The "Just Keep Swimming" July NSD Thread

IF

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

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!

IF

Morning all :hello:

Declaring my 12th NSD

Thank you freeby, spoon and Sazzie
IF

fedupandskint

A low spend day yesterday on one coffee and one half price kettle to replace my old one that has broken

Back on track today with NSD 18

bottleofred

Good morning folks from a rather cloudy NI:eek:,

I hope everyone is well and enjoying the weekend so far:). I have been off all week and return to work tomorrow, but at least that will get me into some kind of routine again:). I managed NSD8 yesterday and will hopefully grab NSD9 today, but will declare later.
I have just been out for my walk and am going to go for a shower now as I am a little sweaty:eek:

kerri_gt

Afternoon all, well yesterday was deff not a NSD - big group of us went to the football up in the big smoke, which involved a few too many beers, plus train (although we did save with groupsaver tickets) and taxi home about 1.30am :eek: so a very long day and a sore head this [STRIKE]morning[/STRIKE] afternoon

Glad its a bit cooler these past couple of days (esp yesterday) but not so keen on the idea it's going to rain this week, bang goes putting the washing out to dry.

Hoping for a NSD today, in fact i'm boracic lint until until pay day

mismatch

Well doggies need to eat so today is spendy on a happier note staff discount gets me 20% off and I have coupons for another 10% off and 50p off so the £30 bag will be about £18. And since I'm already spending I'm grabbing my needed hair dye (roots before savings, sorry!!) and almond butter (gf diet for hubby )
I return to work tomorrow so I'll be wishing for home time and returning home at speed from the horror of returning :mad: should bank in day 11 with a bit of luck

bottleofred

Hi folks,

Am declaring NSD9 for today, as I just sold something on fleabay:).
I doubt very much that I will spend anything, but am covered if I do:)

marmiterulesok

I'm very pleased after four spendy days to declare today as #13.

beanielou

No 12 today.
Did buy an ice cream from the van from the change pot~twas nice.
Another lovely day.
Sat in garden reading the latest book about Bob the cat

Happy Sunday all.

slowlyfading

Yesterday was NSD 11 and today is NSD 12