The Awesome Amazing August NSD Challenge

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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!

lovefullshelves

Yesterday was NSD # 12 and today was NSD #13 only money in baggies has passed my sticky fingers! (apple and raspberry leather sticky:))

beanielou

So 18 today.
Was at gym but don't count that as it comes out of my health pot as it is a GP referral scheme.

Knit_Witch

Ooops didn't check in yesterday but with that and today I am now at 20 NSDs (better increase to 25 please Freeby!)

ModestyB

[QUOTE=rising_from_the_ashes;62916707]Modesty ouch that sounds painful!

I used to fish loads when I was wee - my grandad was brilliant & made his own rods / flies etc

I've been thinking about it recently as I've seen a few rods at reaonable prices (Al*di or Li*dl can't remember which had fishing stuff not that long ago & also been to Go*outdoors!) BUT not sure about going on my own ..... (don't know anyone else who fishes!)


Must be why I can't bake then "chuck em" things work really well BUT sometimes it's frustrating if something's been really good & you can't remember quite what went in it



Ohhhhh *sigh* that sounds absolutely wonderful



Well errrrr finally struggled to No 3 yesterday

Really must sit down and have a think about Sept budgets and get a bit more organised (I can't believe I'm struggling to get to 5!:eek:)

It's nearly wiggle day ....:D[/QUOTE]

Hi Rising, it's good to see you back. Hope you're feeling better now and Maisie and cat(s) are well.

I wish we lived near so we could go fishing with you. I wouldn't recommend going alone. DH makes his own floats and tackle. He's very MSE that way.

How about advertising for a fishing partner? You might 'strike' lucky.

Today was nearly an nsd but DH needed to go shopping.

MissE001

Checking in earlier tonight with NSD # 14 / 15. I've been working mad hours this week and avoiding the tempation of the chocolate machine....oh, and it's another 8 days till payday which also helps with the not spending-ness! So I've inadvertently managed 4-in-a-row :T

Freeby - can I be brave and increase my target to 17 please?

Looking forward to tomorrow's wiggles :j

Lurkerderp

Yesterday and today make 9 and 10 for me. Was supposed to go out for dinner but it got cancelled - freezer mystery meal instead!

Sazzie23

Morning, Its FRIDAY :j:j

freebyfifty wrote: »

Good Morning


Sazzie - You can't say "despite something shocking happening" and then leave us all hanging :mad: :rotfl:

I managed to grab NSD #19 yesterday and hit my first target :j:j I am going for 24 next.

Have a great Friday Eve everyone

Well done Freeby & thanks for keeping us updated,
sorry I got distracted by the 'how many in a row' question and never went back to my little story.

I'm glad I wrote it down though, as it seems a little unreal and I might think I dreamt it. So I was walking back to the car, I can get the free bus but I prefer to walk, its a busy road, someone pulled into the bus stop, wound the window down and asked me 'is there a hospital nearby?' - yes I said, there's 2 which one are you looking for - 'the nearest one, I think I'm having a heart attack':eek::eek::eek:

So I told him to stop the car, and despite him protesting I rang for a ambulance which duly came, put him in the back & whisked him away. :shocked:

I feel a bit bad because he was not local and worried about his car but the amb crew wouldn't let me drive it to the hospital for him (not far away) and its still there - now with a ticket on :mad:. I hope he's ok.

Oh well back to my reality, NSD 18 for yesterday please.

Have a good day everyone

freebyfifty

There are

49

of us taking part in the August NSD Challenge

and so far we have collected

374 NSDs

:T:T:T:T:T

freebyfifty

Good Morning

NSD #20 in the cauldron for me yesterday. :j I know today won't be one because I have to go to work leaving lunch thingy today I must be turning into a real miser because I was trying to think of all sorts of excuses not to go In the end I have decided not to be so rude but only have a starter as my main meal - the rest are all going for beginnings, middles and ends :eek: Which tbh I couldn't eat anyway or I'd be asleep over my desk at 2.30pm :rotfl:


MissE - No. I am not increasing your target to 17
I will once you have got 15 and your first prize:T:T then when you get to 17 you'll get another prize :T:T:T I am very bossy but have your best interest at heart


Have a superduper Friday everyone