The Lets Make It Awesome April NSD Thread

beanielou

So yesterday was 11 & hoping today is 12.

Happy Tuesday everyone.

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 13th NSD

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

Motoko_2

Good Afternoon,

I have 5 more NSD's to add on taking my total to 7 NSD

Not sure i'm going to make it again this month, but going for another 4 if nothing else!

Happy Tuesday everyone

fedupandskint

Ebay sales posted today using direct funds from buyers so can claim another NSD today making it to my 2nd target

NSD 20

Going for another target of 23 now please

cw18

No D/Debit today
No on-line shopping
And when I went out of the house (walk/jog 3.3 miles to gym, 40x25m lengths swim, 3.3 mile walk home) I didn't take my purse - so even if I'd been able to carry anything home (which I couldn't have easily, as my very basic swim kit only just fitted into the backpack for my water pouch as it was) I couldn't get tempted to spend

So that's NSD #14 for me :T

Trajal

I made it.

9-in-a-row

Takes a lot of planning but it's doable. I very nearly broke at the end and considered buying a beer from the trolley on the last train I caught but MSE forums browsing stopped me.

I'm now home, eating a meal from stores, drinking a beer :beer::beer: from the fridge, considering the fact that I have not actually reached into my wallet for anything other than train tickets in 10 days.

Can't believe how hard it was now and that I'm finally through it. Need to get my hair cut tomorrow, but that's all I'll do. Will keep the spends to a minimum, I've got nearly £250 in my account that normally I would have just wasted. Temptation is to treat my wife, but I'm going to just put it into savings instead.

Now, a few more NSD's and i'll hit my target - #13 for me today.


:grouphug:

EverTheOptimist

Blimey well done Trajal, that's good going. I've only just managed to nab number 8 in the month so far.

Declaring NSD #8 today

purple.sarah

NSD 7 today. I met up with friends and we looked round some shops but I managed to resist temptation.

mad_scientist

Well done trajal, that's a most impressive in-a-row total!

I am happy to declare that yesterday and today were NSDs #12 and 13 so I am very very very close to target for the month now!

Well done everyone for nabbing those NSD!