Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

GreyQueen

8 pairs of knicks mended and put to the front of the drawer to be used the most then used up. Have a few more things to do with the sewing machine but not minded to keep on at it tonight.

cheerfulness4

silvasava wrote: »

Love the Basil cheerfulnsss - I have a soft spot for blue & white - and Basil!

Aren't they gorgeous! I found an article from Alys Fowler about how to drill drainage holes in bone china carefully so you can use them for all sorts of growing in the garden. I've collected some lovely pieces but they gradually get chips so they're going to come in handy in my garden now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/legacy/gardenersworld/2009/09/christmas_in_a_cup.html

savingqueen wrote: »

Cheerfulness, have you tried using eyemakeup remover on your carpet? or baby wipes?

Wet wipes - yes, makeup remover - no. It is looking quite good this morning but not perfect. I could risk a spot test but only got Liz Earles Eyebright. Its a bit pricey to use but so was my carpet. I'll give it a go and get back to you.

GreyQueen wrote: »

8 pairs of knicks mended and put to the front of the drawer to be used the most then used up.

A girl after my own heart! I've been muttering under my breath, 'use it up, wear it out,' for the last year now.

I'm dizzy with excitement over my little seedlings. Look.

I know they don't look much now but I'm already drooling at the thoughts of all those lemon/thyme chickens and yummy herby crusts on fishcakes and chicken.
Parsley is a stinker to germinate, or it always has been for me, but once it gets going its great. I love, love Parsley, too.

MrsCheshire, I've not cracked it yet with a small garden as this will be my first season here but I know lots about clay soil! Your wellies get stuck in it in the winter (so best stay off it or it makes matters worse) and in summer it would crack like an earthquake, baked hard. Good news is its so fertile and my veggies and flowers loved it so long as I watered.
When arthritis became a problem I resorted to raised beds, which solved the heavy clay problem.

I grew my courgettes in those garden bags from the £1 shop with drainage holes in. All tomatoes and cucumbers were in Morrisons black flower buckets (8-12 for £1)
My pole and runner beans loved the soil, although I honestly think they are easy pleased with most soils, and they went up wigwams. They looked adorable with sweet peas running up with them.

Greyqueen gave some excellent advice and a lovely south facing wall is great for cucumbers and toms. The bricks retain the heat for ages and they love it. Plus you can nails strings and fix frameworks up to support them. I even managed a small watermelon on my patio with no need of greenhouse space.:D

As I work my way round my garden I'll post pics that might help others in smaller gardens or with little corners in their large gardens.

This post is getting so long but just must say Claire, you're a spring chick pet and you've already got a massive head start on the rest the way you're thinking. I so admire the young ones who took the time to learn moneysaving early. :T

Loopy- you and me both have masses of ideas and THIS IS the year we get them done. Our homes and gardens plus our bank balances are going to make up proud! :D

cheerfulness4

Just remembered I didn't post my spends yesterday. I'll combine the two days.


£3 x 2 added to purse.


DAY 13/14

Money Spent Today - £2.15 Vouchers Spent - £0
Money Spent in Total - £36.17 Vouchers Spent in Total - £5
Money left in purse - £5.83 - Float left- £0/£15
Jan non-foods left- £6.63/£15

We bought 2x sausage rolls YS @ 50p, Cranberry cheese YS @ 50p, Gorganzola YS @ 56p, Granary Loaf YS @ 59p.


I'm digging into the depths of my freezer stocks now. Not sure how many more weeks will come out of it for meals but I'm going to get inventive over the next month. This is going to be fun!

h15t0r1an

savingqueen wrote: »

GQ that is simply brilliant! Thank you. I don't wear glasses to see/read but have kept a pair of sunglasses that has a missing screw, I can fix them now! (when I find them that is) Think I will go around looking for family glasses and painting clear varnish on them all. I LOVE tips like these.

I've got an idea Poundland do a very small spectacles mending kit from time to time. It's a flat box about 2 inches square with a clear top, about three-quarters of an inch thick.They're usually near their round stands of glasses.

savingqueen

h15t0r1an wrote: »

I've got an idea Poundland do a very small spectacles mending kit from time to time. It's a flat box about 2 inches square with a clear top, about three-quarters of an inch thick.They're usually near their round stands of glasses.

thanks, will keep a look out

HOWMUCH

Evening all, those cups of herbs look fantastic, I will borrow that idea if you don't mind an assortment on the kitchen windowsill will look great. I will put an appeal out at work for odd cups and saucers. Not much happened today at this end. I work longer hours today and had to go with hubby to see the urologist at the Hospital. Daughter didn't get home from work until gone 7pm so little one had gone to bed without seeing her this evening. Bless her she'd been out of the house eleven and ahalf hours joys of working for the NHS. So I didn't eat until 8pm. DGS start nursery tomorrow, he is going two half days per week, so we will have a little more free time. We do love helping out. It's history repeating its self because my parent's helped out with childcare. I've enjoyed looking at all the links which are getting posted to You tube and the blogs. Take care everyone and speak again soon.

Merrylegs1

Hi make doer's & menders!

Been away for a little while and the thread has grown massively. I've just caught up on all the goings on and very impressed I am too.

This week so far i've done a kind of make do- my mobile phone contract was up for renewal but rather than take a new phone I swapped on to a sim only deal for the first time, this has halved my monthly bill- woop!

Also done a little minimising whilst trying to organise my spare/junk room and have a bag of paperbacks and a pair of high heels ready for a charity shop when i'm next passing. Just got to find something to mend now....

Merry

auntymabel

eastcott5 wrote: »

There was a TV program years ago when the 'Nationwide' programme set out to find the countries 'most thrifty' couple, - they didn't look particularly happy and made a shoulder of lamb last for ever - so don't get too bent out of shape and enjoy the challenge.

.

Was that the programme called Supersavers where the couple that won made Faberge style by blowing and elaborately decorating hens eggs? Or did i dream it?

misstara

Just read through all of this thread tonight and loving it My main aim this year is to pay off as much debt as possible and have now got so many ideas which will make my money go further.

My gran gave me her sewing machine last year and I have only used it once so in the morning I'm planning to dust it off and tackle all those mending jobs that I have been putting off.

Am also in awe of how far people can make their food budget go - definitely a prompt to have another look at mine.

dipsydaisy

Just joined the forum because of this thread!!
I'm a newbie with forums, but love the sharing of ideas - thanks😊
I too, like many, dabble with ways to make do and mend, but sadly fall by the wayside after a while. This is my incentive to keep going!