The Great NSD December Challenge!

marmiterulesok

Welcome everyone to December's NSD challenge.
Let's face it,we could all probably manage to spend a bit less at this time of year,but the pressure is on to splurge.However,we nsders know better and are hell bent on becoming moth breeders instead of hard earned cash splurgers!

You're more than welcome to join us over a nice cup of tea and an egg sarnie,thanks to our dedicated housekeeper Mrs Doyle.Go on now.....

ETA the first person who mentions the C word in it's entirety gets served a manky kipper breakfast.Yes,they're still lurking in Nargle's
Spongebob wellie drawer.......

marmiterulesok

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!

marmiterulesok

The prizes:

Target reached

Target exceeded

Consolation prize

marmiterulesok

marmiterulesok 6/15

ab_saver 12/12 15/12

beanielou 11/11 15/15



indigowarrior 3/15

Nargleblast 11/15

doingitanyway 11/15

squanderscouse 6/10

Grandad's Offspring 2/15

Houseplant26 7/10

Munchin 2/15

mobo1980 8/15

*Jellie* 0/15

wit40iwtwan 0/12

marmiterulesok

The prize is

marmiterulesok 4

ab_saver 3

beanielou 3 6

doingitanyway 4

squanderscouse 3

ab_saver

I'm going to break with tradition and continue my challenge until the end of the year and get back on track with Calendar months- but I'll aim for 12 between now and New Year's Eve as I have lots of travel on the horizon.

Thanks as always Marmite!

marmiterulesok

ab_saver wrote: »

I'm going to break with tradition and continue my challenge until the end of the year and get back on track with Calendar months- but I'll aim for 12 between now and New Year's Eve as I have lots of travel on the horizon.

Thanks as always Marmite!

Oh,you won't regret breaking with tradition.

You're welcome btw.

beanielou

I am going to go with 11 for this month.
Am also going to go with 3 in a row!!
We shall see!!
Thanks marmite as always for all your hard work~~appreciated

ab_saver

Ooh in a row - forgot to put a target but I'll go for 3 as well!

indigowarrior

Hi I would like to join and aiming for 15 no spd. I am starting by eating whats in my cupboards and freezers.

Nargleblast

indigowarrior wrote: »

Hi I would like to join and aiming for 15 no spd. I am starting by eating whats in my cupboards and freezers.

What, all of it??????? Welcome on board!