The Mad March NSD Challenge

cw18

OH shoved this onto my FB wall this morning, and I thought folks on here might like it

(Saved another for tomorrow )

IF

April'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, Marmite, Cheryl and Sazzie 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!

IF

Morning all

Got my 16th NSD

Thank you Freeby, Spoon, Marmite, Cheryl and Sazzie
IF…x

Nargleblast

Well, I ended up spending money on one or two food bargains today so not a NSD after all. Tomorrow will definitely be one as I will be busy at work, so my final total will be 9 out of 12 for March.

(Get away from me, Jaws, I did not use the F word. Haven't you got some unfinished business with Candlewick? )

See you all on April's thread, where I am positive I will not fail.....(Get off me, Jaws! That doesn't count....Igor! Who told you give Jaws his dentures back? They are supposed to be soaking in strontium nitrate solution.....Don't you start, Hubert! I did not say I failed, just that I will not fail in April...mind those hooves of yours...OW OW OW!.....)

kerri_gt

Afternoon everyone, on a bit of a go slow today, couple of beers in the house last night and oh my, I thought Hubert was tap dancing with steel toe caps in my head when I first attempted to get up this morning. So, four paracetamol (no not at the same time), a few hours more kip and a bacon roll later I now feel slightly more human. I'm either getting old or that particular beer does not agree with me as i really didn't have many

Anyway, declaring NSD #16 for yesterday :j Did do a food shop at JS (defected from my usual A$da) :eek: at the price of some of the food in there, not sure I could manage to shop there all the time - I think part of it was that I felt a bit like a fish out of water as i don't normally do a big shop in JS. Anyhoo, we now have food in the cupboards and fridge. THere's a couple of bits I do need to get from A$da today as a I have an APG that runs out tomorrow but then if I get my bum back to some proper meal planning we should be ok for a while - fingers crossed.

Speaking of which, if I don't move off this computer soon the shops will be shut.... laters xx

beanielou

Not one today as bought a few bits n bobs and went for afternoon tea.

EverTheOptimist

NSD # 13 & 14 for fri and today.

Yay 2 over target. :j:j

cw18

And today takes me to NSD #18

kerri_gt

Not a NSD today I'm afraid - got the 'few' bits in A$da down from £20 to £12 with vouchers and luckily the card had been topped up, BUT I was despatched to the off license to replace the beers I'd guzzled last night

Think I've just found the second part of my DN b'day present - annoyingly OOS at nearest Dunelm - not worth a 20+ mile drive in petrol, so now thinking about ordering online from somewhere that is a tad more expensive :think:

Also a tad worried that I seem to have a large 'pending' transaction on my CC - I did try to order something for my DM on Nxt which wouldn't go through - think it's because I discovered the billing address is my old address and you can't change it online (:mad:) hope it's that anyway, I don't recall getting my card out last night :eek:

freebyfifty

Good Morning

Another teeny weeny update from me.


Cw18 – NSD #18 is a brilliant number to get.:T What a great month you have had. :T Well done.:T

Debtbuster – Woo Hoo another one in the bag and declaring early too. :T I admire your focus. NSD #7 to add to your tally.:T

Evertheoptimist – Another 2 nabbed and you are up to NSD #14.:T Really well done.:T

Ifwishes – Yay, another one in the bag and NSD #16 grabbed. :T I loved the flashing Easter bunny, thank you for making me laugh.:rotfl:

Jaxsmar – A brilliant NSD #13 in the bag. :T Very well done.:T

Kerri – It was definitely the quality of the beer not agreeing with you and not the quantity!:rotfl: Well done on NSD #16.:T

Nargle – NSD #9 declared nice and early,:T 24 hours early, that’s dedication. I will not berated you for using the ‘f’ word, it seem Hubert and Jaws have got it all in hand.:rotfl: