May the NSD Force Be With You - May NSD Challenge

IF

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!

fedupandskint

Another NSD for me today making it NSD 25

Nargleblast

Oops! Amidst my insane ramblings yesterday I forgot to claim NSD number 16. And today is also a NSD which means (fanfare, parade of cancanning wildebeests and chickens doing the Zumba...) I now have 17 out of 17 NSDs!!!!!

So, a space on the mantelpiece in the Great Hall of Chateau Nargle has been cleared for my prize.

Might still get one or two more NSDs before the end of the month but am not making assumptions or setting new targets, so any more will be a bonus. I feel quite chuffed having clocked up more than half the month in NSDs, must be getting good at this game!

lottie3000

Bagger another yesterday, yay up to 7

hanb

So I've been planning ready for June as promised

This is my practise week! I've been and done a big shop today and I'm going to aim for 3NSD's this week. I know I need to spend on Tuesday and Wednesday but i'm going to try and let that be all!

I'm not counting my bills that I have to pay, smokes or petrol (I have to have it for work!) but that's it.

I'll see how this week goes and start thinking about an optimistic but realistic target for June

You all have to promise not to shout at me if I'm usless Enjoy the rest of your BH all x

bottleofred

Good Afternoon folks:),

I hope you are all well and enjoying any Bank Holiday sunshine that you managed to find, as it's raining in NI for a change:p. Thank you for the Birthday wishes and I have had a red wine fuelled weekend and enjoyed every drop:D

kerri_gt

Sarah147 wrote: »

Food shopping today, spent £17 and shouldn't need to spend anything else all week, all healthy stuff too, am starting a detox! Eek. Caffiene withdrawal and headaches here I come...

That is exactly the reason I do not detox :rotfl: Only time I can go without caffeine and it doesn't affect me is when I'm ill.

Well, we finally made a decision on the paint choice this weekend, sticking with the same colour / finish but managed to find a diff period type paint that wasn't as epxensive as what we were looking at. Plus HB had 15% off today. Had to go to two stores to get the amount I needed, but did pick up a tin of the eggshell version which I'll need when I do the windows later in the summer. Just need the decorator to say when we can come and do it now, then it will be up to me to do the other rooms. Was seriously tempted to head over to Primarni while I was out getting the paint as I was half way there and there is a dress in there which I liked, but was put off by the idea of leaving £100+ of paint in my boot - would've been just my luck for the car to be broken into.

Soooooo...came home and attacked the garden instead, bit windy up the ladder with the hedge trimmer but managed to stay on got stung with a manky nettle I didn't notice, literally poked myself the eye with a sharp stick and thinking I might have to do something drastic with the elder tree at the side of the house this autumn, can keep the lower branches under control but it's up to the eves now (although it's in a raised wall about 3ft up from the ground) I do love it though, makes me think of HP - and the elder wand (plus elder trees are supposed to be very mythical). Wisteria looks like it might flower on the neighbours side of the fence again :mad: but at least it will still smell nice - I love that smell in the garden.

AND that also means I've clocked up NSD #18 :j which is one off my best ever tally of 19 that I managed in October three years ago! (and I think I managed that as i was away on business at the time)

Nargleblast

Hanb - good luck with your "practice" week. We don't shout at anyone who doesn't manage to catch NSDs - but the penalties for saying the F word (as in "f a i l") are very severe - in the past they have included a going over with a soggy paintbrush, a severe thrashing with a mouldy kipper (straight out of CW18's freezer, which, I have to warn you, is the size of Wembley Stadium) and now....an encounter with the dreaded Jaws. You do not want to go there. Every NSD grabbed is a good 'un and adds to the magic total in the Cauldron of Doom.

mad_scientist

Evening everyone,

I have 2 more NSDs to report, one from last week and one today which means I am at 15 NSD and have got to my target! :j:j:j

I had a spendy weekend out and about but the return to normal grey weather today meant I stayed in and didn't spend anything

I won't set a new target for the rest of the month but I am hoping to nab another couple for May

EverTheOptimist

NSD # 15 today. Yay me again.

That's my best ever total. It has definitely helped having baby ETO around as 1. The length of time it takes to get us both ready And 2. The constant feeding and changing means I haven't made it out very often. Also I bought a lot of stuff prior to Henry's arrival, such as toiletries, make up, nappies etc etc. so can't think of much that I need other than food, not even spending much on petrol. I'm sure as Henry grows and we get out more then my NSD's will decrease. But then I guess I will be planning my trips much more as I don't want to go out daily or at least not spend daily.

Hope everyone has had a fab bank holiday weekend.