Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

vhalla1478

So pleased you liked it, Meritaten; I think he's got an amazing voice. I met him in the 1980s when I was living in Swaziland and he was touring the world as Elvis in 'Elvis the Musical' - he's from Grantham in Lincolnshire - all 6 foot 5 inches of him - a lovely man, one of my dearest friends.

Viv xx

Lynplatinum

Hiya All

Welcome new folks - this is such a friendly and supportive thread! Enjoy!

Well yesterday was real MM&M!! Went on public transport to two pubs which cost me £4.80 on a day ticket for Milton Keynes. these pubs were out in the villages and it would have cost me at least that in petrol. I went with my fab CAMRA friends because we were awarding the pubs Cider Pub of the Year (jointly - hence 2 pubs in two separate villages. The company was great and the pubs put on snacks so we did not need to buy food which was very kind of them. Further to that one of the folks had organised a trip to MK theatre for his work colleagues that night and one of them pulled out and so he offered me the ticket!! So I saw a theatre production of The Sound of Music for free :T (I offered to pay but she txted my friend to say she did not want payment - just wanted the ticket to be used!! :j Very kind of her :A So I was out for 11 hours, got fed, went to the theatre, and had 5 bus journeys for £4.80!! Brilliant!! (Yes I did have to buy beer but as I dont drink masses - it only cost me £12 so that was my 'entertainment' budget for 2 weeks bar £3 - I am trying to do £7.50 per week)

Today has also been MM&M as me and my friend went for a walk along a new stretch of the canal we had not visited before and had a long chat - then he insisted on buying me a coffee - he is in work at the moment and is trying to repay the many coffees he has had at my place -so he says - bless him (he was/is a friend of my sons (before they moved away) - so I regard him as one of my surrogate sons - he reports back to both of my boys as to how I am doing :-) Bless em!!

Also read some of my book that is second hand from one of my sons (MM&M) and dried my washing outside (MM&M). As I was chatting on the phone to another friend this evening (she called me so that was free too) she thought that these last two activities were very money saving - its funny isnt it - to me they are the habitual way I do things - I know a lot of you on here also do the above - but to her, on a drizzly day with a slightly tatty book - she would not have put her washing out - she would have tumble dried it and further more she would have bought herself a new copy of the book from Am!zon!! Anyone else suddenly been made aware of the habits that you have acquired that are MM&M, normal to us but that seem strange to other people???
More tomorrow take care all :A

sistercas

I tried to mend my work trousers ,but they were beyond redemption , the zip was in tatters and they were becoming threadbare so had to go and buy some , managed to get some in the sale and there was a mark on the hem so they reduced them further , a pair of trousers for £5.50 :money: result

Made a small amount laundry gloop yesterday to try , if it works it will save me quite a bit too :T I did a wash with it yesterday ( darks) and they have come out really well , I have got an almost full pack of wash powder but may just use that for whites or stains

Off to work now taking a snack of cherry tomatoes for mid morning

vulpix

Lyn,I have always been MM&M and always been "odd",but less so these days.Younger people seem to take it on board and much older people have always been so.People my age I find are so wasteful.

I haven't spent any money at all this week other than food.All good.It is helped by the fact that I don't want to bring more stuff into the house when I am struggling with what we have.

Youngest back to school today so will crack on with packing.(whispers)Got a hospital appointment tomorrow so nothing done then.

I must get on track and cook properly this week.I have just been throwing strange things together involving a lot of carbs and it doesn't suit me.

Beautiful weather here today,have a lovely day people.Vx

silvasava

Ohh Vhalla - what a blast from the past! I think Vince Eager came from the same stable as Marty Wilde and Billy Fury. Such a great bunch of talent in more ways than one for a teenager to swoon over - Happy Days!
How nice to get a voicemail too from your DB - it always seems so much nicer when its unexpected and really lifts the spirits. Who won the Monopoly (or should that be who did you let win lol)
Not much on the agenda today. DHb has just brought me a cuppa before he goes to the doctors for a pneumonia jab. I've a chicken carcass to strip for some pies, some washing to go in the machine and then 'gird my loins' to tackle the sail repair - I think my grasp may have exceeded my reach but I'm sure gonna give it a go!
Have a good day all x

vhalla1478

Morning Everyone,

Well the weather has certainly improved overnight so I'm hoping to get outside and finish painting that dratted garden furniture! When it rained heavily here the other night it got a bit splattered so I need to do yet another coat on the bits I thought were finished.

I think you're right, vulpix, the younger generation are becoming more MMM, in my DS's case partially out of necessity as he has six children, but also out of satisfaction for making something out of what other people would call rubbish; and if I might boast on his behalf, good things as well. My DDil is also very clever at finding clothes for the (rapidly growing) children and herself in CSs; in fact she'll be rummaging now as it's Monday and one particular local CS has all clothes for 50p on a Monday morning - she's come back with 50p designer labels! And of course, my forte is finding bargain home furnishings.

