The Autumnal October NSD Challenge

suzitiger

Thanks Solventsoon, I am trying to be organised otherwise I won't make my target, it seems to be working so far.. NSD No.2 to declare from yesterday, lets hope I can get another one today!!

EverTheOptimist wrote: »

Evening all

Nothing at all spent. I don't include DD's as they have to be paid. I take out my weekly spends, petrol money and my weekly grocery money on a Sunday. So i dont have to keep taking money out of the bank as i used to be a bugga for just taking a tenner here and there and just spending.

However i do include any spending from any of these budgets even though it is budgeted.

My NSD's are days with absolutely no physical spends where i hand over card or cash including internet purchases. I am really trying to curb my wasteful spends. But even spending on petrol makes me think about how i drive to best economise.

Thanks Ever..its always good to know how others are organising their spends. I am the same with trying to avoid taking money out, I am forever taking out tenners and then they just seem to disappear, so i'm trialing the change thing this month to see if that works better, whcih I am sure it will

kerri_gt wrote: »

I used to count any spend on a debit / credit card or cash - basically anything not a dd. However I adjusted my rules so I don't count petrol or milk (both essentials), these weren't my problem areas for spending anyway. After this month I'm also excluding boot camp payments as I don't count pole (dd)

Yes kerri I think that's a good idea, as long as it's not a problem spend then it's ok. My problem spends are lunchtime trips to tesco and the odd chocolate bars If I avoid these then I feel like I am doing well

suzitiger

P.S Rising I hope you feel better soon xxx

HeadAboveWater

suzitiger wrote: »

My problem spends are lunchtime trips to tesco and the odd chocolate bars If I avoid these then I feel like I am doing well

That's kinda the direction I'm heading but for now I'll stick with the total and utter NO spending days, essentials will have to wait 24 hours! :rotfl:

solventsoon

freebyfifty wrote: »

Good Morning

NSD #1 for me yesterday :T

freebyfifty wrote: »

Good Morning

NSD #2 yesterday :j


Thank you for all your support. :A You are a brilliant bunch :A I really quite enjoy helping to do the thread, it keeps me motivated so I should be thanking all of you :A


Have a great Wednesday

Freeby..... I forgot to add you to yesterday's update, I knew I'd missed someone :o:o:o

Here are a few :j:j:j:j:j:j:j:j to make up for it (hopefully) and wooohooooooo to your second NSD, what an inspiration you all to us all :A:A:A

Back later to catch up with everyone, hope you all have a lovely day :wave:

beanielou

Hope you are having a lovely day too solvent

southernbelle

Can I join in please?

I will go for 15 days, which is a high target but I really need to not spend anything extra this month. This will take into account vets bills which I need to pay

citizenkitten

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO GAVE ME ADVICE!!! :j

it has helped what I am going to count as spends, last month i classed any spend as a spend as I needed to clarify what i spend my money on... i know sounds insane but i am the classic see the balance and think WHERE DID THAT GO????

but this month, i am not going to class anything as a spend that goes on house food, as I have already budgeted for it however not anything bought at/for work etc, if i go over budget on house food then it is a spend also.

that means that 1 oct was NSD 1! :j

yesterday was super spendy trying to get in all spends in one day but didn't do that well to cram it all in, have to get better at organising myself! also i thought today might be an NSD but had to pay a 50p parking fare................................................:mad:

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 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!

jaffacakegal

Yesterday was NSD 1

JCG x

mrs_motivated

I just wanted to say - how great this thread is, I love reading about what other people do and do not count as 'spends'.

I personnally dont count DD's and have quite a strict budget at the moment (waiting for a mortgage application approval). So at the beginning of the month I have a spreadsheet income on one side, fixed expenditure ie. rent, water, tv , gas, electric and savings account. whats left gets divided into envelopes (ie £70 petrol, £100 entertainment (which include hair cuts, clothes, magazines wine etc.) , £350 groceries (food and tioletries, cleaning products etc.)

However, most of the grocery and the entertainment budget (which gets divided by the number of weeks in the month) goes on the weekends, perhaps leaving me with a tenner in my purse for the week and this is where I am focusing on NSD's.

As I have now eaten a homemade lunch (lunchtime is my danger in spending point) I am going to report NSD 2 :T


Good luck everyone x