What do you on on your NSDs?

Caterina

Ok, so we all like NSDs, zero money out of our pockets, good and well tested OS practice.

But what do you do? I find that when going out there is always the opportunity even for a tiny spend, so unless I am stuck home all day or go to the library and allotment there is very little I can do which is no-spend!

I have a prepaid (cheap, over 50s) gym membership that includes classes. But if I use it, would it be a NSD? After all, I have paid in advance for the facility (which I should use more often, BTW,).

I am curious to hear how others do it because from mid October we will be solely reliant on DH's pension and I really need to tighten up the purse strings, severely.

Thank you.

pollypenny

You're in London. Can you go for a mooch around museums or would you have to pay to reach them?

[Deleted User]

On my NSDs I used to go for a bicycle ride or a walk in the countryside (taking sandwiches with me) but I would guess in London that's bit tricky?

Volunteering is always a good one - just one day a week, or even half a day - as long as you don't have to pay to get there. Some places will even throw in lunch as well (contact your local volunteering service).

If you do a search for "free things to do in London" or similar, you'll be surprised at the things that come up. (I'm hoping you've got your free bus pass by now ?)

Generally, when you go out, get into the habit of always taking something to eat and drink with you, no matter how small (or boring) and that will save a lot of spending on snacks (they really add up).

Hope you get lots of ideas (and please let us know how you get on lots of us will be in your situation very soon!)

WantToBeSE

Like you, i mooch around at home. There isn't anything else to do on NSDs!

I catch up on housework, write out my budget, do some baking and cooking, do the gardening, wash the car etc.

but i don't go out, because i know I'll spend money if i do!

Hermia

Corona wrote: »

If you do a search for "free things to do in London" or similar, you'll be surprised at the things that come up. (I'm hoping you've got your free bus pass by now ?)

I used to live in London and could honestly do something free every day of the year and never repeat an experience! It was amazing. My retired aunt just got her Freedom Pass and is always going off on adventures.

BTW, it is London Open House on the 17th and 18th and they have events in every borough. It is an amazing event and I have visited some incredible places for free.

I live in a city and my free days include:

- taking a book and picnic to the park
- going to lunchtime concerts (churches are brilliant for free classical music concerts)
- going on self-guided walks (search online for info, even some quite dull areas will have very active local history groups who have this sort of info on their websites)
- going on guided walks (a lot of councils have a free programme of these in an effort to get people fitter)
- go to talks/events at local museums or the library
- going at events at the shopping centre (obviously not suitable if you cannot resist the shops)

I know there are more, but I cannot think of them at the moment!

The best things is to sign up for every single email newsletter related to your local area you can find. Even sign up for stuff that seems expensive or you wouldn't think is for you as you never know when they might have a free open day or something like that. Also if you have a smartphone make sure you get all local apps. My local shopping centre has one and they occasionally give away a free coffee via the app.

moneyistooshorttomention

From my time back living in my home city, I did some of the things listed above:

- guided walks
- free lunchtime concerts
- free events at the library
- just walking down the High Street would often mean that there were buskers playing. Some of them rubbish - but there were good ones too.

Most of all - the Council often funds free music events.

In a city too - there are lots of voluntary work opportunities.

LameWolf

• Catch up with housework
• Walk any canine guests who need it
• Forage for free fruit in season
• Tidy the garden, weather permitting
• Handicrafts - knitting, cross stitch, candlemaking (using recycled wax) and card-making
• Play pc/console video games
• Read - I have a huge amount of books that I haven't yet got round to, including many FREE Kindle downloads

[Deleted User]

I no longer live in London, but live in Kent and there is always lots of things to do.

Monday mornings I go on our local council sponsored walk for life & healthy living, 45 minute gentle walk around our local area with a free tea or coffee at the end (even a biscuit if you need one )

I belong to our local U3A and Tuesday mornings are coffee morning at the local Dobbies where I go once a fortnight

Tuesday nights cost me £2.00 because its a quiz night in the local pub and we get a free supper thrown in with the price (last night our team won and we had two bottles of wine) to go into the stash until we get enough for a share out for all the team members.

Once a month on a Wednesday I go to a sociology class set up by a U3A member ,great discussion group abut all sorts of things and cofffee and a biscuit free as well.

Thursdays I try to stay at home to make sure all my washing,ironing and housework is up to date, Friday afternoon I go to a History club That costs me a fiver in term time but it comes from my entertainment monthly fund.