You're right, silva, Roy was part of the Larry Parnes 'stable' - he's just cut an album with Marty Wilde and some other of the 'oldies' (so pleased someone else remembers him - I don't feel so ancient now) and is still doing gigs all over the place as well as having written a book (Vince Eager's Rock'n'Roll Files) about those first days of British rock and his subsequent career - it's hilarious; one of the stories relates how later in his career, he was singing in a nightclub where there was a bunch of rowdy men - he stopped the band and told the rowdies to be quiet - there was stunned silence -it was Frank Sinatra and the 'Rat Pack'!

Silva, also, you'll be fine with that sail,; I mended one a year or so ago on my domestic sewing machine - the best advice I think I can give you is that accuracy is important, but of course, as a sailor you will know that.

I really must get going, the outside is calling. Have a good day, Folks.

Viv xx

PS The monopoly is still ongoing - am I in one of those science fiction time loops?!!

VJsmum

Lynplatinum wrote: »

Anyone else suddenly been made aware of the habits that you have acquired that are MM&M, normal to us but that seem strange to other people???
More tomorrow take care all :A

vulpix wrote: »

Lyn,I have always been MM&M and always been "odd",but less so these days.

My friends consider me a bit "hippy" - but then complain that i can do stuff (like festivals and holidays) that they can't. I am not really hippy - more's the pity - but i am not into stuff and i do like to do things like hang the washing outside, knit, upcycle the furniture. I am not, at all, materialistic - which is a bonus, i think I don't tend to want what everyone else has - designer handbags, pandora bracelets, posh trainers, "named" clothing (unless it's from the chazzer!).

My sister was a bit horrified one year when she asked what i wanted for my birthday and i said a pile of paperbacks from the charity shop. She said "I can't buy you that!" - but did relent in the end. She was glad a few years later though when she asked for a book by a certain author - and I got it from the charity shop, and gave her the difference between that and a new one in the form of a voucher for N*xt!

I went to Hong Kong at the beginning of the year, with colleagues for work. One of said colleagues bought a watch - it cost £5000 :eek: When i have told others this story, they ask which brand - and i don't know, wasn't interested enough to register when he told me :rotfl:

Apparently, though, it was a bargain....:cool:

fuddle

I like your style VJs My family are completely different to me and I am so pleased that I seem to be a bit of a black sheep if being that black sheep means I am that bit different!

DH has gone to work with left over rubber chicken pie and I'm about to warm the last bit up for myself in a minute.

Shopping done in town - a few bits needed and carried home. Trying to move away from shopping deliveries and get items as and when from in town so I can walk and get some exercise. It may end up being more expensive so will watch it carefully.

Need to get the spag bol on the go. Managed to pick up reduced sausages this morning so will cut those up for meat balls. Will cook those when I bake the foccacia. Some of the foccacia will become pizza base for DD's packed lunch tomorrow - just cheese and tomato (will use spagbol sauce for the base.

Picked up my reserved copy of A Slice Of The Good Life by Sherazade Goldsmith so will browse that this evening.

I am plodding on with my frogged crochet cardi. It's no longer frogged and enjoying crocheting again.

Also going to cut down some bits of cane to make an insect house for the allotment.

Best get moving! Have a good day MMMers

cheerfulness4

I give in and must try that treacle tart! We love the stuff and deserve it after yet more illness with tummy bugs. At least its been lovely putting our feet up and watching the entire box set of Cranford. Blissful.

I've plants to get out but this afternoon is so cold and windy. I feel for my precious tomato plants. The petals are being blown off my oriental poppy, too.

I think some younger ones are getting really clued up about MM&Ming and are really learning how to cook from scratch and garden, sew etc but many have never been taught these basic things. Its such a pity.

I think an example of this was seen at DH work this week. They have a separate fridge for cooked and non cooked meats and products.
Each day last week he had to remove cooked meat from the raw meat fridge. One didn't realise that sausage rolls were cooked meat and another thought ham was raw meat. Scotch eggs was another thing they thought were raw meat.

Later he had to help some women to repair a ripped jacket and sew buttons on. Others didn't know how to cook a chicken for a roast or how to make a stew.
We are very fortunate we have these skills, even though many of us had to learn them for ourselves due to necessity.

vhalla1478

I agree with you, Cheerfulness. I think a lot of MMMing is second nature if you're brought up with it, but to learn each skill later on in life must be so difficult, time consuming and also needs confidence. I never had to paint/garden seriously from the seed stage before, but this year I'm learning, even at my advanced age and I cannot tell you how much pleasure I am getting from thinking 'I did that'. At last, now that so many of the seeds I bought from your recommendation, Cheerfulness (a big thank you) are coming up, I've started thinking about the design of the garden. I have my trellises now and have decided that I will have climbing evergreens and white climbers only in my south/west facing patio area. Any suggestions, anyone? They will need to be grown in containers, I think. My vegetable seedlings are doing well so I have to dig a patch for them. Let's hope the weather improves; I got some more painting done but the wind has driven me inside again.

We do need to think about the next generation; I read a piece of news today that said that, on average, 5-16 year olds spend six and a half hours in front of some sort of screen or other. To me, that's scary.

As I can't do any more outside, I'm going to do a couple of hours on my rug.

Viv xx