The Autumnal October NSD Challenge

citizenkitten

giggles - glad to hear your new job is going well.

looks like the Lurgy Monster is doing his rounds! GET BETTER EVERYONE

anyway sorry not been updating, but have been reading posts to check on how you are all doing.

but i can report Sunday was NSD 7 (4 in a row!!!!!) :j

however not monday , but TUESDAY WAS TOO!!! NSD 8! BOOM!

i will update my signature now! :j

gien

declaring today NSD 4 here. DH went to get bread this morning (he's picky about breakfast) and got some milk, so I won't spend anything more. Tomorrow will be spendy I think as I have to get some more food - I might just make it into Friday unspent though, lets see.

p0lly

Well we are a poorly bunch. I hope everyone feels better soon. Sending healing thoughts to you all. I am just back from work and I avoided all the shops on the way home am so determined to make it another NSD I will have to keep off HOTUK deals and E bay then I should be OK. I have stopped visiting the grabbit board too. I am so easily led. One sniff of a bargain and I am off. I think oh I have saved however much it is and feel pleased with myself. Need to change my attitude. My hours at work are being cut and as we all know everything is getting more expensive. Good luck all will update later. OOOO the sun has come out P0lly x

Igamogam

9 NSDs Thanks

flubberyzing

NSD#8 in the bag for me today!

Well, I survived a day teaching Year 3, which I've never taught in my life, so it was a bit intense and out of my comfort zone. But it's done now and it was fine really!
Just had quite a long phone call with the new agency I'm working with. They asked me for literally my entire work history back to university! Had to skirt around the topic of why I left my last-but-one teaching post in which I was REALLY unhappy.
You know when you've put a bad experience aside, you think you've dealt with it and all is fine, but suddenly quite a little thing can bring all that anxiety and bad feeling right back to the surface!
It's made me sad because I thought I was so over it, but suddenly I feel like it's 3 years ago again... I need a stiff drink!
Hope everyone is doing okay!

HeadAboveWater

flubberyzing wrote: »

I need a stiff drink!

:beer:

*hug*

marmiterulesok

(((hugs))) to you flubberyzing

giggles86 glad you're enjoying your new job.

#9 for me today please.

beanielou

Not so nice flubberyzing

solventsoon

flubberyzing wrote: »

Well, I survived a day teaching Year 3, which I've never taught in my life, so it was a bit intense and out of my comfort zone. But it's done now and it was fine really!

Well done you:T:j:T:j

flubberyzing wrote: »

Just had quite a long phone call with the new agency I'm working with. They asked me for literally my entire work history back to university! Had to skirt around the topic of why I left my last-but-one teaching post in which I was REALLY unhappy.
You know when you've put a bad experience aside, you think you've dealt with it and all is fine, but suddenly quite a little thing can bring all that anxiety and bad feeling right back to the surface!
It's made me sad because I thought I was so over it, but suddenly I feel like it's 3 years ago again... I need a stiff drink!
Hope everyone is doing okay!

I know how you feel hun and it's not nice My nightmare job finished in 2004 and it doesn't take much to bring it all back.....

Sending you a massive (((hug))) xx

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!