Shiny New Year, Shiny New Start. The January NSD 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!

MummyRivett

Fantastic news regarding your job bdini well done

katholicos

Hey there all, hope you are doing okay.

Butdoineedit, congratulations on your new job

Well folks, i made it to my goal of 12 nsd's.

ModestyB

Fabulous news about the new job BDINI, so pleased for you.

Kerri, of course it was an nsd, your OH paid for his own item.

NSD 13 for me today, I wonder if it had anything to do with the snow!

Hugs to all, keep warm.

emslovesmickey

Woohoo!! Target reached! That's 15 NSD's and can i up it to 18 please?

moneypenny2k

Not had time to catch up on the thread fully as I've not been on for a couple of days, You lot chat a lot don't ya? :rotfl:

Anyhow BDINI congrats on the new job, I'm sure 13 will be an awesome year for you.

WantToBeSE, how did your first day go?

I did what many did and shopped on Thursday, so a NSD today which takes me up to 10.

Hope everyone is warm and safe,

LionessInWinter

butdoineedit? wrote: »

good day today & plenty of wiggling going on here!!!

Now it's all confirmed, checks done, & can't go wrong, i would like to share my good news with you.......
i have a new job!!!!!!! :j:j:j

i got the offer 2 weeks ago today, but i was so worried that if i spoke about it, i would somehow jinx it & the offer would be withdrawn, but today i got my official confirmation. I am soooooo looking forward to monday when i can hand in my notice & tell mr bossman where to stick his job!! I've got a weeks leave left to take, so only 3 weeks of hell left & then i'll be free!!!

congratulations....well done

positivelypurple

butdoineedit? wrote: »

Good day today & plenty of wiggling going on here!!!

Now it's all confirmed, checks done, & can't go wrong, i would like to share my good news with you.......
I have a new job!!!!!!! :j:j:j

I got the offer 2 weeks ago today, but i was so worried that if i spoke about it, i would somehow jinx it & the offer would be withdrawn, but today i got my official confirmation. I am soooooo looking forward to Monday when i can hand in my notice & tell Mr Bossman where to stick his job!! I've got a weeks leave left to take, so only 3 weeks of hell left & then i'll be free!!!

Thank goodness i had a left over bottle of wine in from xmas, so i managed to have a little celebration drinkie without ruining my NSD, so that's number 11 please Freeby :j:j

Huge congratulations! Really lovely news :T

Sazzie23

Freeby 17 !! :money:wow in 19 days, very impressive and encouraging for those of us still practising.

Pennysaving, welcome to the madhouse, I joined last month and I find it helps if I log in regularly as it keeps my focus (it also helps me try to keep track of who/what's happening).

NSD 9/15 for me, and since I stayed late at work to cover for someone who couldn't get in, (couple of hours extra pay )
I will sleep late and therefore hopefully avoid an spendie Saturday. I think I'm going to get the 15 in - good job its a long month:rotfl:

To everyone caught up in snow, Stay warm, stay dry and spend free, but most of all please, stay safe:exclamati

Sazzie23

:T:TOh & BDINI Thats brilliant news, so pleased for you:j:j:j Must have been tough keeping it under wraps:j