We Are Decking the Halls with NSDs December 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 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!

VickyV

Just Checking in to say that I'm half way to target with NSD #6 safely netted today and stuffed in a large sack for safekeeping!

I was wondering what all the little NSDs do when we release them back into the wild at the end of the month! :rotfl: Let's hope they bring friends for next month!

I'm out for christmas lunch tomorrow so I may be spending (but hopefully lovely boss will treat us so...) _party_!

Vicky
x

kururunfa

It's been two spending days for me (mail ordering a couple of presents before I miss the last deadline for shipping). I hope to get back on track tomorrow though!

young_un

Numero 6 for me please
Xx

solventsoon

Evening everyone :wave:

Loads more NSDs rolling in today, woohoooooooooo

Well done to:

:j:j:jbeanie - NSD no 10 safely nabbed now and into double figures, yay!!
It’s cold here as well, horrible, and I know what you mean about being tired, I think it’s the cold and the short days getting to us all

:j:j:jblindtoast - yayto NSDs 3, 4 and 5 being found over the weekend and fingers crossed for no 6 today.. you can do it!

:j:j:jchris - NSD no 7 in the bag, you’re doing brilliantly, keep going

:j:j:jDragon - NSD no 10 safely nabbed now and into double figures, yay!!
Freeby will increase your target to 15 when she next updates the front page, good luck with getting there and thanks for the mince pie, delicious

:j:j:jFae - NSD no 8 captured now that’s brilliant. Fingers crossed for no 9 today and the half-way mark

:j:j:jfedupandskint - NSD no 5 in the bag, you’re doing brilliantly, keep going

:j:j:jfreeby - NSD no 10 safely nabbed now and into double figures, yay!!
It’s freezing here as well but I’m with you on the shortest day, I always feel better once that’s out of the way

:j:j:jHeadAboveWater- NSD no 3 safely nabbed, that’s brilliant. Hope the shopping trip wasn’t too expensive

:j:j:jIf - NSD no 5 in the bag now, you’re doing brilliantly as always. Love today’s cartoon:rotfl:

:j:j:jJAMIEDODGER - NSD no 8 captured now that’s brilliant. Keep going

:j:j:jlemmings1986 - NSD no 6 in the bag, you’re doing brilliantly, keep going

:j:j:jlurvlyloz - NSD no 6 in the bag, you’re doing brilliantly, keep going

:j:j:jmarmite - NSD no 4 safely nabbed, that’s brilliant. Hope you feel better tomorrow

:j:j:jmimi35 - NSD no 7 captured now that’s brilliant, keep going

:j:j:jModestyB - NSD no 6 in the bag, you’re doing brilliantly, keep going

:j:j:jNargle - NSD no 4 safely nabbed, that’s brilliant.
Your Christmas sounds good .... and your alcoholic cake sounds brilliant, I’m sure you could probably get drunk from the fumes alone;)

:j:j:jpurple.sarah - NSD no 2 safely nabbed, that’s brilliant, keep going

:j:j:jrachyroo1985 - NSD no 3 safely nabbed, that’s brilliant, keep going

:j:j:jrising - NSD no 7 captured now that’s brilliant, keep going
Oh dear, sorry about the tumble dryer, you’re having a bit of bad luck recently:(

:j:j:jSazzie23 - NSD no 5 safely nabbed, that’s brilliant, keep going
Hope you’re OK after the spinal injection, that sounds a bit :eek:

:j:j:jsf - NSD no 6 captured now that’s brilliant, keep going

:j:j:jVickyV - NSD no 6 captured now that’s brilliant, keep going. Hope you enjoy the Christmas lunch tomorrow

:j:j:jyoung_un - NSD no 6 safely nabbed, that’s brilliant, keep going


And hello to:

marmite - sorry you had such a rubbish day at work on Monday, hopefully Tuesday was a bit better for you

BMF - grrrrr to the kids and the DVDs ruining your NSD. Loved the reminiscing about the decorating

emsloves - well done for paying off the credit card in full, that must be cause for celebration

kururunfa - fingers crossed for your next NSD tomorrow

solventsoon

NSD no 8 safely nabbed yesterday (Monday), although another spendy day today:o and probably another one tomorrow

'night everyone

freebyfifty

Good Morning

NSD #11 nabbed yesterday :j

Front page is all updated and a big woop woop and three cheers to Dragon who is the first to reach target

Bloomin' well done :j:j


Have a great hump day x x

rising_from_the_ashes

ModestyB wrote: »

Rising, I'm sorry about your TD but I have to smile when I remember my favourite Aunt complaining about those same problems.It turned out that she didn't know that there was a filter in the door and that she had to empty it. Next time she visited she brought a solid mass shaped like a wheel that she had removed from the filter. It is one of a number of fond memories of her.

:eek: She's lucky it never went on fire!:eek:

I do so like it on here when someone says something that makes you remember a fond memory ..... it's rather nice when they leap up and make you

Chilly here again today - it (never thawed all day yesterday!

Need to try to do some measuring in the garage as have found a new TD that's on offer (and have been offered a donation towards it for Xmas pressie ) - but it's slightly bigger and not sure it'll fit in the space :eek:

Might have to do some re-jigging .....

flubberyzing

Morning all!

It looks cold out there! The trees look pretty though, with their frost.

I shall be staying in my snuggly flat today, although will venture out at some point to take some rubbish to the bins and a few christmas cards to the letter box!

Am going for a NSD today. It won't be one tomorrow because I've arranged to meet a couple of friends at the retail park for coffee. Will kill some other birds at the same time and get a few bits from Boots and the supermarket. Thus combining my spends into one. I shall report back later if I'm successful with my NSD today!

lurvlyloz

7/15 woooop :j