Go TEAM GB July NSD Challenge

Frodobaggins

Despite my saying yesterday wouldn't be one, due to me being too tired to shop in the evening, it turned out to be NSD#5 and 4 in a row.

ladymay

NSD 1 & 2 so far.

deep_in

day #6 please roll on monday when I will actually have some money and I will be able to go food shopping

kerri_gt

Evening all, busy enjoying the late night tennis- how good is it that they now have play going late into the evening at Wombledon now?

Grocery shopping for the week at Mr A today, spent a bit more than planned but that did include £7 on a chuck to roast on mon and lots of berries and healthy stuff as OH has decided he's on a health kick. Got my total down from £40+ to £30 Bit of a womble (slightly embarassing moment when I ducked under a car to retrieve a 'ticket' and looked up only to see the driver sat in the car giving me the strangest of looks :rotfl:)

Also did a mystery shop :cool: so 'made' some pennies at the same time.

Picked up some 50p begonias at the big orange DIY shop (some in the tray had died but I only need a couple so suits me) and a hedge trimmer in Argo$ reduced from £89.99 to £49.99 - used some nectar points and L2S vouchers (thanks to Mission Control) so real money handed over £14.99:D

However, I took a pic that I'd been given last year to get a frame - went to a local frame shop, after much dilemma chose the frame I wanted...only to be quoted £39 :eek::eek::eek: Thing is, it is a locally run shop, and I'd spent so much time choosing the frame that I felt I couldn't say no so I get to pic up my pic next week - feeling slightly sick at how much I've paid I'm all for supporting local business, and I know it will be done nicely but I can't help feeling a bit 'OMG HOW MUCH' - esp when I could've bought one from the internet for about £20 incl p&p.

Oh..... forgot to say, NSD #3 was clocked up yesterday....good job aswell!!

beanielou

I so get your point on supporting local businesses but sadly I find now that personally I can barely afford to do so now which is sad.
Our local sports shop which I did use for tops and fleeces has not long closed down.

LondonGirl252

Have a great holiday Freeby!

Im still stuck on no2 but thanks to me spending over a weeks budget in the pub on friday night I think I'll be getting a lot more NSD's this week weather I like it or not!!:o

IF

Morning all :hello:

Have a lovely holiday from me too freeby :beer:

donna_dynamo

Not had time to update have grabbed 5 NSD's this week and hopefully alot more to follow. Want ot get back into comping and selling my unwanted treasures on ebay as i need to make some serious cash i am so out of date with what i owe and everything i need to start reining it back in.

LittleMissHappy_2

Still no NSD here I should definitely make up for it in the next couple of weeks though - head stuck in books next week and the week after I am on a residential for my course so everything is paid for and any money I spend will be taken out of the bank before I go

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!