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The Splendiforous Transylvanian September NSD Challenge!
marmiterulesok
Forumite 7.8K Posts
September is but days away....and the NSD gang en masse are heading off to Igor's uncle's health spa in sunny Transylvania to take the airs,the waters and anything else going...
Care to join us?
There's always more room in the Tardis if you fancy locking down your purse or wallet and cultivating a few moths!
I just hope it's not self catering.Our resident cooks Swedish Chef and Igor need a well earned break.And besides,there's only so much sprouts curry and pilchard mini quiches that I can eat....
We have lots of fun activities planned.More of that later...For those of you who are new to the 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 organize 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 at the next 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.
Just remember that mentioning the F word (f-a-i-l!) is not allowed,and anyone who dares speak the word which must not be spoken will find himself in a spot of bother with our toothy bouncer Shawnie boy.
If you're new to the forum,click here to read the Intro Guide.
If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!
PS I'm usually a modest lass,but I just have to add that The NSD Challenge is the best of the bunch!
:cool: :j
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Care to join us?
There's always more room in the Tardis if you fancy locking down your purse or wallet and cultivating a few moths!
I just hope it's not self catering.Our resident cooks Swedish Chef and Igor need a well earned break.And besides,there's only so much sprouts curry and pilchard mini quiches that I can eat....
We have lots of fun activities planned.More of that later...For those of you who are new to the 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 organize 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 at the next 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.
Just remember that mentioning the F word (f-a-i-l!) is not allowed,and anyone who dares speak the word which must not be spoken will find himself in a spot of bother with our toothy bouncer Shawnie boy.
If you're new to the forum,click here to read the Intro Guide.
If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply!
PS I'm usually a modest lass,but I just have to add that The NSD Challenge is the best of the bunch!
:cool: :j[threadbanner]box[/threadbanner]
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Replies
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
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
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
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
And Remember;
there are no silly questions, so don't be afraid to ask us anything!
1st target A spare candle [STRIKE]when[STRIKE][/STRIKE][/STRIKE] if the power falls...
2nd target Meet Eric,the resident pet bat:
3rd target We all love spiders,don't we?
4th target Meet Igor's second cousin,Boris:
Target exceeded A night on the town with the dancing voles!
Consolation prize A flickering light!
marmite 10/10 achieved!
MIB 11/11 achieved!
Nargle 14/15
BigMummaF 15/15 achieved!
Samiszel 15/15 achieved!
Munchin 13/15
Itsa Longshot 22/22 achieved!
jodles16 20/20 achieved!
Carviscocker 15/15 achieved!
stripeyjumpergirl 10/10 achieved!
crafting mad 10/10 achieved!
donna dynamo 15/15 achieved!
fedupandskint 25/25 achieved!
cw18 13/15
bellandthebudget 0/10
Gem-gem 15/15 achieved!
Target exceeded 21/20achieved!
slowlyfading 18/20
Seaotter 7/10
Butti 5/10
Knit Witch 10/10 achieved!
3rd target20/20 achieved!
Target exceeded 29/25 achieved!
Moonbeam 6/25
scotmumof3 1/1 achieved!
The prize:a cheese eating mouse!Yes,that's right.Just what you always wanted.Hubert,stop pouting...no,you can't have an extra large ice cream sundae with extra whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles instead....not if you still want to get those spanx up past your knees....
marmite 4
Maybe_its_because 3
Samiszel 3
Munchin 3
craftingmad 3
Knit Witch 5
I'll go with an increased 11 NSD Target and 3 in a row
We've got to pull the purse strings tight to get through September in 1 piece
Thanks marmite, huge appreciation for keeping the thread going
MIB x
Put me down for an ambitious 15 NSDs please, marmite!
I was trying to be all tech nickel by working out how many weekends there are in Sept (I don't like partaking in outside consumerism on Saturdays, for some odd reason) but thought there could be a good chance of visiting a weekly Sunday market...if it's still going. Used to be a huge affair but last time I went, had been reduced to a couple dozen stalls
NSD 1/15; LTW 0/9; budget £0/£250; food £5.20/£120; steps 0/31
Make £10 per day in Oct: £30/£310
Mortgage: £214,702.15
Pre tattoo dancing voles!
Four weekends BMF.
It's nice to see that our founder and owner of the voyaging lawnmower ie the Tardis Mark II is back within the bosom of the family.
Just watch out for Igor's sister Helga's beard dwelling voles.They're not as innocent as they look.Bunch of hooligans in fact....
Hubert has been keeping your chair warm.Sorry about the stains,but due to a chronic lack of funds,we've been reduced to buying the cheapo brand of donkey extra-strength nappies.
Igor has a welcoming pilchard mini quiche and some of last year's excellent sprouts curry warming on the stove,and Mrs Doyle is hovering about somewhere in the vicinity with the teapot.
Swedish Chef is having some kind of anger management issues in the kitchen.He seems to have an angry lobster attached to his hooter....
Nargle is upstairs [STRIKE]drooling over[STRIKE][/STRIKE][/STRIKE] rearranging her Jimmy Chew limited edition Spongebob collection (again) and marmite is frantically searching for her emergency stock of valium.
It's good to be back,isn't it?