The Spend Free September NSD Challenge

solventsoon

butdoineedit? wrote: »

& another one for me, so that's number 8 & target met :j:j

Woohoooo ..... well done BDINI :j:j:j:j

butdoineedit? wrote: »

Won't be one tomorrow as am going for very much needed beers with my friend. She is having relationship problems & needs to sound off, & tomorrow is the day that i submit my formal action against my boss - it's taken a long time to put together, but is finally articulate & unemotional, & most importantly has union backing - so i have a feeling i will need a beer to take away the feeling of terror from the pit of my stomach!!
Still hoping to squeeze at least one extra in over the weekend though... fingers crossed!!

Good luck today, lots of positive thoughts headed your way. xx

flubberyzing

Not for me today. Saturday is my birthday so I'm out tonight with some friends from my old workplace for a Chinese buffet. It's a popular place, so you have to book, but because it's fixed price, there's none of the "who owes what" saga, and everyone pays for their own drinks at the bar before being seated.

The_Dragon

Got another today (and probably another couple over the weekend!) so currently 20 (had a bad fall yesterday and I am SORE!)

jaffacakegal

Aw thanks guys

I rang my dad last night in a tizz, he's on holiday but I had to speak to him about this job stuff. He went mad at me saying I should have more confidence! It's becoming a recurring theme felt better after speaking to him.

Pleased to report that everything was goooood in the job, extra £3.5k a year, full study support, pension the works :j:j they offered me more than I asked for! Feel like I am actually becoming a proper grownup who can afford things like car repairs

(oh and NSDs out of the window but I will try again in Oct )

JCG x

butdoineedit?

ModestyB wrote: »

BDINI, best of luck with your action, hope everything turns out fine.

solventsoon wrote: »

Good luck today, lots of positive thoughts headed your way. xx

Awww thanks guys!! Well it's been sent, unlikely i'll hear anything before next week, so now the waiting & worrying starts!!

jaffacakegal wrote: »

Aw thanks guys

I rang my dad last night in a tizz, he's on holiday but I had to speak to him about this job stuff. He went mad at me saying I should have more confidence! It's becoming a recurring theme felt better after speaking to him.

Pleased to report that everything was goooood in the job, extra £3.5k a year, full study support, pension the works :j:j they offered me more than I asked for! Feel like I am actually becoming a proper grownup who can afford things like car repairs

(oh and NSDs out of the window but I will try again in Oct )

JCG x

Brilliant news JCG!!!!!! I am so pleased everything went well & it's even better than you were expecting!! When will you start?

solventsoon

flubberyzing wrote: »

Not for me today. Saturday is my birthday so I'm out tonight with some friends from my old workplace for a Chinese buffet. It's a popular place, so you have to book, but because it's fixed price, there's none of the "who owes what" saga, and everyone pays for their own drinks at the bar before being seated.

Happy Birthday for Saturday flubberyzing. Hope you have a lovely time :j:j:j:j:j:j

The_Dragon wrote: »

Got another today (and probably another couple over the weekend!) so currently 20 (had a bad fall yesterday and I am SORE!)

Ouch Dragon, hope you're OK.

Sending you a very gentle (((hug))) xx

jaffacakegal wrote: »

Aw thanks guys

I rang my dad last night in a tizz, he's on holiday but I had to speak to him about this job stuff. He went mad at me saying I should have more confidence! It's becoming a recurring theme felt better after speaking to him.

Pleased to report that everything was goooood in the job, extra £3.5k a year, full study support, pension the works :j:j they offered me more than I asked for! Feel like I am actually becoming a proper grownup who can afford things like car repairs

(oh and NSDs out of the window but I will try again in Oct )

JCG x

Glad you're feeling better JGC and wooooohoooooooooo to the job, that's fantastic news :j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j Hope you get lots of satisfaction from telling that idiot where to put his job :D

Nargleblast

Evening, all! Another NSD makes a glorious 14 out of a target of 13 so I am feeling pretty chuffed with myself.

Jaffacakegal - well done on the new job, hope it turns out as good as it promises. Know what my first reaction was when I read your account of what happened at work? I thought "the chap launching into a tirade against the staff sounds like a chap whose own job is in serious trouble, and he's venting his own feelings on others." (Or he could just be a complete wazzock).
It would not surprise me one bit if the company (if a small one) or branch (if part of a big chain) ceased trading in the near future.
When management start getting tetchy and highly strung, you just know something's up. And lucky old you, a chance to get out of there and leave them to it!

Bdini - hope you get a hearing soon, and I am sure your union will back you all the way.

patarawendy

I`m a newbie too and hope to gain some control over my spending through following your advice. So, I am going for 10 non spending days in October.

IF

Link to October challenge - Click here

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 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!

beanielou

Great news JCG :j

POsitive vibes your way BINDI.

Oh & no 19 today.