May the NSD Force Be With You - May NSD Challenge

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 posting the welcome message.... we've got a new picture as well, I've only just noticed that

Sazzie23

Well spotted spoony, would have probably take me til next month....

Another NSD - and I still haven't totted up last week ..grrr

Up late again tonight, forgot I had some more to finish in the on-line course I'm doing, but have also completed the next task so ahead of the game for a couple of days :-)

For anyone struggling with NSD, remember tomorrow is a new day .... (notice late & forgot seem to feature in this post...need to get my secretary up to speed, lol)

freebyfifty

Good Morning

Thank you for the update spoony - short but sweet

Sazzie - I make you up to NSD #6 I could be wrong though

I manged to bag NSD #8 yesterday and I have 7-in-a-row Looking for lots more though.


Have a great Friday everyone :j

freebyfifty

There are

51

of us taking part in the May NSD Challenge

and so far we have captured

143 NSDs

:T:T:T:T:T

freebyfifty

It's Friday.............

everybody wiggle







well...............maybe that's a bit fast :rotfl:

getting-there-slowly

My ancient staffie has got the Friday wiggles or maybe that should wriggles in her case:D trying to check bank account but she wants to sit in lap. 19kg is heavy for a lap dog:rotfl:

NSD 5 occurred yesterday - didnt think about until I went to my daily pocket money cash box

longbowgilly

NSD May 2/10 :j:j


I don't think I will get through the weekend without spending, we always do some shopping over the weekend anyway but we will probably treat ourselves to a coffee while we are out, I am hoping to keep the impulsive spends (coffee, take-away etc) to a minimum!

SpyderBryte_2

I have nothing to report. Not really. Except I've noticed that on a morning when I wake up, if i look at myself int he mirror and repeat "Today, I will not spend" and on those days, I'm more successful (in the last 10 days, I've done it 7 times inc. this morning. 6 have been NSD's, hoping for 7th today.) So maybe mentally preping myself is helping?

Tim did give me some news this morning. We had a bit of a panic. £100 went out of the joint account and neither of us could remember why... Cause neither of us remembered we had to write a cheque for the wedding cars instead of the credit card. Crisis averted and paid off (We save then pay for things, card just adds security) and Tim decided to do some working out.

We got engaged last April, so just over a year, to get married in September coming. In that time, we have so far between us saved £2000. Keep in mind that I work in an office and take home just over £900 a month, but my bills leave me with £30 a month for myself/saving, and he works in a Tesco where his base wage is £600, then he does a tonne of over time to make up to the same wages as me. So, he told me and I was sitting there thinging "Well, thats all good but its more saving you've done than me" and actually sulking a bit. Then he turns around and says "Oh, sorry, I miscalculated. We've actaully saved closer to £5000. I forgot to includ the house deposit."

So, with that knowledge, I feel quite happy today! Huzzah! I'm also quite impressed we've saved that in a year. Even if £2k was from a bond we took out ages ago. Still quite impressed with us. More so because I got into work to hear discussions of people who are 5-10 years older than us moaning about how they cant afford a deposit. Irritating, because I know they're higher wage than me (different job role, different wages etc.) but also made me feel smug.

Anyway, no more waffle. Aiming for 7th NSD today.

beanielou

Yesterday wcas no 8.
Happy Friday all.
Snoopy's wiggle is very fast :eek: :rotfl:

HeadAboveWater

Snoopy is very fast....

Thanks spoon

Bit of a selfish streak in me showed in me yesterday when I was considering the mobile stuffs I pay for 5gb MiFi for the house, but I rarely get to use it coz the girls are always watching videos/clips etc. So part of me was thinking I should just cancel it and up my data on my own mobile instead! That'd teach them!! :rotfl:

But then figured that's not fair!! I've moved in with OH and his girls and it's not like they tell me I'm not allowed to use stuff (difference being if I was using their stuff I'd still leave some for them - if you get me!!)

Anyway. Will get that all sorted this weekend hopefully. The only part I'm dreading is phoning 3 :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Happy Friday all :D:D

Maybe be back later with a NSD....

EDIT:
Spent....

(but the cappucino and carrot cake were just be-a-oooo-tiful so worth every penny )