The Fantastically Festive December NSD Challenge

Knit_Witch

Claiming numbers 2 and 3 (and 3 in a row!)

My in a row target hasn't been added to the opening posts though

slowlyfading

NSD 2 for me today

LeopardPrintsAndTea

NSD number 1 !

Didn't want to spend anything as I've got through a lot of money in 3 days of being paid.

flubberyzing

Evening all,


Just popping in to declare NSD 1!


Very little else to report really! Started new job yesterday... So keeping busy! No time to spend when I don't see daylight from one day to the next!


Seriously, I have no reason to open the blinds at all this week. It's dark when I leave for work, it's dark when I come home again! At least it keeps some heat in and saves me the job of opening them! Might as well just leave them shut. I hate this time of year for that. Especially as it'll be like this until at least the end of February, when I start to notice the nights just starting to open up a bit...


It just makes it all the more important to make sure I get out in the fresh air as much as I can on the weekends!

fedupandskint

NSD 3 for me today

Kate_fixing_it

NSD 2!

Probably my last one until the weekend as I'm out and about tomorrow and it's prize giving at school on Thursday and I need to get some bits and pieces for Friday when I'm off to London but 2 is a great start and I probably won't be able to move all weekend so might be able to grab a couple more

Kate x

CommitedToChange

Put me down for my First NSD please - it was actually yesterday, I spent a fortune today with my monthly shop and pressie buying :eek:

I'll have another NSD tomorrow to help me recover :rotfl:

MissE001

Front page all updated with our progress and in-a-rows. Thanks ETO and sazzie

Just a wee reminder that the 3 of us are trying to keep on top of this so please bear with us. My admiration for our wonderful freeby knows no bounds - I don't know how she managed to keep us all on track and up to date....and still have a life :rotfl::rotfl:

MissE001

This month

32

of us have signed up for this month's challenge and so far we've collected

34 NSDs

MissE001

Hi lovely NSD gang:A
As you can see there is lots of activity on this challenge at the moment and it can be difficult sometimes to see how many NSDs you're all declaring on posts.
Could we ask you to highlight your number of NSDs in a colour and in bold so that we can see them easily when we whizz through the posts - red would be best but we don't really mind as long as we 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!