The Lets Make It Awesome April NSD Thread

beanielou

Great result trajal

MrsCautious

Third time of trying to post this from my phone so I'll cut the waffle and just say NSD #12 for me today. Target met, would like to try for 15 by 30th.

Phew, it worked. . . Didn't it?

The_Dragon

#19 nabbed and toasted today :rotfl:

MissE001

Trajal - well done :j I find it gets a bit addictive not spending money....and agree that browsing MSE on the train is a great incentive to keeping your pennies in your pocket!

Managed to get #17 / 20 today. I've now finished work for the next 2 weeks - well-earned rest (well apart from searching the house from top to bottom for lost keys . Oh, and possibly trying FB selling as well as e*b*y)

I'll need to spend tomorrow but not too much hopefully....counting down the days until payday is a good way to keep spending under control :rotfl::rotfl:

rogueylawyer

I nabbed a surprise NSD today as darling friend bought my hot drink at lunchtime, and wouldn't take the offered cash so that's NSD #8 2 more to hit my target for this month!

solventsoon

Evening everyone :wave:

Apologies for being AWOL for the past few days, I’ve been a busy Spoony polishing my halo again and racking up the NSDs:D....

Here’s tonight’s roundup and update.


Well done to:

beanie - woohoo to a brilliant NSD no 11:j:j and fingers crossed for no 12 today. You’re doing brilliantly as always:T

Cheryl - blimey, reading your post has made me exhausted..... 3.3 mile walk... 40x25m swim, walk home... I need a lie down now!:rotfl: Still, it’s bagged you NSD no 14 so that can’t be bad! :j:j Seriously, well done you!:T

Dragon - NSD no 19 nabbed and added to the charred pile, that’s brilliant. :j:j Keep going, I’m sure you can nab a few more:T

ETO - woohooo to a brilliant NSD no 8.:j:j You’re doing great with all the extra expense you’ve had this month:A Keep going!:T

fedup.... - wow, you’re on a roll with a brilliant 20 NSDs and your second target tumbling, :j:j:jthat’s fantastic. Stand by to get your second prize and good luck with your new target of 23 - you can do it!:T:T

Freeby - a fantastic 16 NSDs... leading by example as always! :j:j
Hope you had a fabby weekend (if you can remember it, that is;):rotfl:)

If - yay to a brilliant NSD no 12a,:j:j you’re well on the way to getting your sun from Freeby now.:T
Love today’s cartoon... boy is that true!!:rotfl:

mad_scientist - you’re on a roll with NSD nos 12 and 12a being captured, woohooo! :j:j You are indeed very close to your target.. just another two to get now, you can do it!:T

MissE001 - NSD no 17 nabbed and added to the total, that’s brilliant.:j:j Only three more to get now:T:T... come on, you can do it despite being on hols for the next two weeks...... Hope your lost keys turn up soon.:)

Motoko - woohoo to another 5 NSDs taking you to a fabby NSD no 7. :j:j
Every NSD is special so it really doesn’t matter whether you meet your target or not, you’ve achieved lots by managing to nab some of the pesky blighters!! Good luck with nabbing the next four, you can do it!:T

MrsCautious - it did indeed work.. third time lucky;).... and lucky with the NSDs today as well with no 12 nabbed and your target met, woohoooo!!! :j:j:j Freeby will award your prize tomorrow and good luck with your second target of 15... you can do it!:T

purple.sarah - that’s a brilliant NSD no 7 you bagged today, woohooo!!:j:j Well done for resisting all those tempting goodies today, you deserve a medal for that alone!:D:T

rogueylawyer - what a lovely friend you have, not having to spend on your lunchtime hot drink nabbed you NSD no 8, that’s fabby!!! :j:jFingers crossed for the remaining two... you can do it!:T

Trajal - wow.... NSD no 12a and a brilliant 9 in a row, that’s flippin’ fantastic, well done you!!:j:j:j:j I don’t think I could ever be organised enough to get 9 in a row, hats off to you! :T Great news about the extra money as well, that just illustrates how much money we all wasted in our pre-NSD days. Well done!!:T:T

I have no idea how many NSDs I’ve managed to nab now.. off to have a look, I may be some time:rotfl:.....

freebyfifty

Good Morning

The front page is all up to date. Thank you for a brilliant update spoon :A

Trajal - 9-in-a-row is amazing, really well done :j


Happy hump day everyone

freebyfifty

There are

57
of us taking part in the April NSD Challenge

and so far we have collected

489 NSDs

:T:T:T:T:T

IF

Morning all :hello:

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!