Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

vhalla1478

Good Morning, Everyone. If you wear tights/stockings or can beg them from family and friends, shred and use them for stuffing. Otherwise, keep them whole and put onions in them, making a knot between each one, then hang in a cool place - they'll keep through the winter. OR if you have two pairs of tights the same and runs in only one leg of each one, cut off the laddered legs on both and wear together.

cheerfulness4

Lynplatinum wrote: »

Hello all,

I have been an avid lurker for a while on these forums but I am especially inspired by the 'Make Do and Mend' I am so stunned by Cheerfulne ss4 's ability to feed 3 adults on so little!! I spend about £20 per week on just me and I now feel like a bit of a little curly tailed piggy!! Am saying to myself 'Must do better'.

You're not an oinker. When I decided to challenge myself with the £3 a day I was well aware that I had lots of stocks on hand, especially proteins in my freezer. I was very fortunate.
Now I'm guessing in about 2-3 weeks things will start to get more challenging for me. The freezer is emptying and the meats/fish and frozen veg are getting low. :eek:
I find that rather frightening and exciting all at the same time. Mad or what?
That reminds me, forgot to post yesterdays spends, NIL again. :T

DAY 18
Money Spent Today - £0 Vouchers Spent - £0
Money Spent in Total - £46.86 Vouchers Spent in Total - £5
Money left in purse - £7.14 - Float left- £0/£15
Jan non-foods left- £6.17/£15


I'll post todays spends when I've had chance to get my receipts together.

I'm so amazed at how productive you've all been. Making and repairing windows, making curtains as new, all this sewing going on. I'm getting left behind! I really enjoy the pics, too.
I feel a bit at a loose end waiting for DH to go back on days, then I can get my sewing machine going again. I'm creeping round the house trying to be quiet most afternoons and rushing round doing jobs in the morning.
By evening I'm too exhausted to do anything much but read once he goes off.

I have to mention on here how inspired I've been by the thread about organization the kondo way. I've since been on youtube and got quite addicted to the organized homes videos and after practicing the 'vertical way' of folding my clothes I realise that its fantastic and I NEED drawer dividers.
Well, obviously I don't want to pay money for these things. :eek::eek: but I still want them.
Sooo, ideas?
At the moment I'm using books to divide my folded tees from my jeans, and pj's from knicks. I thought as a temporary solution I could use cardboard.
My wardrobe drawers are around 9-10" deep. (another reason I love older furniture, the drawers are great!)

More excitement in the Cheerfulness household, DH has been oftered a permanent contract with his new job (after watching 4 newbies get let go last week we got a wobbly on so he's absolutely overjoyed as he loves his new job)
AND
Parsleys up! :j:j:j

cheerfulness4

Forgot to say, my favourite way to use drawstrings bags is to load a large one (slightly larger than a pillowcase) with washing out of the laundry hamper, secure the top and then lob it down the stairs.


When it first became a problem for me carrying things down the stairs, due to arthritis, I used to fill a pillowcase with washing. I could get just the right amount in to make a load. Trouble with that was sometimes it came open and clothes were everywhere and I struggled to pick them up.
Drawstring bags are great because you can pull them tight and they just get thrown in the wash with the washing.

babyblooz

That wrapping paper bag is SO like mine, but mine is blue! SO useful and so simple!

tooties

Thanks for all the great tips and ideas everyone

regards

silvasava

Cheerfulness - great news for yourr DH :T esp as he likes his job. I bit the bullet today & spread the curtains out in the sitting room. To do the job properly I'm going to pick the curtains apart, let the hems down & give them a rinse through & iron so I can use them like 'new' material. I should have plenty of time cos the boat doesn't go back in the water until Easter but I will do a 'Project Plan' so I can spread the work out over a few weeks. I've noticed the old covers have nice long zips in them so I'm aiming to use those too.
Trying to think of something you could use as dividers Cheerfulness - all I can come up with are the plastic veg trays from the SM

cheerfulness4

Thank you, Silvasava. We are so happy its turning out for him.


I was thinking along the lines of supermarket packaging, too. I started thinking about soap powder boxes. If I double up on the thickness and then cover somehow. :huh:
I want it to do the job but still look lovely. I'm not all that good at these sorts of things.
This comes from watching Hong Kong Phooey instead of Blue Peter.


Is your boat a little cruiser or a narrow boat? DH and I spend lovely hours watching the boats on our local river. Its so relaxing on a summers day.

misstara

Fab news about DH's job cheerfulness . I also work in the care sector and it can be such a rewarding job.

I made a card for my mum's birthday using scraps of ribbon and felt that I've had for ages. I had a look for an old pair of jeans to use for the draught excluder but I must have thrown them out in the last clearout I had. I did find a pair of leggings which have seen better days so will use them instead.

Lynplatinum

Hiya
Evening all!
Now jeans usually have two legs and you might well wonder what to do with the other leg! well - you cut the front into 2 long strips. tie all three strips in a very strong knot. Get a friend to hold the knot and plat the 3 strips together, securing at the end, again with a very strong knot. What have you got? A doggies pull toy for playing growlies with!! My son's dog loves them! It takes him about a week to dismantle it whereas cheaper dog toys he destroys within a day. Although he is a Springer cross Basset - I have to buy him toys designed for Great Danes or Irish Wolfhounds - these last about 9 months to a year!

Re dividing up drawers - I have used cardboard boxes from gifts (which are also pretty and glittery) or shoe/Amazon boxes (which I have decorated) for years - hope this idea helps!

Inspired by Cheerfulness 4 I did my 'big' weekly shop today and bought only essentials or reduced. spent £8.80! :j (but there is only me!) amazing what a bit of discipline can do! Luckily on offer were sweet potatoes - so bought quite a few which will last into next week.

also saving on fuel where I can so filled the oven with sweet potato wedges; sausages; and a large tray bake cake for the week!

Also handmade card for a friend for her birthday and gonna do some more tomorrow!
Busy and inspired thanks to you folk!
Have a good day tomorrow!:)

Ches

vhalla1478 wrote: »

if you have two pairs of tights the same and runs in only one leg of each one, cut off the laddered legs on both and wear together.

This brought back a flood of memories as all my girlfriends and I did this in the 70's.