The Lets Make It Awesome April NSD Thread

solventsoon

ifwisheswerehorses... wrote: »

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!

Just borrowing If's welcome message for any newbies:)

freebyfifty

Good Morning

Thank you for the update spoon :A

The front page is updated and we have our first prize winner :j:j Well done Dragon :j:j

I broke my run of NSDs and had a spendy day yesterday with one thing and another. Hoping to make up for it by having a spend free weekend though.


Happy Friday everyone :T

freebyfifty

There are

56

of us taking part in the NSD Challenge

and so far we have collected

235 NSDs

:T:T:T:T:T

charleybear

hopefully now that you’ve realised your card is working OK you can nab some more NSDs.. keeping my fingers crossed for you

Thank you -
I was having a no spend day until i visited my grandparents and went shopping with my mum after... I didn't spend too much though, at least.

HeadAboveWater

charleybear wrote: »

the partner didn't have enough money in his bank to pay for his dinner, so i brought him his dinner, then i brought some things on my card just to see if it was working again

Hmmmmmmm :rotfl:

The_Dragon wrote: »

Yay got#10 today! Time to increase to 15 please!

:eek:

VERY well done Dragon :T

solventsoon wrote: »

Can I have my halo then, please, as I've been very good again today:D:D....

Definitely

solventsoon wrote: »

... and well done you:j:j:j another one nabbed. You're about to be mentioned in despatches (aka the update ) again :T:T

solventsoon wrote: »

HAW - woohooooo... NSD no 3 safely nabbed now.. see, I told you that you could do it!:j:j
Well done, I hope you’re feeling very pleased with yourself and of course you can have a drum roll.......:T:T:T:T

Thank you :D:D

Well done everyone else too!! Have a fab Friday and a brilliant weekend!!

EDIT:
Hey spoon! That kick up the behind has worked wonders! No 4 today :D:D

IF

Morning all :hello:

I have my 8th NSD

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


I'm doing the Friday wiggle :dance:

charleybear

NSD 6 im going straight home - its cold and rainy!
Got tidying up and coursework to do,anyway!

wildcherry

NSD#8 for me today. Was raining here but getting abit brighter now which is always good!
Some housework done and then getting ready for a good soak in the tub and a fairly busy weekend.
I'm hoping for sun on Sunday!!

heyjude2013

NSD #4 for me today! It's been alluding me for a while so I'm glad to have finally caught it :j

Not only was it a NSD, I found £5 on the street outside my house! It was pretty wet and soggy but it seems to be drying out ok!

And its FRIDAY! woohoo!

Have a good day everyone

each_peach_pear_plum

Not only did I have NSD number 6, but I took something back for a refund that we didn't really need. Surely that counts as two.......?!:o