The Spend Free September NSD Challenge

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!

BritAbroad

I'm a bit slow to update, but anyway NSD no.4 in the bag yesterday!

Today was not one, and I know tomorrow won't be either, but Wednesday? Maybe!

EverTheOptimist

:j:j yay I had NSD no. 2 yesterday. Went out for tea with a really good friend but she ended up paying as I had some good news yesterday so we were celebrating. :j:j

Thanks for the idea re not including budgeted spends Marmiterulesuk. I'm going to keep to true NSD's this month. But will see how it goes and may change it to unbudgeted spends in future although as I seem to have planned spends all on different days I'll never end up with any / many NSD's at this rate.

And hubby's fine thank you, busy, tired and stressed but we're counting the time down now.

freebyfifty

Good Morning

Just flying in to report NSD #10 yesterday :T

Front page and in-a-row page are all updated



Have a great day

slowlyfading

NSD 7 for me today

missyv30

Morning all,
Well had my 1st NSD yesterday :j hopefully this will be day 2 but will post back tom shouldn't spend today as staying in as my throat feels like i
have swallowed a hedgehog :eek:

Missyv x

beanielou

solventsoon wrote: »

Hmmmmm...... Pickle, we don't "fail" on this thread we just don't quite get there :D

Keep going, you can do it x

Just what I was going to say!

Happy Tuesday all.

ModestyB

NSD 4 for Sunday, not one yesterday as I went to Mr S. after going to Drs and then the hospital for a chest x-ray.

Welcome to all our newbies. Good luck in catching lots of nsds.

Hugs to all who need them.

mf0u1098

Just letting you know I'm still here!

I'm really going to have to get my act together as I've got 2 NSD's so far this month but pledged 15 and I go on holiday in 9 days for a week! I really really want to achieve the 15 so I'm going to try my hardest now.

Hopefully will be able to report tomorrow that I've bagged another NSD... x

poohbear59

7NSDs for me now.
We have just £5.11 in the bank so won't be spending any more until I can get to the building society on Friday to get my holiday money. Mr P didn't know that I was squirelling away a tiny bit at a time when I could. And as the building society is 25 miles away I can't get at it easily.