The Fab-u-lous February NSD challenge!!

Knit_Witch

Currently up to 17 and 6 in a row (for when the front page gets updated )

fedupandskint

Another one in the bag today. Tomorrow will be a spendy day as going out for the day, yeah!

NSD 20

kerri_gt

marmiterulesok wrote: »

Kerri,that is the pits


ps On a brighter note,Igor has offered to help...he'll be round with his bag of spanners ASAP.

Decamped to DM for most of today, cleared some stuff out of the loft for her in return for dinner and some hot water :rotfl: not too bad ATM, could dry some of the wash outside today and managing ok, at least it's not really cold.

I did wonder what had happened to the boiler when I got home, seems Igor might have had some issues putting it back together and now it looks like a regurgitated cybermam :eek:

Oh, and declaring nsd #14 one more to go to target. Wondering whether doing the air in my tyres counts as a spend tomorrow or not?

Saver-upper

kerri_gt wrote: »

Big hugs saver-upper

Aww,thank you,Kerri gt,much appreciated.

I think I am going to have to have a look at changing my definition of No Spend Days.I have had too many days recently where the only spend I have is for bread or milk(like today!).Now,despite having 4 small-ish children in the house,it seems silly to keep 160 litres of milk in the fridge and 5000 loaves of bread in the cupboards,when I can cross the road and buy one loaf and a 6pint bottle for £2,but sometimes that would be my only spend for the day.
Also,one day I am going to come a cropper by limping along in the car because petrol would be my only spend for the day,so I avoid buying it :eek:.
It is my guess that this month I would have gained another 4-5 NSD's if it weren't for bread,milk and petrol.

Does anyone else here "exclude" certain essentials like this?I think it would take a change in my mindset to start calling them NSD's when I have actually,physically spent money.
I just find it annoying.:(

cw18

Saver-upper wrote: »

Does anyone else here "exclude" certain essentials like this?I think it would take a change in my mindset to start calling them NSD's when I have actually,physically spent money.
I just find it annoying.:(

If the only things I buy are fresh milk (for DS1 who's unpredictable over how much he gets through in a day, so it's hard to know in advance when I need to get) and fresh fruit and veg then I still count it as an NSD.

I allow the fresh fruit and veg as I was trying to stock up once a week at most, and then throwing loads away because it went off. So by allowing myself to buy that 'as and when' it actually saves me money.

I don't allow bread because I have strong flour in the house needs using up - and twice this week I've put my bread maker on rather than lose an NSD just for a loaf, so it appears to be working

marmiterulesok

kerri_gt wrote: »

Decamped to DM for most of today, cleared some stuff out of the loft for her in return for dinner and some hot water :rotfl: not too bad ATM, could dry some of the wash outside today and managing ok, at least it's not really cold.

I did wonder what had happened to the boiler when I got home, seems Igor might have had some issues putting it back together and now it looks like a regurgitated cybermam :eek:

Oh, and declaring nsd #14 one more to go to target. Wondering whether doing the air in my tyres counts as a spend tomorrow or not?

That's great that you've got family nearby.


Igor has apologised for the remodeled boiler.He just wanted to express his creative side.
By way of apology,he's offering to make you lunch....

Saver-upper wrote: »

Aww,thank you,Kerri gt,much appreciated.

I think I am going to have to have a look at changing my definition of No Spend Days.I have had too many days recently where the only spend I have is for bread or milk(like today!).Now,despite having 4 small-ish children in the house,it seems silly to keep 160 litres of milk in the fridge and 5000 loaves of bread in the cupboards,when I can cross the road and buy one loaf and a 6pint bottle for £2,but sometimes that would be my only spend for the day.
Also,one day I am going to come a cropper by limping along in the car because petrol would be my only spend for the day,so I avoid buying it :eek:.
It is my guess that this month I would have gained another 4-5 NSD's if it weren't for bread,milk and petrol.

Does anyone else here "exclude" certain essentials like this?I think it would take a change in my mindset to start calling them NSD's when I have actually,physically spent money.
I just find it annoying.:(

The great thing about nsds is that you can make your own rules.You could say that bread,milk and petrol are essentials,and therefore don't count.


Some people would count an nsd as a day where you spent money but didn't go over budget.I have a budget for everything and for a while I followed this rule.After a while I stopped it though,as it meant that every day could be an nsd,and it didn't feel right.It totally up to you though.


My rules are that it's still an nsd if I:
-pay any bills including credit card payments
-go swimming (subscription)
-get any prescription drugs
-use public transport (travelcard)


I do live alone,which does help I must admit.


Maybe you should try it out and see how you feel.

Made_in_Cornwall

Up to8 NSDfor me! Wanted 10 for my first attempt at this so I have this week to do the last two :j
Well done everyone, some really big numbers on here! :T

kerri_gt

matmite do thank Igor for his offer of lunch but I'm not sure a dose of food poisoning is really what I need ATM....

saver upper adjust your rules so that they work for you, I don't count milk or petrol as these are essentials, I was sometimes using those as an excuse that I'd already spent and to spend more. I also don't count direct debits or boot camp as the dd are budgeted for, and I don't went a reason not to exercise lol.

They key to this challenge is to make us change our way about how, what and why we spend x x

marmiterulesok

kerri_gt wrote: »

matmite do thank Igor for his offer of lunch but I'm not sure a dose of food poisoning is really what I need ATM....

saver upper adjust your rules so that they work for you, I don't count milk or petrol as these are essentials, I was sometimes using those as an excuse that I'd already spent and to spend more. I also don't count direct debits or boot camp as the dd are budgeted for, and I don't went a reason not to exercise lol.

They key to this challenge is to make us change our way about how, what and why we spend x x

Oh kerri,don't say that!You'll hurt his feelings....His latest culinary triumph is toad-in-the-hole,using only the finest toads.


saver upper I concentrate on trying to limit personal spends along the lines of not frittering my money away,and concentrating on needs,not wants.

MissE001

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 [Weds mornings] in the cracked teapot & Ben's £1 coin for the gym locker [Friday lunch] 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!