We Are Decking the Halls with NSDs December Challenge

freebyfifty

Welcome to the December No Spend Day (NSD) thread!!

We are a happy (and some might say mildly insane) bunch doing battle with those retailers - and there’s plenty of temptation out there at the moment. We are seriously committed to saving money, but nobody said it can't be done with a smile on your face - so we organise riotous nights out and gatecrash any function going - all without leaving the comfort of our own imaginations or armchairs!

On a slightly more serious note, we are here to help each other avoid spending for the number of days we feel we can manage to try to take back some control over our hard-earned money. What you class as a "spend'" is entirely your choice; some people will try to shop on the days DD/SO etc are paid, whilst others will not include essentials such as rent. Have a look for a post from our sponsor (and godmother of this challenge) BigMummaF, this contains some guidelines and ideas for starting you off on the challenge.

It’s amazing how inventive you get when you’re determined NOT to spend - from weird menu ingredients to surprising DIY solutions - but you know what? 99% of the time those wacky ideas work.


Link to last month's challenge is below so any newcomers can see what we get up to (hmmmmm... on second thoughts, that might put you off...)

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4254533

freebyfifty

1st Target Met 2nd Target Met 3rd Target Met
Target Exceeded



The Challengers

Abundant – 20/19
Armchair – 13/12
BDINI – 15/15 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 20/20Target Exceeded 20/21
Beanielou – 11/11 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 15/153rd Target Reached 19/19 Target Exceeded 19/23
Bigmumma – 20/20 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 24/24
Blindtoast – 20/20 Target Reached
Bottleofred – 15/15 Target Reached Target Exceeded 15/17
BritAbroad – 10/10 Target Reached Target Exceeded 10/13
Chris81418 – 19/19 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 23/23Target Exceeded 23/25
Citizenkitten – 20/20 Target Reached
Coolcats – 15/15 Target Reached Target Exceeded 15/16
DanielleNic – 15/4
Debtfree – 12/12 Target Reached
Donna d – 15/15 Target Reached
Dragon – 10/10 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 15/153rd Target Reached 20/20 Target Exceeded 20/23
Emloves – 15/15 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 18/18
Evertheoptimist – 10/9
Fae – 18/18 Target Reached Target Exceeded 18/19
FallenArcher – 10/4
Fedup – 20/12
Flubbery – 15/15 Target Reached Target Exceeded 15/17
Freeby – 20/20 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 25/25 3rd Target Reached 28/28 Target Exceeded 28/31
Giggles86 – 8/8 Target Reached
Headabove – 10/6
Hummingbird – 3/3 Target Reached
Ifwishes – 15/15 Target Reached
Jamiedodger – 20/20 Target Reached Target Exceeded 20/22
Kerri – 12/12 Target Reached Target Exceeded 12/14
Kitschkitty – 15/15 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 18/18
Kururunfa - 15/11
Laura16 – 10/8
Learning2 – 20/15
Lemmings – 15/9
LeoLasagne – 10/7
Liltdiddy – 20/20 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 23/23
Lottie3000 – 10/7
Loubelle – 12/12 Target Reached Target Exceeded 12/13
Lurvlyloz – 15/15 Target Reached Target Exceeded 15/17
Marmite – 20/20 Target Reached Target Exceeded 20/21
Mcmanlyn – 15/6
Mimi35 – 20/7
ModestyB – 12/12 Target Reached Target Exceeded 12/19
Motoko – 15/15 Target Reached
Muffin man – 10/10 Target Reached Target Exceeded 10/15
Muffy - 10/4
MummyRivett – 10/10 Target Reached Target Increased 20/13
Mummy172 – 8/8 Target Reached Target Increased 13/10
Munchin – 8/8 Target Reached
Nannygladys – 20/17
Nargle – 12/12 Target Reached
NinjaKat – 20/
Nomi01 – 10/7
Penny73 – 9/8
Phoenix – 20/14
P0lly – 20/5
Poohbear – 15/15 Target Reached Target Exceeded 15/19
Purple.sarah – 10/6
Rachel – 10/2
Ranchyroo – 10/10 Target Reached
Rising –12/12 Target Reached Target Exceeded 12/17
Sazzie – 8/8 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 11/11
Shannys – 10/10 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 15/15
Silvasava – 12/12 Target Reached
Siouxsie – 20/20 Target Reached Target Exceeded 20/21
Slowlyfading – 15/15 Target Reached Target Exceeded 15/16
Spoony – 15/15 Target Reached 2nd Target Reached 20/20 3rd Target Reached 25/25
Suzitiger – 10/6
Tomandjerry – 20/13
VickyV – 15/15 Target Reached Target Exceeded 15/16
WantToBeSE – 20/12
Young_un – 15/14

