May the NSD Force Be With You - May NSD Challenge

kerri_gt

hanb wrote: »

Evening all,

Long time lurker here :wave:

I've been a bit bad with the finances the past few months and have been on lots of different topics for inspiration. You guys are definitely inspiring

I was wondering if you might let me come and play next month? I'm going to play along for the rest of May but seeing as we're half way through i'm a bit behind.

Little spends during my working day are my weakness - well the starbucks nextdoor is my weakness it just so happens they make me pay for my coffee too! so to clock up some NSD's would really do my bank balance the world of good!

Of course you're welcome to join us - the more the merrier. We're a little quiet here this weekend, either peeps being busy enjoying the good weather or avoiding the bad I think. We'll have a new thread for June but feel free to set yourself a target for the rest of May if you'd like to or just hang about and chat

beanielou

Welcome to our lovely thread hanb.

Sazzie23

:j
Evening - a Happy Sunday update for all us NSD’ers, another short one though

Welcome to Hanb - come on in, we really are a fun bunch & I've learnt loads since joining here

Beanielou – so glad yourcar is back, hope its fixed Ok – gather weather not so kind with you, but what is‘dreich’? Warming up though withfabulous NSD 15 :j:j

CharleyBear keeping coolbut racking up excellent NSD 8:j:j

Fedup looking at yoursignature you are hitting many of your challenge targets and reaching an exceptional NSD 18 out of a possible 19 – inspirational :j:j

Kerri – Sounds like a fabweekend & you still managed to nab terrific NSD 12 :j:j

Marmite – Your weeksounds pretty good too, an extra 2 toreach that excellent NSD 8 – good planning andyou’ll be hitting that target, (thanks for your updates to ):j:j

Sazzie (that’s me) somespends this weekend, mainly in budget adding up to a lucky NSD 13 :j

And hello to

Spoony – hope you enjoyed that spendy weekend – & thanksfor the updates - but the NSD bus is coming round again…:eek:

If – for the fantastic cartoons, (how do you find them all?)and the reminders – :cool:

Cheryl thanking you for for the mid week updates, like the way yoursignature gives a yearly NSD target:cool:

And finally ….

Immense thanks as always to Freeby :Afor keeping us in line(& the faabby pic made me laugh too), good luck with your new target

IF

freebyfifty wrote: »

I don't want to steal If's job, but this made me really really laugh today

Your not at all freeby, it was funny :T:T

Sazzie23 wrote: »

:j

If – for the fantastic cartoons, (how do you find them all?)and the reminders – :cool:

I'm pleased you like them Sazzie, I just g00gle them, so can't take all the credit tbh :beer:

solventsoon

hanb wrote: »

Evening all,

Long time lurker here :wave:

I've been a bit bad with the finances the past few months and have been on lots of different topics for inspiration. You guys are definitely inspiring

I was wondering if you might let me come and play next month? I'm going to play along for the rest of May but seeing as we're half way through i'm a bit behind.

Little spends during my working day are my weakness - well the starbucks nextdoor is my weakness it just so happens they make me pay for my coffee too! so to clock up some NSD's would really do my bank balance the world of good!

Hi hanb and welcome out of lurkdom :wave:

Inspiring... us.. you're too kind :o:D

Of course you can come and play next month, you'll be very welcome... but you could join in for the rest of May as well if you'd like to as well, or just pop in for a chat now and then

Look forward to seeing you around and good luck with nabbing those NSDs:)

spoon x

Sazzie23 wrote: »

:j
Evening - a Happy Sunday update for all us NSD’ers, another short one though

Short but sweet and definitely fabby, Sazzie (oooh, that rhymes:D). Thank you :A

Sazzie23 wrote: »

Spoony – hope you enjoyed that spendy weekend – & thanksfor the updates - but the NSD bus is coming round again…:eek:

Well I used to enjoy spending, now I just feel guilty :o Luckily I'll be back on the NSD wagon as from tomorrow

purple.sarah

Sunday was NSD 11, 7 in a row.
Monday will be a spend day though because I'm meeting my mum for lunch and charity shopping. I'm also buying my best friend a birthday present but I'm saving money on that by using Paypal vouchers from Swagbucks. I am on track to meet my target this month. I have definitely caught the NSD bug, not spending gives me the feeling of satisfaction that spending used to.

freebyfifty

Good Morning

Hope everyone is raring to go for the start of another week. Energy levels refreshed? Brain relaxed and ready to start working again? no????............................me neither. Why are the weekends so bleedin' short?


Sazzie- I have no idea at the moment what we need to do to beat April's targets but I do know we are way behind Everyone here is doing a great job but it is the folks who join up at the beginning of the month and then don't come back who make it difficult to reach the target

Hanb - Please come and join us, we'd love to have you along Set yourself a target for the rest of May and your good to go :T Be warned though, NSDing is very addictive :eek:


Have a fantastic Monday everyone, remember if there wasn't a Monday we'd never get to Friday

freebyfifty

There are

52

of us taking part in the NSD Challenge

and so far we have collected

304 NSDs

:T:T:T:T:T

SpyderBryte_2

I LIIIIIVE!!!

So, a S****y weekend. Got home from work on friday and polished off the last of my xmas bonus from work (Some very nice wine, finished the last bottle of it. *coughplushalfthepreviousbottlecough*) then went to bed rather happy for claiming NSD #11!

Saturday, woke up with a banging headache - I know, my own fault, but I dont mind. Tim and Me then had a bit of an argument cause he left the downstairs window open all night and the kitchen side was soaked with rain from the night. So off we goes to Costco, and spent lots and lots of pennies. But we're stocked up for most of the next 4 and a half weeks, just have to buy fresh things occasionally. Went round to see mum n dad, then homeward. Go in, and he still hadnt shut the kitchen window. So another argument. I dont mind having them open. IF WE'RE IN!! If we're out and the window's open, its just an oppertunity for the little idiots who live not far from us, you know? But yeah. We just didnt talk to each other for ages.

Fastwardward to Sunday, NSD #12!! Still wasn't speaking to him, but then he phoned me up and we had a chat whilst he was on his break, and he brought me some Haribo from work. (They give them out in his canteen. He doesnt eat them so he gives them to me if he picks some up). All going well, then I had a call from mum to say mu uncle had been rushed back into hospital because he was bleeding again and being violently sick. My uncle is recovering for cancer, and where they cut him open to remove the cancer is healing very poorly. Still waiting on updates though.


So amid everything, I dont feel much like eating today so I suspect another NSD for today since I wont be buying lunch.

IF

Hiya all :hello:
Could we please 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!