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!

IF

Big Thank you to Freeby for doing September's NSD thread xx



Thanks to all who do the updates too xx

Could you put me down for 17 NSD's please :beer:

rising_from_the_ashes

QueenB great to see you ..... hope everything's OK (was getting a bit worried about you!)

Freeby & all the updaters :T:T:T and IF with the fantastic pics, they go make me

Freeby - hope those cakes have been pointed!:rotfl:

Well despite my best intentions, I didn't manage to keep up with you all in August while having my wee break (actually hardly been online at all:( -had a terrible lurgi thing & then loads to catch up on at work)......... however, it unfortunately didn't stop me having a very spendy August

Managed to get the most expensive spend in today (glad it's not counting in Sept!) as I've bought a new car :eek::D (not brand new.......).

As some of you may know, I've been having problems with my left foot for a while and unfortunately surgery's not fixed it - using the clutch has become more & more difficult (not helped as I live in a very rural area with twisty/hilly roads = lots of gear changing:() so I've finally managed to find an automatic for a errrrr cough errrrr "affordable" price.

A bit frustrating as I bought mine to keep for 5 years and have recently finished paying for it ...... but I guess needs must!:)

Anyway ...... sorry rambling now (have you missed my rambles?) - need to have a very frugal few months to try to balance the books again:eek: so going for a whopping 20 for Sept please.

I will be giving myself a new Banana pot :rotfl:as seem to be having to buy these every other day (why do they turn so quickly?)

beanielou

Happy new car rising~enjoy :j

Though I do feel a tad responsible~ooops.

miss_t_2

OMG, I have fallen off the wagon big time and need to get back on!

Have had a huge kick up the backside when my OH totalled up the amount I have spent over the last 3 months on treats for my class, end of year gifts for them and stuff for my classroom as well as other completely useless stuff. Am really embarrassed to say it has been a ridiculous amount and it could have brought us a new PC (which we need, but haven't yet brought because we didn't have the money to pay for it outright and we didn't want to use a credit card ).

So could I please rejoin the challenge and start with 10NSD's and a 3 in a row. I know it's a low target, but although I spent, spent, spent, none of it was on stuff I actually needed like clothes for the new year! :mad:

I honestly feel like such an idiot at the moment. I am so angry with myself, that I spent so long clearing my credit cards and paying off my loan, only to go and slip back into old habits again and to top it off, I don't even have anything to show for it!

Am hoping that I can grab as many NSD's as possible, as if I can, I can suprise my OH with the computer we have seen and want, as I will actually have money left (after I have paid my regular bills and put money aside) to be able to afford it! Am just hoping he will be able to forgive me for being such a prat over the past few months!

Victoria_Ke

I would like to try for 10 please.

Giggles86

Hello! Can I join in this month? I've sort of been keeping track of my NSDs through August and done reasonably well (not that I've had much choice!)

Being my first 'proper' month I'm going to go for 10 NSDs and hope to do even better!

Good luck everyone

*wandering off to figure out how to put it in my signature to remind me*

mf0u1098

Could i please join with15 and 4 in a row? x

optimistic-mummy

hi all, could i join you please, i would like to aim at 10 nsd's please. thankyou

Hiddenidenity

Hello all not been joining in for a few months but fell off the wagon and back with debt

So please can I be put down for 10 this month (Im not going to include budgeted spends/dd's becuase I buy milk daily etc so I'd always fail lol x