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!

IF

Morning all :hello:

I'm a Wiggling :dance:

HeadAboveWater

I hit my target!!!!!!!!! 10/10 Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday my SIL bought me coffee and a bun (it was her turn!) then OH took me and the 3 girls to the cinema (his treat!)

Soooooooooooooo pleased!! I'll up my target to 12 please

Happy Friday everyone

flowerofscotland

Just popping in to declare NSD#14 for yesterday.

I am now only 1 short of my target for the month.

Well done to all who have already achieved their targets. It is amazing to see the total into 4 figures

Nargleblast

Yesterday and today means another target well and truly bashed!

13 out of 13 NSDs!!!

You can park Nessie and her bagpipes round the back, Freeby, ready for tonight's shindig!

Which reminds me --- I have been summoned to do stuff in my other world so cannot be with you all tonight, but worry not, Igor is in charge....(?)

(Igor - decorations up? Check! Well, no, tartan actually....tartan carpets, tartan curtains, tartain streamers, tartan balloons, tartan custard......And Hubert will be bouncer on the door as usual, wearing his new tartan nappy. The McFlinging Jocks on standby? Oh, good idea, Igor, instead of them getting the bus here, you have supplied them with pogo sticks so they can pogo their way through the snow.....Haggis a-stewing on the stove? Turnip whisky festering away? Lovely......the NSD gang won't know what's hit them tonight.....)

coolcats

19 NSD here, still have oldest ill, she has just slept most of the day again, although she seems better than yesturday. Had planned to go to cinema tomorrow (£2.99 each includes popcorn and drink) so seems that won't happen this week!
Thinking tomorrow may be a spend day if she feels upto going out, need a few bits if we can get there.

Jelly_Biactol

It's been an NSD so far today, but I don't want to announce it officially yet, as I've arranged to meet some friends at the pub later, so I'm going to see if I can have a night out without spending any money:rotfl:
Will report back later...:)

beanielou

NSD no 23 today.

The snow here tis dire :eek:

rising_from_the_ashes

beanielou wrote: »

The snow here tis dire :eek:

Hope you're tucked up inside ..... it's raining here!


No 12 & target (phew - finally!) today .... it's been a real struggle this month:o have a lovely weekend everyone

beanielou

Yah for reaching target :j

Have a good weekend