The Jubilant June 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!

IF

Nice to see you Spoony :beer:

slowlyfading wrote: »

Not sure if today will end up being a NSD or not because...

I know this is a bit unrelated - but I got the job I went for today :j :j :j after a year of searching!

so we may go out and celebrate tonight! [or maybe not, because that game with the ball is on tonight.... ]

Well done SF :beer:

butdoineedit?

slowlyfading wrote: »

Not sure if today will end up being a NSD or not because...

I know this is a bit unrelated - but I got the job I went for today :j :j :j after a year of searching!

so we may go out and celebrate tonight! [or maybe not, because that game with the ball is on tonight.... ]

Woo Hoo Congratulations SF!!!!!!!!

Well i can declare early that it won't be one for me today, popping out for a bite to eat & a couple of drinks with some friends tonight, & tomorrow is grocery shopping day, my last bout of batch cooking has all but run out now & my fridge is looking decidedly empty, so hoping to get that remedied this weekend & then all i'll have to do is buy veg & milk for the rest of the month

Pay day today & for the first time in as long as i can remember i have been straight on internet banking to move my money into all it's various pots to stop overspending & after checking out this months pots i have managed to come in nearly £10 under the budgets i set :j:j

Oh yes & finally i have managed to get rid of my extortionate life insurance policy :eek: & replace it with one just as good at a saving of £30 per month :j Not going to adjust my SOA though as if i keep budgeting the way i have it's £30 not moving out of my bank account that i can use to snowball

Oh & my 60% off bargain new work shoes have come (on the only day of the week i am in to take delivery), so pretty good day all round i reckon :j

rising_from_the_ashes

:j to SF on the new job front and BDINI on the insurance savings.

NSD was going well but have had to rush Maisie to the vet as she's really not very well and they've kept her in Honestly in the space of 2 hours she went from being her absolutely normal nutty self to really unwell. Please keep your fingers crossed.

badger_

Well done to everyone getting NSDs

I'm not holding out much hope for me - off to the pub after work to watch the footy. Unless I can convince OH to buy me a drink!!

OutofDebt-NOT-OutofDanger

:hello:Hi All,

Congratulations to SF on the job news.:T

Well done BDINI on reducing your insurance :money:
Rising - hope it's nothing serious for Maisie

For me it's NSD #13 and 5 in a row again

marmiterulesok

#9 please for me today.

Congratulations slowly fading!!

rising hope Maisie is better soon.

emslovesmickey

Well today was an unexpected NSD so i'm up to 10!

emslovesmickey

BTW Frankenstein was awesome! I'm more of a Cumberbatch fan than ever before after seeing him play the creature.Going back on Sunday to see the role reversal, although i don't think Jonny Lee Miller will be as good. I also bought GHD's and nail polishes yesterday. And had my hair restyled for £14 with a living social voucher.

Deb4

slowlyfading wrote: »

Not sure if today will end up being a NSD or not because...

I know this is a bit unrelated - but I got the job I went for today :j :j :j after a year of searching!

so we may go out and celebrate tonight! [or maybe not, because that game with the ball is on tonight.... ]

Congratulations slowly fading

#9 for today