The Love is in the Air February NSD Challenge

IF

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!

Jelly_Biactol

NSD 10 today - double figures :j

And I made my first every ebay sale today, so I'm actually in profit for the day :T

Candlewick

Evening :wave:

Lovely and mild tonight and what a pleasant change.

I am up to 10 today

Am hoping I don't need to spend money tomorrow but I have been invited out for coffee and it's my turn to pay. I am also super busy at work so may have to use that as an excuse to cry off until next week. Do you think that's being mean? 'cos I do, if I'm honest. If I spend money on coffee then I will get some food shopping on the way home for the next few days and not spend at the weekend.

I never used to give a thought to spending a fiver on a couple of coffees before but now I think it's a waste of money. Do you think she will mind if I turn up with a flask? lol :eek:

CW

PennySaving

Happy Valentines Everyone!
No NSD for me today but for a really, really GOOD reason. My eldest son was on the front page of the local newspaper for his boxing championship wins So of course, I bought enough copies for all the family.
(Hoping for a NSD tomorrow)

EverTheOptimist

NSD #6 today. :j

Just starting to get my act together, hoping for another tomorrow, then spendy weekend.

Am waiting for a refund for an item I returned to N3w L00k, it was supposed to be refunded within 5 days, it wasn't, so I called them and was told another 7-10 days. I'm sure it's been that and no sign of it in my account. Such cr4p customer service. It's only £14.99 but it should be in my account not theirs. :mad:

flubberyzing

NSD 6 banked!

I've fallen behind this month! I've spent Monday - Today at my parents house in Shropshire, and every day, apart from today has been a spend day! Whoops!

My 2 hour journey home sadly turned into a 5+ hour journey after a fatal accident on the M1. Got home just before 7, having left Shropshire at 1:30. Just glad I went to the loo before I left! I almost didn't bother!

No desire to go out food shopping now. So tea consists of chocolate and crisps. It's a hard life. The food shop can wait until tomorrow, I'm sure.

fedupandskint

NSD 5 for me today please!

slowlyfading

NSD 9 for me today

Jonesy88

NSD 10/15 for me today, two thirds there :j

The_Dragon

:j:j:j #11 grabbed into the NSD prison cell!