The Lets Make It Awesome April NSD Thread

kerri_gt

freebyfifty wrote: »

I love love love a spreadsheet and a list. I sometimes have a list of what lists I need


Have a great LSD type day :rotfl:

You can't beat a nicely colour coded spreadsheet...with multiple tabs My day job (not that I have a night job :eek:) pretty much requires me to be looking at or working with spreadsheets about 80% of the time so good job I get on with them (I'm sure my maths teachers would be astonished, not that I wasn't good at maths, I was...it was just applying myself in the lessons that was a challenge )

Not a NSD here, popped into town to pick up a prescription...that hadn't been sent from the docs despite my putting in the request over 2weeks ago :mad: Honestly, I have an issue nearly every time with them, for all the new automation then couldn't organise a p*ss up in a brewery.

Anyway, ended up getting some garden pegs in Wilko (need to top up the bark chips again this year but the weed suppressing fabric underneath would be much more effective if it wasn't flapping like aunties bloomers on a windy day :rotfl:

Also got some fruit from the market and some more fruit from sainsbobs (someone had kindly pressed it, stored it and bottled it for me - turning it into vino -wasn't that nice of them :rotfl:) and some bits for the week (including spinach which I have a strange urge for recently).

Hope everyone is having a good weekend and getting some of the glorious sun we had here today :cool:

Nargleblast

Evening all, my lovelies! Apologies for being away for a few days but....busy at work, then preparing like mad for visitors this weekend (came last night and staying till Monday) so lots of spending going on in the food department. Then I was ill the night before last and still haven't recovered my appetite fully. In fact I am even a bit off cups of tea, so you know how serious it must be!

So, am joining Spoon at the bottom of the class and in the stocks, awaiting the onslaught of hundreds of rotten tomatoes because of having only one NSD this month so far....surely I must get another one tomorrow?

Kerri - Igor turned up at Chateau Nargle one dark stormy night, carrying a battered suitcase, another case containing a collection of lovingly-polished chef's knives and a rucksack on his back containing his cookery book collection, including such seminal works as "Mrs Beeton meets the Hairy Bikers" and "Gordon Ramsay - a Tribute to Fanny Craddock". The knives and cookbooks go with him everywhere. And I mean everywhere. (You should hear the clattering in the bathroom on bath night.)
I agreed to let Igor have a go at being the Chateau Nargle chef, seeing as the previous one met with an unfortunate accident involving a food mixer and a tin of mulligatawny.
I think he is a distant relation to the Igors of Mr Pratchett's works, but the kind of distant relation nobody talks about. He is ever ready to please and impress me and anyone else around with his culinary creativity. Remember the Brussels Sprout Vindaloo? That was Igor! Not to mention that well-loved cocktail, the Pilchard Margherita...(I said, not to mention it....!)

slowlyfading

Yesterday was NSD 2 and today is NSD 3

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!

Jelly_Biactol

Not quite another NSD day today:o
Sold another couple of items on fleabay, for £6.50, and spent £7.85 on replenishing the food store cupboard, BUT I did purchase have an entry for the world's biggest tortilla wrap - though it's actually Persian Lavash Bread, measuring 50cm by 35cm

and three of them for £1.55:)

each_peach_pear_plum

Pleased to say I am up to 4

Sazzie23

Evening All, it really is Sunday now

Sorry Freeby for writing off your Saturday...when I'm working I overlook work days :rotfl::rotfl:

Thanks Freeby for spotting my small and non red 3 - I can't figure outhow to make that ipid thing give me big red letters (that sounds rude:o).

Freeby & Kerri - inspirational motivational figures, and a group challenge, how brilliant - how odd it is that March was best since I think a few of us struggled a bit in March:eek:

A big red 4/20 for today- I have to keep putting 20 to remind myself jut how hard I need to work at it this month.

Catch you all later, enjoy Sunday, I'm going to try not to sleep all day...I know I'm lucky I can, but its really not good for me!

freebyfifty

Good Morning

Another small update......where is everybody????



Beanielou – Yay :T Another two in the bag and you are up to NSD #4.:T Well done Beanie.:T

Candlewick – NSD #2 safely captured and you are doing well. :T Good news about the ebay sales. :T I always think that anything for something that is hanging around unused is better than nothing at all, so good for you.:)

Eachpeach – You are doing so well and you have a brilliant NSD #4 captured.:T Well done, hope you manage lots more. :T

Gettingthere – Welcome to the NSD challenge,:T I hope you will soon be as addicted as the rest of us. You are on the front page with a target of 8 NSDs, good luck.:T

Heyjude – I am so pleased that you are enjoying the NSD Challenge.:T It’s so addictive isn’t it?:) Well done on NSD #3. You are doing really well.:T

If – A lovely NSD #3 under your belt.:T Well blimmin’ done.:T It was so hard to say the colour and not the word.:mad: My brain is clearly in conflict.:rotfl:

Marmite – Glad you are up for the idea of the group challenge :T and you are doing your bit with NSD #4. :T Really well done.:T

Sazzie – Another one in the bag for you and that makes NSD #4. :T You are doing so well. :T Have a great day whether you sleep or not.:)

Slowlyfading – NSD #2 & 3 declared. :T Very well done.:T

freebyfifty

Well I did it :j I managed to stay away from the shops yesterday and I never spent a single penny all day. That's a rarity for me on a Saturday :j So I am quite proud to declare NSD #6 and 6-in-a-Row. I am hoping for much the same today

The front page is all up to date with lots of brilliant numbers on it already

Have a great Sunday

freebyfifty

There are

53

of us taking part in the April NSD Challenge

and so far we have collected

102 NSDs

:T:T:T:T:T