The Awesome August NSD Challenge

Tiggy10

I am lagging a little: number 3 now. feel this week will be the catch up!!

solventsoon

BritAbroad wrote: »

Hi all

I had NSD no 4 today! Unexpectedly too - I had to go to the post office as I thought I'd need to buy extra postage for sending a document, but no, it just fell within the limits of a stamp (which I'd also taken with me).

Just a little thing, but it made me happy!

YAY, well done BritAbroad:T:j:T:j

BritAbroad wrote: »

I'm wondering though, if anyone else saves up their spends in order to do them all on one day. Is that cheating? For example, I need to order a couple of things online for a DIY project we're doing. I could have ordered them today. But I know I've got to buy milk tomorrow so I'm waiting to order them on the same day. Does anyone else do this?

I think most of us do, it's called "planned spending" not "cheating":D:D Seriously, if I plan all my spends for one or two days and stick to those days, I'm not tempted to go and spend on other days... well, that's the theory, it doesn't always work out but mostly it does and stops me popping out for "a couple of bits" every day.....

BritAbroad wrote: »

BTW, how do you get large text? I can get bold, and colours, but not large.

At the top of the post, between the text window and the colour window you should see a "2" with a drop down arrow next to it. That's where you change the size of the text, I usually use 5 for NSD numbers. Hope that helps, shout if you need any more info.

beanielou wrote: »

Happy new laptop Spoony :j
Am looking for my Tesco vouchers so can doublev them up for a new phone.

Thanks beanie :A Hope you find your vouchers.... actually, that's given me an idea..................

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

Got my 10th NSD thank you :A

marmiterulesok

BritAbroad wrote: »

I'm wondering though, if anyone else saves up their spends in order to do them all on one day. Is that cheating? For example, I need to order a couple of things online for a DIY project we're doing. I could have ordered them today. But I know I've got to buy milk tomorrow so I'm waiting to order them on the same day. Does anyone else do this?

I save up my spends and it's a great thing if you manage to stay disciplined.If I have a dd coming out,I'll try and shop that day.It works most of the time.;)

What I've started doing recently,because I have a weekly grocery budget plus monthly budgets for just about everything else,is to count days as nsds even when I buy something,as long as it's within my various budgets.Hope that makes sense.

For example,yesterday I had a haircut,but I have a budget for this plus the tip.I also bought cat litter,but I also have a budget for this.So it was an nsd.

Every week,whatever is left over from the budget from the week before goes in a tin.It can add up over the weeks.If I use this money,I don't count it as a spend.

You could set up a milk pot/jar,where you put the money for buying milk aside for the coming week.It means you can still claim an nsd and get your milk.

Today I've had no spends,not even budgeted ones,so that's #13 please!

spoon we had rain overnight and it's a bit cooler today,but the heatwave is back on from tomorrow!:(

badger_

Number 7 for me today :j

OutofDebt-NOT-OutofDanger

Hi All,

Number 14 for me today.

thriftylass

NSD number 9 today.

stripeyjumpergirl

Hello! NSD 8 for me today, please x

Pips_Mum

Number 6 in the bag!!!

Thanks, I would love to pretend he was too busy with work but he called me yesterday evening from the seafront with a beer!!!
Pips not being too bad, has an absolue terror hour between 5 and 6 where he is just the devil incarnate but luckily the rest of the time he's being good