The Lets Make It Awesome April NSD Thread

wildcherry

Under my food shop budget but was very, very careful as I went to Mr S and he can be sooo expensive.
No other spends today so thats NSD#2 for me today.
I usually have a £5 budget for my lunch at work but the 'canteen' is closed this week (I work at a college and the students do the cooking, its catch up fortnight so no students)so I am hoping to have at least two more NSD's AND have money out of my pots left over!
This could be a great results week and after a fairly ropey March, it needs to be!

IF

Afternoon all :hello:

I've got my 1st NSD

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

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, 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!

ModestyB

Spoony, you're absolutely right. Trouble is, he went and freecycled all the chains and padlocks while my back was turned. :rotfl:

A bit of advice please, I didn't get an nsd yesterday as I bought his fishing umbrella. It went back to the shop today for a refund, ( too small ). Would I be able to claim the nsd for yesterday please or not? :think: :question:

I have definitely got one today but won't declare until above question has been advised on.

Thanks.

freebyfifty

ModestyB wrote: »

A bit of advice please, I didn't get an nsd yesterday as I bought his fishing umbrella. It went back to the shop today for a refund, ( too small ). Would I be able to claim the nsd for yesterday please or not? :think: :question:

I have definitely got one today but won't declare until above question has been advised on.

Thanks.

Absolutley YES After all you haven't lost any money, have you

OutofDebt-NOT-OutofDanger

Took some chasing. but NSD #2 safely locked up today!

bt1

I'm a bit late! Going for 15 in April

Already got one yesterday :T

1/15

EverTheOptimist

beanielou wrote: »

Great news.
When I still had the Next account I had them set up as a bill payment from my bank account & used to PAD to it.Statment was rather long :rotfl:

That's a great idea, I have thankfully just paid off a big chunk and have a couple of bits to return. So hoping it brings it right down again. Then I might PAD the last bit.

ModestyB

freebyfifty wrote: »

Absolutley YES After all you haven't lost any money, have you

Thank you Freeby, I was hoping you'd say that. :beer: That means I have NSD 1 & NSD 2 for the 1st and 2nd of April. I'm not such a fool after all. :rotfl:

EverTheOptimist

ModestyB wrote: »

ETO[/B], I'm so sorry for your loss. It's so hard to lose a pet, especially one that's loved as much as yours.

Thank you, it's just so hard it being so sudden. We've had his burial today. Just need to remember all the things he did that made me smile. But will miss his cuddliness and company.