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!

Florida2013

Hit me with another NSD! 5/15

One third of the way there

kerri_gt

Ohh how exciting flubberyzing - just don't forget and end up answering the door in your nightie :rotfl:

beanielou wrote: »

No 8 today for me & 8 in a row.
Wish I felt better though TBH.

You ok beanie? Big hugs xxx

well despite my best efforts to get some early xmas presents at bargain prices seems I missed out at JS so NSD #4 for me :j in fact I'm in profit today, sold a couple of bits on fleabay for £35 (one of them I was going to give away sold for £18 :eek:)

Off to do a bit of packing and sort out some bits for musicmagpie too.

Hump day tomorrow :T

Debt_free_soon_2

Just a quick check in to report NSD #5I'll catch up on the thread once I've done a bit of eBay - strike while the irons hot & all that! :-)

donna_dynamo

Hi all another 2 nsds for me that now gets me to 8 NSD's for the month. Just weighed in on my diet lost 2 and a 1/4 pounds ahhh so impatient want it to come off quicker oh well good start keep it up

muffin_man_7

nsd no 6 today

thanks if for the mcfly clip really cool jusy what i needed today

Beanie hope youre feeling better soon

moneypenny2k

flubberyzing wrote: »

I have a funny story!

Over the weekend, I sent a Tweet to my borough council about my block of flats not having their bins emptied since December 21st. And attached a photo.
Yesterday afternoon, I get a tweet from a BBC journalist asking me to give him a ring, which I do. We have a very interesting chat, he takes my name and asks permission to use my photo in a report he's putting together. I say yes and think no more of it.
About an hour later, another BBC journo phones, and asks if they can come and visit me at 7:10 tomorrow morning! Obviously I said yes. You can't turn the BBC down.

Not sure what they plan to do, but I'm sure it'll be an interesting experience! I'll report back and let you know what happens!

Oh, and this is NSD 6!

a :starmod: is born

NSD no 5 for me today

slowlyfading

NSD 5 for me today

cw18

Catching these little blighters isn't going to be as simple as I thought !!!

While I was at the gym yesterday I paid for Friday's swimming lesson, but that was fine as next call was Mr T for some groceries - and I'd also planned a wander to A!di for milk for DS after I got home (and Mr M for Crvnvhy Nvt C0rnflakes on half price for OH, but I'll get the money back from him so they wouldn't count as a spend anyway).

Then after doing all that I realised I'd paid for a lesson last week, so I had to check when. Luckily I paid on Wednesday which was a D/Debit day, so I didn't have to retract an NSD :T

But it has made me realise that the lessons mean I'll have to get my purse out at least one weekday every week though - and I'm supposed to pay before Friday, so can't officially work it in with a D/debit due on one of those Must try and remember to do it on a Monday if I'm needing a grocery shop from Mr T, as that's my allocated day for doing that due to being in the vicinity when I'm not rushing home from work.

And I've also realised I haven't allowed a day for paying the window cleaners, and they must be about due !!!

So I went to bed determined that today would be an NSD, as I can't afford to fritter away the chances to claim one.....

Postman brought my road tax renewal, which I promptly put to one side to deal with when I'm next spending anyway.

Then I had a wander around Amaz0n as I wanted to check out a couple of swimming training aids - but resisted the urge to order as I'd then have to declare a spend.

So around tea time I logged into my bank account to check if a refund had gone in...... only to see two D/Debits went out this morning!!! So much for an NSD :eek:

So I paid for my road tax, and ordered the bits on Amaz0n while I was at it


I also ordered a waterproof MP3 player, but that's coming out of the money my parents gave me for Christmas and as such wouldn't count as a spend for me.

Fingers crossed for an NSD tomorrow.... up and out early for work, then hanging around afterwards for a trot on a treadmill and a quick swim. Means up at 4:30, out by 5:40, work 6-2:30, probably leave gym around 4:20, home 4:40, and tea to be cobbled together by 5:15 for DS who's currently on night shifts !!! Don't think I'll have a lot of chance to open my purse, so it all hangs on D/Debits and the window cleaner......

kerri_gt

Hey Cheryl - have you thought about excluding your exercise money from the challenge - I don't count boot camp, esp as last month I was doing PAYG. I figure for something to keep me fit I'm not going to not pay for the sake of a NSD.