The Awesome August NSD Challenge

thriftylass

No NSD for me today as I had to do a top up shop, but hopefully the next two days. Forgot to buy peppers when I was out till hubby pointed out to use the ones I got growing in the greenhouse, doh...Just not used to them actually growing this year.

kerri_gt

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Does anyone know how you can stop bananas ripening so quickly? I like them just off green and I'm literally having to get them every other day as they ripen so quickly

Fraid not Rising, I like mine like yours and they just ripen so quickly - hence I make so many banana cakes. Only thing I know is putting bananas next to advocados makes the advocado ripen - not much help I'm afraid. Perhaps you could adjust your rules or have a banana pennies pot which doesn't count as a spend?

Well I was on track for a NSD, but caved to getting OH some beer as he was called back into work this evening. Something tells me this month is going to be a struggle.

marmiterulesok

rising_from_the_ashes wrote: »

Hi folks, just trying to catch up with what I've missed ..... a big (((hugs)))) to everyone who's under the weather.

Going for a test drive in an automatic car tomorrow (yuk! but needs must I'm afraid) - might be interesting as only ever driven one once & that was around 20 years ago - spare a thought for the poor guy coming out with me!:rotfl:

I've given up counting this month I'm afraid TBH things are a bit manic, keep getting my meds changed (so all over the place) and struggling to get stuff for fat club in one go - so loads of trips to the Co*op for packs of mushrooms, bananas several times a week.

Does anyone know how you can stop bananas ripening so quickly? I like them just off green and I'm literally having to get them every other day as they ripen so quickly

I think you can store bananas in the fridge.

Lakeland do a banana bag that goes in the fridge and bananas keep for up to 2 weeks:

www.lakeland.co.uk/search/banana-bag/q02.r16.1.

Good luck with the car tomorrow!

kelfen

NSD no 3 for me, should be 4 tomorrow, all I need is petrol (budgeted) and the shopping (budgeted and saved a tenner using my vouchers!)

freebyfifty

Good Morning

It's my turn for the update. Hope everyone is well and enjoying this glorious weather. I picked a brilliant fortnight to be off. :j:j


Well done to everyone who managed another NSD


Beanielou – A brilliant NSD #6 in the bag for you. :T Well done.:)

BritAbroad – NSD #3 all done and dusted. :T Well done and keep looking to capture more.:)

Kelfen – Well done on NSD #3. :T Hope number 4 goes to plan.:)

Marmite – A brilliant NSD #7 for you.:T Enjoy your weekend off and I hope the weather stays sunny for you.:)

Muffin man – Well done on getting NSD #5. :T I haven’t got a smart phone so I can’t give you any advice – sorry.:o

Oodnood – Wow.:T You really are on a roll. :T NSD #9 and 6-in-a-row. That is brilliant.:)

Phoenix – Well done on getting up to NSD #3. :T Keep going you’re doing really well.:)

Sara77 – NSD #2 in the bag. :T Well done and I hope you get the next one really soon.:)

Shezam – Well done on getting NSD #1. :T It’s always good to get that first one under your belt.:)


Hello to

Bigmumma – You are doing really well :T and it’s lovely to (virtually) meet you. :beer: You are the godmother of this thread :A so I hope I am living up to your standards.:o

Kerri- Keep going, there is a NSD just around the corner waiting for you to grab it.:)

Rising – :eek: to an automatic. I drove my DF’s last week and forgot to tuck my left foot away. So I used my left foot to push down the clutch which turned out to be the brake and did a perfect emergency stop in the middle of the town.:eek: Ended up with some not very happy drivers behind me and peeling my DF’s face off the windscreen. :rotfl: So my advice is ...... tuck that foot away.
I always keep my bananas cool and away from the other fruit. Bananas are chilled when they are being transported and going from cold to warm speeds up the ripening process – well that’s what I think anyway.:)

Thriftylass- Grocery shopping always used to spoil my NSDs :mad: so now I include my grocery shopping in my budgets so when I go shopping it means I don’t lose a NSD. Everyone here has different rules for NSDs. My spend days are counted when I spend on something that is not budgeted for. :eek:

freebyfifty

I bagged NSD #8 yesterday and 4-in-a-row so far.

It was such a beautiful day I spent it pottering around the house and washing anything that wasn't nailed down :rotfl:Only down side is that I now have to tackle the ironing :eek:

Looks like the weather is set for more of the same today :T


Have a great day everyone

emslovesmickey

No NSD yesterday or today - yesterday i did the food shop and today i booked a couple of train tickets. However, i did manage to get the train tickets for half the normal price, so i'm quite happy there

bottleofred

Good afternoon folks,

Was flat out at work the last 2 days, so didn't get to visit MSE:mad:.
I hope everyone is well, as I've only scanned some of the posts.
Regarding the Banana discussion, they release Etholene, which ripens fruit, so if you want some fruit ripened, place a bunch of Bananas on top of it. Normally though, I'd encourage you to keep them away from other fruit. Regarding keeping them green, I'm not sure what to suggest. The fridge may slow down the ripening process, but don't know if it would do anything detrimental to the banana.
Declaring NSD7 for Thursday:)
No NSD for yesterday or today though, due to the joys of food shopping, although I did get few bargains from the reduced food counter:)
I hope everyone has a good weekend:)

IF

Afternoon all :hello:

Got my 6th NSD thank you :A

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!