to set & i do have to admit they are very yummy (& very naughty!!)

kerri_gt

Thanks BDINI - they look delicious :beer:

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!