freebyfifty

This is for anyone who wants to set themselves a target for a number of NSDs in a row. We had some impressive numbers on this over the past few months so if anyone would like to have a go at this, I'll add you here


The In-a-Row Challengers

Abundant - 7-in-a-row Target Reached

Armchair - 3-in-a-row

Choppy - 3-in-a-row

Chris - 6-in-a-row Target Reached 7-in-a-row

Citizenkitten - 8-in-a-row Target Reached

Dragon - 4-in-a-row Target Reached

Fae - 7-in-a-row Target Reached

Flubbery - 3-in-a-row Target Reached

Freeby - 7-in-a-row Target Reached 8-in-a-row 9-in-a-row 10-in-a-row 29-in-a-row

LeoLasange - 3-in-a-row

Liltdiddy - 4-in-a-row Target Reached

Missyv - 4-in-a-row

ModestyB - 5-in-a-row Target Reachedx2 6-in-a-row

Muffin Man - 5-in-a-row

Munchin 3-in-a-row Target Reached

Penny73 - 3-in-a-row

Piquant - 3-in-a-row

Purple.sarah - 4-in-a-row

Rainbow - 3-in-a-row

Silvasava - 3-in-a-row Target Reached

Siouxie - 5-in-a-row

Stardrops - 3-in-a-row

VickyV - 3-in-a-row Target Reached 4-in-a-row

Want_to_be - 6-in-a-row

Youngun - 4-in-a-row Target Reached 5-in-a-row

freebyfifty

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!

flubberyzing

Ooooh! It's pretty and shiny in here!

Please sign me up for 15 NSD's! That seems to be about the right number for me... Achievable, but enough of a challenge that I have to organise my spends quite carefully!

I've never done the "in a row" part of the challenge before... So... Sign me up for 3-in-a-row to start with please!

[Deleted User]

I'm in again. Please put me down for 10 again.

Thanks

Pmo2 x

emslovesmickey

Ooh i want the snowmen!!! Put me down for 15 again please!

blindtoast

Nearly Christmas :D!

Thanks for the new thread Freeby. I'd like to sign up for 20 NSDs in December - I'm not sure I've ever managed that many but Christmas week should be an easy one as the shops are shut and then I'm at work so no sales shopping for me and I'm trying to be optimistic!! Also I'm hoping for snow which will also hopefully stop me going anywhere to spend - will be too busy building snowmen and throwing snowballs!!

I am going to a victorian Christmas market on Saturday tho so the month probably won't start with a NSD!

chris81418

Hello everyone! :wave:

Thanks for the December thread Freeby, you're an :A

I'd like to pledge my usual lucky 19 NSDs and 6 NSDs in-a-row please, thank you! :money:

Have a good December everyone!

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhhhhh Freeby ..... you've excelled yourself with the prizes this month :T- they are absolutely lovely (see I'm not a total scrooge - even tho' the C isn't my favourite time of year!)

I want them all ...... ;):D

As always, thanks to all the wonderful updates of the thread - Freeby, BDINI, Spoon, Marmite .... (lordy, who've I forgotten:o) - you are all :A:A and we couldn't do it without you.

Thinking about my target & will report back later on!:)

slowlyfading

December....?! Already.....?! :eek: :eek:

Best put me down for 15 NSDs please - lots of birthdays (including mine ) and christmas this month!