The Lets Make It Awesome April NSD Thread

IF

Hiya my No Spendy chums :hello:
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 :hello:

I have my 10th NSD

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


:rotfl::rotfl:

Candlewick

If and Kerri, thanks for my birthday wishes.

Yes, I do have a lovely boss sometimes. I have worked so hard and such long hours this year it would have been difficult for him to say no really.

This week has gone so quickly, I can't believe it's Wednesday already and I am back to work tomorrow. :mad:

Yesterday was an unexpected NSD, so that's 9 for me, although today will definitely be a spend day as I am about to go out so will not improve on my in-a-row target this week.

Have a good day everyone.

CW

wildcherry

NSD#10 for me today which I'm happy about! Nice weather and a trip out for work on Friday so I only tomorrow left in the office!! :-)

slowlyfading

NSD 7 for me today

Trajal

I keep forgetting to update this... oops.

Ok i'm on day 3 of my 9-in-a-row challenge.

So that means I'm now on total for the month of NSD #7 (including 3-in-a-row).

I promise to update it more regularly.

Today was actually quite hard, hoping tomorrow will feel easier. I keep wanting to spend, I think more out of boredom and just wanting to feel the excitement of buying junk that I don't need than anything else!

kerri_gt

Today was supposed to have been a NSD - I have a confession - it wasn't. Bit angry with myself - checked a website for a top I'd returned (too big and needed the next size down) - gone into the sale but with p&p as zero in store it was actually a bit more than the full price of the item. Been none online in my size until I looked this afternoon taking a quick break from work stuff and they had one in my size come in - so I succumbed to the lure of 'quick only one left in this size' :mad::mad::mad: I really do need to get a grip of things here. I know I didn't spend a fortune on clothes last year or the year before doing the CCC (last year) and some things do need replacing but I'm never normally this bad.

MrsCautious

NSD #9 today. Resisted urge to go to supermarket for bits that weren't really needed, sent off two birthday cards in the post. This may not sound much of a money saving achievement but as I've been rubbish at using up cards and stamps I already have before discovering them lurking in some random place I'd managed to think I'd remember, I was quietly pleased with myself for not buying yet more.

fedupandskint

Another NSD today after succumbed to a £2.75 spend yesterday.

NSD 14

marmiterulesok

Quickly dashing in to declare an unexpected nsd for today.That's #10 please.Thanks!