The "Just Keep Swimming" July NSD Thread

lilian1977

Hi - recording today (Thursday 4th) as NSD #2 as I have no cash or cards with me and dinner is already made!

Jelly_Biactol

For anyone optimistic enough to be planning a barbeque, there's a FREE ebook download, The Ultimate Barbie, from The Sorted Boys; download link below, and here's a sample recipe - enjoy


http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/static/sorted/index.html?CMP=email-ultimatebarbie

The Inside-Out Burger


Ingredients:
• Log of goat's cheese
• 1 clove of garlic
• Minced beef (800g)
• 2 dollops of caramelised onion chutney
• Tsp Dijon mustard
• Tsp salt
• Tsp black pepper
• 2 dollops of sundried tomato pesto
• 2 dollops of mayonnaise
• 4 ciabatta buns
• Small bag of rocket leaves

• CUT the goat's cheese into four thumb-sized chunks.
• PEEL and grate the garlic.
• COMBINE the beef with the garlic, onion chutney, mustard and salt and pepper.
• FORM into four heaps, and mould into burger shapes.
• POKE a hole in the centre of each burger and stuff in a piece of the cheese.
• SQUEEZE the meat over the top to seal the cheese in.
• PUT the burger on to the BBQ and cook on both sides until the outside is charred and the inside is cooked through. This will take about 15 minutes, depending on the temp of the coals.
• MIX the pesto and mayonnaise together.
• SLICE the ciabatta in half lengthways and put on to the BBQ to colour it a little.
• SMOTHER the bottom layer of the ciabatta with the pesto mayonnaise and top with the burger, rocket and the top of the ciabatta.

HeadAboveWater

mmmmmmm .....

EDIT:
Not a NSD today unfortunately.
Had a bit of a :eek: moment with OHs mum and dad at the weekend, which apparently they were a bit upset/none too pleased about. Seen them in town today and joined them for coffee, so at least we all know we're ok!

Seeing as I had already spent, got myself a new cleansing wash too!

purple.sarah

Tuesday and Wednesday were NSDs 2 and 3 for me.

MissE001

Only managed 1 NSD so far this week (on Tuesday). Off on holiday first thing tomorrow so I've been picking up bits and pieces all week. Not very MSE - this is the first time I've been away since starting my money saving journey though so I'll definitely be better next time!

And I'm going to take fellow NSDers advice and count next week as NSDs while I'm on holiday as I've topped up my euros card today with the spending money I've saved up

So NSD #1 /15....and no more updates until I get back next weekend :j :j

Have a great week everyone :dance:

marmiterulesok

#3 please for me today.

red rant away,if it helps!

beanie you'll get one soon,don't worry!

charleybear

Today has been a spend day but I didn't spend too much in fact it probably was out of the £5 I gave my partner to borrow.

Nargleblast

Beanie - come and join Aunty Nargle in the naughty corner, I haven't caught any NSDs yet either! I nearly got one today but remembered I had to get rolls for DS food supplies tomorrow - my baby boy is off to the continong on a school trip for a week, and muggins here is getting up at 4am to take him to school to catch the bus. An afternoon nap on the cards for moi, definitely!

(Well, Igor, that sneaky little NSD slipped our grasp today and will be miles away by now. Time to break out the foghorn and swampboots, the hunting nets and the ferret and chutney sandwiches, it's time to go hunting! Unleash the Narglehounds and away we gooooooo....!)

stripeyjumpergirl

Hello everybody! I managed to avoid the temptation of one of my favourite shops having a sale on and a can of fizzy pop from the vending machine at work to get NSD 2 today.

IF

Hiya all and welcome to July's NSD thread :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!