The Love is in the Air February NSD Challenge

EverTheOptimist

Morning everyone.

Reporting yesterday as NSD # 11. Couldn't get on here to post last night for some reason, no problem with any other sites though.

Spend day today as off to the cinema later. But should be able to squeeze another 2 out of the month.

Thanks for the updates peoples and the encouraging words from everyone, it really does help. :T

Thanks freeby for keeping everything updated. :T

Hope the poorly people start to feel better soon.

Off to set March's target. Have a good day all.

karenccs67

# 13 TODAYI am going to count Wednesday as a spend day, gosh Ive been feeling guilt about it all night and Ive still got Thursday to reach my target, fingers crossed

[Deleted User]

Morning heading off to work in a minute.

With today being a NSD, that takes me up to a nice round 8 Hoping to reach my target of 10 but we'll see how it goes. x

IF

Afternoon :hello:

Got my 15th NSD

Thank you Freeby, Spoon, BDINI and Marmite
IF…x

wildcherry

Afternoon,

Today is going to be a NSD too so that means I'm over my target by one today. NSD#16
I've put down my target for March as 20 which I think is doable. Fffffrrrreezing here today. I try and stop using the heating come the first weekend of March but if carries on being this cold I won't be able to.
Still, it won't be long. I can smell Spring is on its way!!

Sazzie23

Hi everyone,

Hope all having a good day. Thanks for the all the updates Freeby, Marmite & Spoony

Just checked front page and think maybe I've acquired 2 too many?

Did reach target of 15 :j:j

But not quite hit second target of 17 :-( still two to go!


Well done to all those who are at/over target...you are brill. Xx

Delilahh

Unexpected NSD yesterday. Limited myeslf to a budget in Sainsburys after work, but when I walked in the guy putting the yellow stickers on appeared, so hung around for a while expecting to top the budget, and I was 55p below it!

So for me, that's:

8/11 NSD's

BritAbroad

The weather wasn't nearly as horrible as I expected yesterday, so I did go out, but still managed to make it a NSD. So that was NSD no 18! I'm not expecting today to be one, but you never know!

IF

March's NSD thread - Click here

Hiya my No Spendy chums :hello:
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 we ask you to highlight your number of NSDs in a colour and in bold so that Freeby, Spoon, BDINI and Marmite can see them easily when they whizz through the posts - red would be best but they don't really mind as long as they 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!

PennySaving

Woo Hoo! I am one off target. I really didn't think I was going to make it this far in February as have had to make payments for things that I didn't know about at the beginning of the month. So here we are NSDs 11
Thanks to everyone who updates & awards the prizes. Fingers crossed I might get a prize by Thursday