The "Just Keep Swimming" July NSD Thread

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!

Nargleblast

That reminds me....where is BigMumma?

Hope all things are ok with her.

marmiterulesok

Happy Anniversary ModestyB!

muffin_man_7

Hi all, i've been really missing this thread it was just not possibe to keep posting from my phone however as i have a shiny new netbook thanks to my eldest daughter i would like to come back if thats ok i need to keep a check on my spending more than ever as i have a new grandson He was born on 13th june emerg c section both mum and baby fine he shares his birthday with his uncle who was 23 that day i am babysitting at this minute he is fast asleep

might take me a while to get the hang of this again so apologies in advance if i make any mistakes

beanielou

Oh good to see you again Muffin Man~:wave:
Congratulations on being a granny again
Take care & keep posting.

solventsoon

Hi everyone :wave:

Front page posts updated again


1st Target Met 2nd Target Met 3rd Target Met

Target Exceeded



The July Challengers

beach-holiday - 10/

beanie - 14/

busybumblebee - 12/

Cally98 - 8/

Candlewick - 14/

cardi80 - 10/

debtfree future - 15

ETO - 12/

fedup - 20/

getting-there - 12/

HeadAbove - 14/

Helyonnaise - 15/

heyjude2013 - 14

hummingbird - 5/

IF - 17/

Jelly - 15/

kirstybean - 9/

Knit Witch - 10

lilian1977 - 14/

Lizzie Bennet - 15/

Lurkerdep - 7/

marmite - 18/

mismatch - 15/

ModestyB - 10

Motoko - 12/

Nargle - 15/

purplesarah - 20/

Sazzie - 23/

slowly - 17/

Sparkles87 - 20/

spoon - 15/

stripeyjumper - 10

zenshi - 20/



The In-a-Row-ers

busybumblebee - 3

Candlewick - 4

heyjude2013 - 4

Jelly - 3

Knit Witch - 3

lilian1977 - 3

Lizzie Bennet - 3

marmite - 4

purple.sarah - 7

Sazzie - 5

zenshi - 4

jaxsmar

Please put me down for 12 NSD with 4 in a row I have a lot of birthday's this month starting from the 1st my brother's, my big 50th :eek: and twin sisters! and friends 60th

bottleofred

Good Morning,

Can I please go for 14NSDs this month and 3 in a row?
Thanks again to everyone who organises and updates the thread:T

kathy40uk

:hello:

Hi all NSD gang

I so need to sign up for this

It will be quite a pricey month as I am going away (which I saved for and just need a bit of spendy cash but not a lot) and also my MOT and service :eek: and a birthday, I have had a pre MOT check and been told what roughly it will cost (a large amount but I just need it to see me through another year really) but I have got the cash.........somehow LOL. The birthday is the Friday I'm away so I can tie getting my friend lunch with MOT day so can try to do it all in one I really need to see about getting cats' jabs done too so all in all a pricey month:eek:

I have looked at days I could have NSDs and left myself a bit of leeway so I would like to try for 12 for July please.

:hello:

MissE001

Hi all and thanks for the new thread

Spoon, thanks for the fab job you're doing keeping us all up to date while freeby is sunning herself :cool2:

I've decided to go for 15 again this month - I'll review when I get back from my hols if necessary