We Are Decking the Halls with NSDs December Challenge

freebyfifty

Good Morning

Up to NSD #13 now :j

Also *whispers - to avoid tempting fate* I have a meeting with my boss this morning and I might have snagged myself a promotion


It's Friday everyone..have a festive wiggle

lurvlyloz

I've recalcuated and gone through my diary & actually yesterday was NSD 10!!!!!
:j

rising_from_the_ashes

Freeby *whispering back* ..... keeping everything crossed

lurvlyloz

*good luck*

BigMummaF

Why do Wiggle Days take the longest to come round, Sat & Sun flash past in a blur but flippin' Monday mornings appear with aggrivating regularity

Today, I am mostly feeling 1920s-ish so I bring for your entertainment, a couple of flappers

coolcats wrote: »

I'm on 4 NSD. Not doing as well as expected. As there have been lots of small pay outs, be easy not to include them, but they need to be included. Hopefully I will improve and make it up a bit soon.

Don't fret Pet, you are doing incredibly well. As SF said up there ^^ a bit this month is notoriously difficult to keep your pennies in YOUR pocket, but the fact that you are recognising where your spends are happening is a very big part of this Challenge. Do you keep a spending diary, to look at what you're spending where? Maybe the fact you always buy a paper off the cute guy in the Centre & he doesn't sell peppermints; so you go into another shop, get tempted by a magazine that has the same stories as the one you bought 2 days ago but a recipe for 3-minute shepherds pie...Of course I'm making this up but I know from past experience it was the kind of thing that caught me out

OK. To business! *all Big-bruvva talk-over Man* Dey Thur-een in thu EnnEssDeeee howz..Beeg Momma haz had forwa spind deyz so is korun lee on nooma nyene, budt she haz finnist herr prezzent shoppin. The flouhwaz are all peyed fur un therez ownlee fresh stoof to ged fur krismus foowd

No 9 please, & apologies to folk who are from the same neck of the woods as Mr Narrator. I adore accents but loathe BB, so the knock was toward the programme & not the person; I'm afraid I end up speaking like a native if I'm talking to them for half hour or so

slowlyfading

NSD 8 for me today

It's Friday :j :j

Freeby - keeping my fingers crossed!

BigMummaF

Everyone, for whatever you are doing today--interviews, gift hunting, Nativity performances (remember the tissues Bless the Little Darlings) or just plain getting about in this awful weather. It's blowing a ggodun out there, & the rain is hitting the windows so hard it sounds like shingle instead of water :eek:

chris81418

Good morning everyone! :wave:

butdoineedit? wrote: »

chris81418 – well done for number 8 & 9, you’re doing great!! :j:j

Thanks BDINI! And I managed to catch NSD number 10 yesterday! :j

Enjoy that Friday feeling everyone and have a good wiggle!

IF

Morning all

I see your wiggling Freeby and got my fingers crossed for you too 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!