The Spend Free September NSD Challenge

freebyfifty

Welcome to the September No Spend Day (NSD) thread!!

We are a happy (and some might say mildly insane) bunch doing battle with those retailers - and there’s plenty of temptation out there at the moment. We are seriously committed to saving money, but nobody said it can't be done with a smile on your face - so we organise riotous nights out and gatecrash any function going - all without leaving the comfort of our own imaginations or armchairs!

On a slightly more serious note, we are here to help each other avoid spending for the number of days we feel we can manage to try to take back some control over our hard-earned money. What you class as a "spend'" is entirely your choice; some people will try to shop on the days DD/SO etc are paid, whilst others will not include essentials such as rent. Have a look for a post from our sponsor (and godmother of this challenge) BigMummaF, this contains some guidelines and ideas for starting you off on the challenge.

It’s amazing how inventive you get when you’re determined NOT to spend - from weird menu ingredients to surprising DIY solutions - but you know what? 99% of the time those wacky ideas work.

Here are some threads to help keep us on the straight and narrow, if you know of others, please post.

Tinned Food Recipes.
Leftovers? Don’t Throw It..
Exciting Sandwich Fillings on a Budget.
Lunch for Work.
Laptop Lunchbox Ideas.
Packed Lunches.
Cheap Healthy Snacks
Cheap Snack Ideas to Stop Buying Crisps.
Homemade Snack Ideas…contains further links for ideas.
Sprouting Seeds to Eat.
Really Quick & Alternative Snacks.
Easy Homemade Biscuits.
Muesli & Cereal Bar Recipes.
Weetabix Cake.
HM Popcorn.
Smoothie Recipes.
Yoghurt Without a Yoghurt Maker.
Ham Economics.
Low Carb Kids Lunches...contains advice for diabetics.
Kids Lunch Box Ideas.
Back to School Lunches.
Healthy Kids Snacks.
HM Lollies.
Ice Lolly Ideas
Cheap Healthy Playground Snacks.
Homemade Fudge.
OS HM Sweets.
Forgotten Puddings.
Making chocolates or sweets

Link to last month's challenge is below so any newcomers can see what we get up to (hmmmmm... on second thoughts, that might put you off...)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/55457285#Comment_55457285

freebyfifty

So, I thought long and hard about what September brings for us. This is what I came up with........

In September we celebrate the harvest. We get wheat from the harvest. We turn wheat into flour. From flour we get CAKE!!!!

There is always a way to get to CAKE :rotfl:


1st Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 3rd Target Reached Target Exceeded




The Challengers



Abundant – 15/

BDINI – 8/8 Target Reached Target Exceeded 8/9

Beanielou – 14/14 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 17/17 Target Exceeded 17/19

Bottleofred – 15/15 Target Reached Target Exceeded 15/16

Braddy970 – 10/

BritAbroad – 8/8 Target Reached Target Exceeded 8/9

Brokemedic – 15/12 Well done

Brummie- 13/4

Chopin - 7/2

Chris_debtfree – 15/2

Citizenkitten 5/5 Target Reached

Cuddlymarm – 20/

Debtbegone – 15/9

Debtfree – 12/12 Target Reached

Donna D – 15/11 Well done

Dragon – 10/10 Target Reached Target Exceeded 10/20

Emsloves – 20/20 Target Reached Target Exceeded 20/21

EvertheOptimist – 10/10 Target Reached Target Exceeded 10/12

Fae – 18/16 Well done

Flubbery – 10/10 Target Reached Target Exceeded 10/16

Flukeas – 10/7 Well done

Freeby – 20/20 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 24/24 3rd Target Reached 27/27 Target Exceeded 27/30

Giggles86 – 10/6 Well done

Heffi1 – 10/6 Well done

Hiddenidentity – 10/2

honeypooh – 8/2

hohokaren – 15/8

Ifwishes – 17/17 Target Reached

Igamogam – 10/1

Jaffacake – 15/7

Kerri – 14/9 Well done

Learning2 – 10/10 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 15/15 3rd Target Reached 18/18 4th Target Reached 20/20

