The Magnificent May-pole NSD Challenge!

marmiterulesok

Some helpful suggestions and ideas to follow below from our sponsor and godmother, BigMummaF


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 )
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.. ..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 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 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!

marmiterulesok

Can anyone explain why I'm not able to print the above post with its original and eye-catching colours?It doesn't really grab you in black and white,does it?

It's helpful to have this post on each page as well,so,does anyone feel like taking over this lovely task?

Pretty please with knobs on (do people still say that?),one of you must be keen/soft hearted enough to help me out?!

Ps The prizes still elude me.I need an idiot-proof explanation please!:o

marmiterulesok

Oh,and today was #1.

A very quiet day here,spent most of it sorting out paperwork.It's just as well that I managed to sort it all out.I was about to start tearing my hair out.

slowlyfading

NSD 2 for me today

cw18

marmiterulesok wrote: »

Can anyone explain why I'm not able to print the above post with its original and eye-catching colours?

No idea, because it does just fine for me. Possibly a browser issue? (I only ever use this forum in Firef0x).

On the subject of 'on every page', I'm not sure it's necessary - surely everyone should read it on page one when they come in to see what the challenge is?

And 'every page' is different for different people. I'm set to get 40 posts per page, which is twice the site default. So I'd see 2 per page if you base it on the standard interval.

Also need to take into account there are some members (not sure about on this challenge) who only access the site on a phone - and every post they have to download slows the process considerably. It frustrates the heck out of me when I have no choice but to use my phone for something on the 'net because I'm away from home when something needs doing / checking, and I'm really not looking forward to only having access via phone and wi-fi hotspots in Spain for 8 weeks later this year At that point I'll be changing my account settings so that I don't see any images (including avatars) or smilies as they're huuuuge drains on the system.

Ps The prizes still elude me.I need an idiot-proof explanation please!:o

ditto the possibility of a browser issue, although I doubt it. not really something I think I can help with without either being sat beside you or at the other end of phone or on-line at the same time with PMs rattling between us!

marmiterulesok

I know that it's not a big deal.You raised a fair point about posting it too often-point taken!Having only recently got a smartphone,I wasn't aware of all those points that add up.
The browser I'm using is Google Chrome.It's always easier to understand explanations when someone is sitting next to you.I suppose that smilies will do just as well.:)

I'm a bit of a perfectionist,wanting it all to look 'nice'.

kerri_gt

Whoops, sorry I'm a bit late, did actually spend may 1st on the pole (it was class night and official uk pole dance day) had a fairly decent class but still getting used to it after 5 1/2 years at our oid studio. Didn't help having a month off for my finger, and yesterday it didn't help having some donkey parading around the place with bells and ribbons looking like a Morris dancing drag queen :eek:HUBERT,!!

marmite I'm a perfectionist too but please don't stress about the icons for prizes.

Cheryl 14.5kg ....:eek::eek::eek:

Well I'm a bit all over the place this month so I'm going for a target of 11 NSD please. A bit lower than usual but I need to decide how I'm going to count some things.

Speaking of which, today was [COLOR="rgb(255, 0, 255)"]NSD #1[/COLOR], did get some foundation in boots as other one had run out, but had £ on a card, plus 10% off! plus £10 worth of extra points with purchase. Not too shabby :money:

cw18

kerri_gt wrote: »

Cheryl 14.5kg ....:eek::eek::eek:

Got to practise with weight if I'm going to spend 8 weeks carrying close to 12kg every day !!!


Today was NSD #1 for me, with not a single penny spent on anything. Haven't actually ventured out of the house today - or not any further than my recycling bins anyway :rotfl:

Not expecting another until Monday not

lovefullshelves

NSD #2 for me please! Resisted amazon!!

EverTheOptimist

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!