The Mad March NSD Challenge

[Deleted User]

Morning lovelies,

Thanks freeby for the new March challenge

Back again and determined to reach my target this time and hopefully exceed it too.

Please sign me back up for 10 NSD's and for a change I'm aiming for at least 1 lot of 3 in a row.

Good luck everyone x

flowerofscotland

Please put me down for 10 NSDs in March

This is a lot lower than my achievement in January or February (even though I missed the target in Feb I've clocked up 11 and may achieve 12 or 13) but I am being realistic.

I have to book flights and renew my passport for a wedding/holiday, have at least 3 nights out scheduled (2 of them with tickets so no chance of postponement), the car service and MOT early March and renewal of tax late March as well as paying for replacement boiler (currently being installed). So lots of additional spends in March.

However what I am hoping to achieve is keeping my spending to essentials/planned expenditure - all of the above (even the boiler) are budgeted for but I will need to top up the rainy day fund which is paying for the boiler replacement.

I've started a list of things I don't need to buy for ages (this year at least!)

Thanks for all the inspiration on this thread

Jelly_Biactol

My target for March is 15

and

5-in-a-row

:j

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!

kerri_gt

flowerofscotland wrote: »

Please put me down for 10 NSDs in March

This is a lot lower than my achievement in January or February (even though I missed the target in Feb I've clocked up 11 and may achieve 12 or 13) but I am being realistic.

I have to book flights and renew my passport for a wedding/holiday, have at least 3 nights out scheduled (2 of them with tickets so no chance of postponement), the car service and MOT early March and renewal of tax late March as well as paying for replacement boiler (currently being installed). So lots of additional spends in March.

However what I am hoping to achieve is keeping my spending to essentials/planned expenditure - all of the above (even the boiler) are budgeted for but I will need to top up the rainy day fund which is paying for the boiler replacement.

I've started a list of things I don't need to buy for ages (this year at least!)

Thanks for all the inspiration on this thread

Ouch, that sounds like one heck of a spendy month.

Please could you put me down for 15 NSD please thread runner lovelies - i've somewhat plucked the figure out of the air this month, not much planned atm but that could always change but planning a few Feb spends and that means I must tighten the purse strings until March PD anyway.

Delilahh

Could I please join this one with

12 NSD's and 3-in-a-row!

Thank you!

tomandjerry

Hello All,

After having 2 'months off' I'd like to join in and start saving the monies again...15 NSDs please.

T&J :j

freebyfifty

Good Monrning

Welcome everyone to the March NSD Challenge.

The list of challengers is up to date so far so have a check and if you are not there then get yourself signed up. We need a bumper month of NSDs and to get another step closer to being debt free :T


Have a great day

The_Boss

I'd like to try this and go for 11 please.

My definition of an NSD is when net spend doesn't increase. So days when a direct debit comes out of my account are still NSDs as they are servicing existing debt (provided I do not actually spend money due to new debts).

Sazzie23

Hi everyone

Just popped over from February's NSD forum to say, please put me down for

18 [/COLOR]NSD.....please

And

4 in a row

Managed 15 plus in Feb and 2 x 3 in a row, so upping the stakes in a longer month.

Good luck everyone.

I am bit of a random thanker, not just in terms of button pressing. Sometimes I forget, other times I realise I haven't hit that thank you enough, but for everything you do, for everything you say, for being here, and very much to our lovely updaters, thank you all.