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

MummyRivett

17 NSD today

katholicos

Came really close to notching up nsd 13 but have just placed an order online because free p and p runs out at midnight tonight and it would have been silly not to take advantage of that.

couldsavemore_2

just confirming NSD today so that makes 13/24 just over half way.

Debtbusterintraining

6/8 for me,nearly at target,fx I can make it and well done to those who have smashed theirs.

butdoineedit?

freebyfifty wrote: »

I have a massive smile on my face I am absolutley delighted for you :j:j It is the best thing that could have happened

I would love to be in the room when you tell that little p00 that you are leaving. I hope you spend your last day telling him (and everyone else) exactly what you think of him :rotfl:
Never forget, what goes around comes around and he'll get what he deserves one day but I'll stand the posse down for now.

Hope you enjoyed your night celebrating :beer:

Thank you Freeby.... & everyone else too!!
The karma is coming already, i found out Friday just before i heard about my job, that evil boss man went for a promotion & didn't get it I shouldn't gloat really, but it will make it all the sweeter when i get to tell him tomorrow!!

Oh & of course the posse will be there with me, after all the support & soggy paintbrushes i couldn't deny you the fun now could I!!

BigMumma - that soup sounds yummy, i'll be round tomorrow for a bowl!!

Oh & number 12 for me today, have spent all day with some sandpaper & a soggy paintbrush "shabby chicing" my gumtree bargain dressing table, it's looking fab already!

EverTheOptimist

Congrats on the new job butdoineedit? Go and give it to your boss both barrels... And take great pleasure in it. I don't know the full story but can tell from posts you've not had a good time of it.

Spend day for me as ever on a Saturday. Groceries and newspaper needed.

Have started moving some bits around upstairs, bookcases etc in preparation for prepping the nursery. That feels so weird typing that.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone.

Jelly_Biactol

NSD 6 today :j

kerri_gt

MummyRivett wrote: »

Thank you CW, unfortunately Daddy Rivett is I'll now,

I've made one half of a heart, they take about an hour to knit, then remembered that it is the in-laws anniversary on valentines day, so I think these hearts would be great to tack onto a card.

This afternoon I have been compiling the shopping list from my meal planners. Now dilemma, do I buy the ingredients to make a sweet short crust pastry for a gypsy tart or shall I get a prebaked case?

MummyRivett wrote: »

I think as you have experimented with the soup, I'm going to give it a go with making my own pastry. Well done for reaching your target.

Best of luck with the pastry - I must admit to buying a pre-made one when I did my first quiche and now have two more stashed in my cupboard - I must invest in a pie / quiche dish so I can make my own though.

Thanks for the advise about Thurs NSD guys, I going to retrospectively declare 9 NSD for that

Today wasn't a NSD though - braved the roads (actually the gritters round here had done a sterling job and the main roads were all fine) and took a couple of items back that my mum had bought me but I didn't really need (money went back to her though :A)

Have also been looking for thinsualte material and some new mittens as the thermal ones I got in M0nsoon a couple of years ago a dying a death - Never seen them before or since, they are their little 'flip top' ones but had themal lining - so I planned to get a new paid and use the old lining on new thermal material to make the new ones thermal too. Only problem is, material has been really hard to source, until today when I found men's hats and gloves in primarni with thinsualte for £2 each. Figured that would prob still be cheaper than material plus p&p so bought one of each and will just use the lining.

Also bought a jumper in 0asis which I prob didn't need (non sale :eek:) There were a couple of other sale bits not in my size which I've since found online, funny thing is though, now they're sitting in my basket I'm not sure I really really do want them. Feeling I should spend some time going through my wardrobe and draws and making use of what I already have.

Finally stopped to get a few bits in Ald! - including 10kg of de-icing salt, so we're bound not to have any more snow here now.

Still do need to get my bum over to A$da but think I might leave that a bit longer and have a home day tomorrow.

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!

Helsbels8080

Hello all

A very late visit from me to declare another 2 NSDs (one for Friday and the other for today) taking my total to 12. Yesterday we had quite a bit of snow so just to work and back and it's still lying today so stayed home.

Have been feeling very optimistic that when then end of the month comes I will have money left over (due to my NSD's) but then this morning my heating packed up! Luckily we have electric radiators we can use as the heating engineer can't come until Monday :eek: but I'm thinking my spare cash is no longer spare Oh well in one hand and out the other as they say.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend , keep posting