The Awesome Amazing August NSD Challenge

bottleofred

Good Morning Folks,

I tried to post last night, but am still having problems with the site! I am declaring NSD14 for yesterday
Today definitely won't be an NSD as I have already spent by getting some eggs for cinammon biscuits I made this morning!
I hope everyone has a good day. Donkey training for me later:)

Candlewick

Freeby, thanks for updating.

I'm staying in to dye my hair today. Was going to leave it another week but the grey roots seem to have multiplied overnight.

Cooking later for a couple of meals in the week so am declaring today 13.

Have a good day.

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!

IF

Morning all :hello:

kerri_gt

beanielou wrote: »

:eek: What next??

Cheapest place to buy oven gloves?
No Wikco's ect here.

Well OH tried the downstairs light again today, and it was still buzzing, so unscrewed the fitting and got a deluge of water - so that's now hanging off the ceiling drying - oh and the builder hasn't turned up again to finish the bricks - but since we saw him in the pub last night, I'm not wholey surprised.

On the other hand, at least the sun is shining.

Oven gloves are flipping expensive aren't they. Have you got a TK Maxx near you? I got some nice jamie O ones in there a while back - still £3.99 each mind you.

Do you have a B&M nearby, they sometimes have them, and Primark used to although I haven't seen any in there for ages. I'm fussy about oven gloves, like the separate hand ones rather than the double one a lot of places do. Oh, and Asda / Tacto often have them in larger stores too.

MissE001

beanielou wrote: »

Cheapest place to buy oven gloves?
No Wikco's ect here.

I agree with kerri - TK M*xx usually have a good selection for under a fiver. It's so expensive isn't it? My DD is taking a year off before she starts uni next year - I'm really proud of her deciding to work for a year to have some savings behind her. Hoping she's going to commute rather than move out though - or I'll be copying beanie and turning into a mad cat lady :rotfl:

Anyway, enough prattling, yesterday was # 15 :j

Freeby - now can I increase to 17?

beanielou

Lurkerderp wrote: »

Friday gave me NSD 11 (as well as my second 3-in-a-row this month :j) and Sunday brings me to my target which is 12 NSDs.

There is something I have been struggling with - I was wondering if anyone has any advice to share.

I recently had to give up work due to ill health, so obviously now my income has dropped sticking to a budget is more important than ever. However, I'm also anxious to keep myself motivated to get out and about. Lately I seem to have fallen in to the pattern of NSD = not leaving the house that day, which isn't a habit I want to get in to.

Any suggestions/advice gratefully received.

Thanks!

As I have no ideas on your health issues I am not sure what to advise?
My thoughts are

A wee spot of voluntary work in something that interests you
A reading group
GP referral at gym
Yoga
If you let us know your interests might be able to come up with more.

fedupandskint

NSD 26 here - catching up on tidying the garden up and also a MSE bonus of reducing the mobile bill by £11 per month

beanielou

Not one today~bought some studenty stuff

marmiterulesok

beanielou wrote: »

As I have no ideas on your health issues I am not sure what to advise?
My thoughts are

A wee spot of voluntary work in something that interests you
A reading group
GP referral at gym
Yoga
If you let us know your interests might be able to come up with more.

Some good ideas beanie.

If you're planning a little outing,even just a wee wander,take a packed lunch/snacks/drinks/thermos.Do you have a car or use public transport?

A spend day here for me.