LMac – 12/8

Loobeyloop – 15/6

Lotti379 – 7/1

Loubelle83 – 10/10 Target Reached Target Exceeded 10/11

Marmite – 20/19 Well done

Mf0u – 15/2

Miss_t – 10/

Missyv – 10/10 Target Reached

Melaniep101 – 10/5

ModestyB – 10/10 Target Reached

Muffin man – 10/9 Well done

Munchin – 12/7 Well done

Nargle – 10/10 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 13/13 Target Exceeded 13/15

Nat21 – 20/2

OodNood – 20/20 Target Reached Target Exceeded 20/26

Optimistic – 10/6 Well done

Penny73 – 8/8 Target Reached Target Exceeded 8/10

Pickle – 15/3

Pips Mum – 12/

Pixiechick – 12/

Poohbear – 15/12 Well done

Princess_pea – 20/

QueenB – 12/

Rachel – 8/2

Rising – 20/20 Target Reached

Rubyina – 10/10 Target Reached Target Exceeded 10/12

Sara_77 – 15/1

Sazdaz – 12/

Shezam – 5/1

Slowlyfading – 18/17 Well done

Spoony – 20/20 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 25/25 Target Exceeded 25/27

Stripeygirl – 12/12 Target Reached Target Exceeded 12/14

Thriftylass – 15/9 Well done

Tiggy – 10/

Victoria Ke – 10/10 Target Reached Target Exceeded 10/12

Wannabee – 12/1

Xanders – 6/

Xkazi – 8/8 Target Reached

freebyfifty

This is for anyone who wants to set themselves a target for a number of NSDs in a row. We had some impressive numbers on this over the past few months so if anyone would like to have a go at this, I'll add you here



The In-a-Row Challengers



Abundant - 5-in-a-row

BritAbroad - 3-in-a-row Target Reached

Dragon - 3-in-a-row Target Reached

Fae - 6-in-a-row

Flukeas - 3-in-a-row Target Reached

Freeby - 5-in-a-row Target Reached 6-in-a-row 7-in-a-row 8-in-a-row 25-in-a-row

Learning2 4-in-a-row Target Reached 5-in-a-row 6-in-a-row 7-in-a-row 9-in-a-row

Miss_T - 3-in-a-row

Missyv - 4-in-a-row Target Reached 5-in-a-row

mf0u - 4-in-a-row

ModestyB - 5-in-a-row

OodNood - 6-in-a-row Target Reached 7-in-a-row 8-in-a-row 9-in-a-row 13-in-a-row

QueenB - 3-in-a-row

Rubyina - 3-in-a-row Target Reached

slowlyfading - 3-in-a-row Target Reached

Stripeygirl - 4-in-a-row Target Reached

freebyfifty

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 thefirst 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!

Loubell83

Can I join please? AS it is my first time I am going to commit to 10 NSDs for the month and see how I go.

Pips_Mum

Thanks Freeby for the thread.

Exceeded target last month but not going to get cocky so please could I have 12 NSD again.

Good Luck to all x x

abundant1972

Hi everyone.

Last month (Aug) I lost track of things a little, but now - armed with a spending book am keeping a tighter reign on stuff and feeling more back on track.

For September I would like to pledge:

15 NSD plus 5-in-a-row.

Good luck everyone!

:T

stripeyjumpergirl

Thank you for setting up the new thread Freeby. Please can I go for 12 NSDs this month? And I'm going to try for a four in a row too.


Stripey x

solventsoon

Morning everyone :wave:

Welcome to Loubell83 :wave: it's good to have you on board Hope you enjoy the challenge.


Freeby, thanks for the shiny new thread... I love your logic re cake:D:D The prizes are brilliant again x :A

Melaniep101

Morning all

Could I please join in? Need to cut back my spending drastically in September! Could I go for 10 NSD's to get me started?

Thanks!

Mel

The_Dragon

Could I go for my usual start of 10 and three in a row please?