Jump into January NSD Challenge

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 & nargle 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!

Giggles86

I'm a bit late but want to declare NSD #1 for Saturday today would have been one too but first day back at work so had to pay bus fare to get there this morning then pay for my monthly pass on my way home tonight (it's not open early enough in a morning!)

Knit_Witch

and another today! so #6 and 6 in a row

Parsimonia

Number THREE for me!!!

Delilahh

Got my first one today, so


NSD #1


Will have to look at what counts as a spend day or not. Once a week a group of us from work go out for lunch, if I've budgeted for that already, does that count?

jammy_dodger

Delilahh wrote: »

Got my first one today, so


NSD #1


Will have to look at what counts as a spend day or not. Once a week a group of us from work go out for lunch, if I've budgeted for that already, does that count?

hi Delilahh i see folks usually decide their own "rules" so to speak for claiming NSD's but most usually put aside budgets for x y z and so when using the allocated budget it doesnt count as a spendy day

i have prebudgeted for petrol and as long as i stay within that budget for the month its not a spend day when i fill up
hth

JD xx

Saver-upper

Here we go,here we go,here we go..........

NSD #6.:j:j:j

Eldest daughter was back at school(secondary) today,my youngest went to a friend's place for the afternoon.(Should I be concerned that my 4yo has a better social life than me? ).
I tried to get ontop of the clutter in my kitchen.Just about had it there,then went out to collect daughter (the eldest one from school-not the 4yo from her social event),then it was time to start organising tea,go to SW(4.5lb loss this week:j),and my kitchen looks pretty much like it did this morning :eek:.
However,tomorrow things are gonna change around here:OH will be at work,4 children will be at school,the house will be mine;it will be ordered,cleaned,some decluttering will be going on,lots of tidying.Order shall be restored.Then I'm going to enjoy the serenity for all of,oooh,I guess about 2 minutes before the hordes descend,and it starts again.(Actually it doesn't start again:the place just declines throughout the week because I am back to work on Wednesday :eek:).

BigMummaF

No6 yesterday... I love having store cupboards to shop from, weather like this Thankfully the forecast is for a dry spell this morning, so will endeavour to collect the fresh stuff (ate my last pear yesterday so there's none to have for brekkie today ) before it changes its mind again

lovefullshelves

Spendy day yesterday as we had an asda delivery!
But today is NSD #5 as I'm stuck here as OH is working:)

FinanciallyUnsavvy

Hello! :wave:

NSD number 4 for me on Sunday - ah, the joy of pyjama days!

Yesterday was a bit spendy as I met a friend after work for tea (though tea and a drink for under a fiver - thank you Wetherspoons!) and ended up in the shopping centre for an hour since I missed my bus. I did however not touch anything in my bank account - only spent some change I had in my purse from Christmas money. So somewhat of a success!

I doubt today will be a no spender either since I need to nip to the shop after work and stock up on bread and milk since the cupboards are getting a bit bare!