My U3A membership costs me £15.00 per year and we have monthly meetings with a speaker and of course the obligitory cuppa and biscuit fre of course I also go to a free book club once a month run by the local library and a free knitting club also run by the libary.

Local councils have so many things for folk to join in with, and with my U3A I could be out and about every day if I had the time .

Our local swimming baths give free sessions to the over 60s, and I also have my bus pass if I want to ride up to Bluewater for a mooch,but then I may spend money so I don't do that often.I had a cinemas exhibitors ticket as I am registered disabled and if I take my friend along we spilt the cost of a ticket half each as I can use it for 1 free ticket with a paid ticket. When my younger grandson were at the local primary school I would help out with lstening to the children reading once a week.

There is so many things to do that actually cost nothing or very little at all.My problem isn't finding something to do,its finding the time to do all the things I want to

I also apart from knitting,reading etc help to raise funds for our local hospice and look after three of my DGS after school and throughout the holidays as well. I have three housebound friends that I change library books for and if they need it I will get them a bit of shopping as well.

I retired in 1995 and I am much busier now than I ever was when working full-time :):)

[Deleted User]

Tidy the house, watch TV series boxsets/ films, play video games, knitting, crochet, crafts, once a month I go to a meet at the LGBT foundation where we discuss lgbt related issues, get friends round to play board games or card games, mostly I just waste time on the interwebs

flipper_72

I certainly wouldn't class using the gym as breaking a nsd. To my mind you should be using the gym amap to make it a worthwhile cost, if it isn't cost effective then cancel. I use my gym 3-4 times per week and intend to cycle there when possible now I am out of work to cut the petrol costs.
I am finding that nsd are few and far between for me, I hope to improve but being at home and noticing something has run out means I can walk to the shop to get it, which I can see is a bad habit.

DigForVictory

I've been known to photograph & write up the blurb for ebay lots, all quietly stashed on a memory stick, waiting for a special listing promotion. (Odd how long getting these things Right can take when you know you're a listing Cinderella and past midnight the coach has definitely disappeared!)

If I can get space & time & organised, I'll batch cook. Since I usually carry several kilos of sugar, jars, vinegar etc as usual household items, I can make jam or pickle with whatever is in season. The batch baking - pies & the like that require meat? Aren't NSD as I buy & bake at once. Mind you, defrosting the freezer has led to a sudden baking session, so you may find virtue is its own reward several times over.

An astoundingly organised lady not only has a box of cards good to go for weddings, christenings, funerals, etc, she also has a calendar box with every birthday sorted by month. Means even those born on the 1st get a thoughtfully chosen card, on time. She reckons the admin time setting up & then gradually acquiring new cards (& more stamps) is worth the nervous wear & tear she avoids!

If you would prepare for Christmas, gather together All your decorations, and sort them out. Mend or bin broken ones, repackage so like is with like & if you've never really liked Q with your preferred decorations, put it aside to go to a charity shop.
Having got over that, repeat with unused Christmas cards. The one or two left in a packet, the ones which need replacement envelopes, the ones you had forgotten about? Round them all up, sort them & either store them together/more carefully or chuck them.

If you were every crafty, odds on you have a stash somewhere. If you have a STABLE (STAsh Beyond Life Expectancy), prune it. Be generous from a vast abundance - you can always get all the good karma of making someone a woolly hat by teaching them (& giving them the wool & needles). Put your stash to use - make cards for birthdays, Christmas whatever, knit scarves (pretty much my limit), crochet squares but turn the stash into Something (other than a relocated stash!)

Retired in London? Pack a picnic & all the drink you can carry then take your travel pass & explore! Pith helmet optional. Visit Amersham, pass permitting, then Brentwood. There may be nothing spectacular there other than a Tube Station, but what have to you to loose checking?! Or play safe & visit every station in Zone One, scheming to find a free museum or exhibit (or busker) at every station. So long as you take your own food & drink (& perhaps a camera), and avoid the museum shops, you may make it home and it still be an NSD! (Or cheat - go with a pal & take it in turns to buy the other's coffee & sticky bun - fewer NSDs but more sociable!)

Have you family? Invite them to join you on a trip to such an exhibition? (Reminding them to bring proof of age/education etc to bombproof free entry) You may get a reputation of being the favourite Aunt who took three teens to the Science Museum. (Make *them* carry the rucksack required of food & drink, & reclaim it Only Once Emptied.)