The Marvellous March NSD challenge!!

MissE001

Welcome to the March No Spend Day (NSD) challenge!!

We are a happy (and some might say mildly insane) bunch doing battle with those retailers - and there’s plenty of temptation out there at the moment. We are seriously committed to saving money, but nobody said it can't be done with a smile on your face - so we organise riotous nights out and gatecrash any function going - all without leaving the comfort of our own imaginations or armchairs!

On a slightly more serious note, we are here to help each other avoid spending for the number of days we feel we can manage to try to take back some control over our hard-earned money. What you class as a "spend'" is entirely your choice; some people will try to shop on the days DD/SO etc are paid, whilst others will not include essentials such as rent. Have a look for a post from our sponsor (and godmother of this challenge) BigMummaF, this contains some guidelines and ideas for starting you off on the challenge.

It’s amazing how inventive you get when you’re determined NOT to spend - from weird menu ingredients to surprising DIY solutions - but you know what? 99% of the time those wacky ideas work.


Link to last month's challenge is below so any newcomers can see what we get up to (hmmmmm... on second thoughts, that might put you off...)

Fab-u-lous February NSD Challenge

If you haven’t already, join the forum to join the challenge. If you aren’t sure how it all works, read our New to Forum? Intro Guide.

MissE001

March's challengers - better late than never :

Addicted2shopping – 15 / 2
Angelicious – 15 / 4
Araminta – 16 / 6
Blubella – 16 / 4
Butti – 10 / 2
Cardi80 – 15 / 2
Cw18 – 15 / 5
Debtreducer – 10 / 1
Delilahh – 18 / 1
Donnadynamo – 16 / 2
Elfy1807 – 12 / 4
EverTheOptimist – 15 / 3
Fedupandskint – 25 / 7
Focus888 – 18 / 3
Flubberyzing – 16 / 4
Frugaldubs – 10 /
Giggles86 – 15 / 1
Goldiegirl – 16 / 3
In_Debt_Bet – 10 /
IrishRose12 – 15 / 4
Jaxsmar – 15 /
Kate_Fixing_it – 20 / 4
Kerri gt – 17 / 4
KnitWitch – 20 / 6
LeopardPrintsAndTea – 20 / 4
LionessInWinter – 10 /
Lovefullshelves – 20 / 4
Marmiterulesok – 19 / 5
MissE001 – 20 / 5
Misselvis – 10 / 2
Nargleblast – 15 / 3
Parsimonia – 14 / 5
Patentgirl – 15 /
Pippin12 – 10 / 4
Saver-upper – 12 / 5
Slowlyfading – 20 / 4
Tatabubbly – 10 / 3

MissE001

The in-a-row challengers:

This is for anyone who wants to set a target for a number of NSDs in a row....just shout up if you want us to add you here.

Any volunteers to help Sazzie update this section??

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!

cw18

Please sign me up for 15 NSDs again

Going to try and make it to 18 though, as that will get me back on target for 15 a month for the year to date (due to shortfall in January)

Knit_Witch

Trying for 20 again please!!

Oh and 5 in a row

EverTheOptimist

Morning everyone. And thanks for the new thread MissE001.

I'm going to stick with 15 again please. I really am down to my last few pennies of maternity pay.

Hope everyone's well.

addicted2shopping

Hi,

Can I join in again please?

15 for me!

Thanks.

araminta

Hi everyone

I am going to try for 16 in March please, thankyou.

lovefullshelves

Please can I have 20 NSD and 3 in a row.
Alot of birthdays this month but if I'm careful I can 'spend' it all at once!
Really appreciate your effort and time by the way xx

marmiterulesok

Thanks MissE001!
I'd like to start off with 19 please and my usual 4-in-a-row.


I could help with the updates,but can no longer get smilies,so it would look a bit sparse...Can anyone help,bearing in mind that I am a computer numpty?