The Spend Free September NSD Challenge

kerri_gt

solventsoon wrote: »

Banana ice cream, kerri, or a version of icecream, is a good way to use bananas which are going a bit soft (I like green-ish bananas as well)

Slice bananas and freeze them, they don't go completely solid. Get the bananas out of freezer 2-3 hours before needed and let them thaw for around half an hour, no more. Then put in a blender and mix with some yogurt (I use Mooler banana and custard or vanilla), but something like greek yogurt would be good as well. Back in freezer then until needed, it needs a couple of hours to go solid.

The "ice cream" will keep for a few days in the freezer, around a week maximum.

You can leave the bananas in the freezer for up to a month, I wouldn't leave them any longer or they go a bit crystalline and aren't as nice.

Hope that helps x

I did think about freezing the bananas, or mashing them and freezing them so I can bake with them when I want to, but do they go black in the freezer too?

Made banana pancakes tonight so they're going to be frozen - had a couple and they are quite nice but now i feel a bit sick and don't really fancy the others

Nearly a NSD for me, but then I stumbled across an item I'd been looking for since the Hyde Park concert (somehow my and my friend missed the merchandise stand out and there was something i saw after that I really really wanted). Ordered one for me and one for my friends xmas - £3 + p&p, not bad given some sold on fleaby for £20+ :eek:

flubberyzing

NSD 2 for me today! I spent the day catching up with some comps and watching the Paralympics!

penny73_2

NSD 2 and 2 in a row

:j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j
Although back to work :eek:
Took a packed lunch (and diet coke) and kept busy!!
Tomorrow will be a spend day as dinner money and breakfast club fees to pay but will pay for the month rather than each week as I will probably forget :eek::eek::eek:

Learning2Budget

Grrr bad day today. Went to buy plimsols (that were budgeted for) but stupidly didn't take cash. Mr S had beer on offer, so i bought a crate. Will be a saving in the long run but was an unnecessary spend. So now purse stays home!!!! Annoyed with myself
L2B.x

Melaniep101

Not a NSD day for me today. Had to buy golden syrup and marg to make some of Twinks hobnob biscuits! They were delicious :-).

beanielou

Bag is fab rising.
Got my SW supplies but had put money away so NSD no 2.

Congratulations wanna be in credit.

muffin_man_7

Sorry i'm late joining in can i go for my usual 10 nsd and 5 in a row please
will keep reading on my phone and will update when i can i so miss my little laptop

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!

xKazi

Day number 2 of no spending! Don;t think I'll manage another one tomorrow as Ive got 2 bills to pay and postage on 2 things sold on ebay - I also need some cordial, but will try to make sure there is no silly spending!

Victoria_Ke

NSD Number 2 today.