We Are Decking the Halls with NSDs December Challenge

liltdiddylilt

Hello all :D

I am popping in to say CHALLENGE COMPLETE!!!! Day 20 of my NSD's today.:T:T:T:T:T:T:T:T

Could you please increase me to 23 NSD's freeby??? I think I shall have to buy bread in the next 3-4 days & I'm aware that we have an enforced NSD on the 1st so I think it would be sensible to get any spending in Otherwise I would say go for 24!

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!

marmiterulesok

Well,I'm back!:hello:

I hope you all had lovely Christmas Day.We had a lovely time.A very nice meal and a wee walk to blow the cobwebs away.

I got #18 and #19 on the 23rd and 25th.Just one to go now.:j
I've had quite a long look at my budget and have made a few tweaks.Feeling prepared for January,though it's going to be a long month.I've got a week's holiday coming up soon,so can't complain.:)

EverTheOptimist

Evening everyone

Reporting 3 NSD's, for Xmas day, Boxing day, and today.

Taking me to 8/10, 2 to go. Really hoping to make it. Hoping to sneak another one in tomorrow and then make Saturday a spendy day to try and eek another NSD on sunday and/ or monday.

Will be chuffed if i make it as i had lots of spendy days up to Xmas.

Will be putting more effort in from Jan and trying really hard to keep the spends low and the NSD's high (ish)

Hope everyone had a lovely Xmas.

kitschkitty

NSD 16 today. Not been feeling 100% so been "sleeping it off".

kerri_gt

Evening all. Well not quite a NSD for me today, in fact, confession time .... :o:o:o

needed to 'butcher' said turkey and get it in the freezer (as I want to use it for batch cooking I needed to dis-assemble it raw to avoid re-freezing cooked meat when it was turned into meals IYKWIM?) all great, until I realised I had no freezer bags :eek: Upon my trip to town I 'somehow' ended up in B00ts :o:o and you can guess the rest. However, I got SIL xmas present for next year sorted, and a couple of bits my DM might want to give as gifts so it's not as bad as it might seem. Also got OH some more hair wax in S'Drug (£3.05 each or on offer...2 for £2.99...go figure!)

Was poss going to meet a friend for coffee tomorrow, but turns out she's busy now - so there is hope of target being met tomorrow at least.

Oh, and turkey has been butchered, most now in the freezer and one breast did me and OH for dinner as 'chicken tonight' plus leftovers tonight :rotfl:

nannygladys

NSD 17 today, hurray!!!!!!

emslovesmickey

Not an NSD today. Haven't gone mad in the sales (think i'm all bought out at the moment amazingly) but i did spend £6 on the DS walk with me game that comes with 2 pedometers, in the hope that it will help me with my walking next year.

coolcats

13 NSD for me now. I think tomorrow will be a high spend day as taking the kids to have feet checked and someone will need new shoes and trainers. Although hopefully sale ones. At least that is the plan if we can get up early enough to beat the crowds.

4 days left of the month still hopeful that I can get 2 more nsd in. We still have loads of food so will just be bread and milk to get, but we have some still in freezer so that should help. Hoping to get the bits on sunday and that will keep us going till wednesday.

bottleofred

Good evening folks,

No NSD for me today, as I visited the sale in NXT and bought a pair of trousers reduced to £14! I hope everyone is enjoying the festive period and is free from the cold that's doing the rounds.