Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2015

Mrs_Cheshire

HOWMUCH wrote: »

Good Evening Ladies!!!! been away reading Attic24 blog from start to finish, I fell in love with her blog. On the make do and mend I've managed to get DGS 4 lovely T shirts from CS for £1.99. Going to collect another 4 off ebay for £1.50 and then collect a large bundle of clothes off local facebook selling site I managed to get for £5. I will give them all a good wash with a cap of vanish and liquid. They are are all good quality labels and just a fraction of original costs and everyone comments on how smart he always looks. Just goes to show you don't have to spend the earth, little ones grow so fast clothes get very little wear. Managed to get his next winter's snowsuit for £7.40 from Debenhams in their 70% sale too original price was £36.
Whilst I was in town had a quick look in M&S for YS stuff managed to get a large £6 chicken for £2.99 with tomorrow date on. I shall cook the crown for lunch tomorrow, so I will get a roast dinner x4, Chicken lasagna x4, Chicken curry x4, then with the legs they will be thigh and drum sticks made into a casserole x4........ so 16 meals for £2.99 and the carcass will be made into soup x6 portions.
Loving this thread reminds me of my childhood brought up to not waste money and reuse items.

Thank you for highlighting another blog, my friends and I run a monthly craft club so always looking for new ideas and projects.
I love that you get so many meals from one chicken, how do you manage it.I would do a breast each for DH and I and my son's who are 5 and 3 would eat most of a leg, then I would strip off any leftovers for another meal like a curry.

vhalla1478 wrote: »

Good Morning Everyone,

I have to endorse what lynplantinum says about older tools being better and also add that I think that principle extends across many areas. ie furniture and household goods in general.

I came back to the UK just under two years ago with hardly anything - come on folks, I'd had an invitation to live on a yacht in the Caribbean so had sold the majority of my stuff and given loads of things away in gay abandon. Let me just say it didn't work out, it lasted all of 3 months- I'll leave the rest for my autobiography and at the age of 66 I started all over again. Most of my things are old or antique with lots of exuberant charity shops and car boot finds (I used to be an antiques dealer). Even if I had more than my state pension I really wouldn't want most of the over-priced new household goods that are around. I try and buy some little thing for the house most weeks.

Sorry, rant over. Here's a super recipe that was George Washington's mother's, great to give as a present as it keeps, just wrap it in foil and stick a big bow on it. Not exactly basic because of the spices you'll need, but spices last forever and you don't need much of them. It must be a day of waffling, Cheerfulness, so I'll shut up and write the recipe,

Mary Ball Washington's Gingerbread 1784

Half a cup butter, half a cup dark brown moist sugar, half cup treacle, half a cup golden syrup, 3 cups plain flour sifted with a teaspoon cream of tartar, a cup of sultanas or raisins, half a cup of warm milk, 2 tablespoons powdered ginger, one and a half teaspoons cinnamon, one and a half teaspoons mace, one and a half teaspoons nutmeg, 3 eggs well beaten, juice and rind of a large orange, a teaspoonful of bicarbonate soda, dissolved in 2 tablespoonsful of warm water.

Cream butter, add sugar and beat well. Add syrups, milk and spices, mix very well. Mix cream of tartar with flower and then add alternately with beaten egg to the butter/sugar mixture. Add orange juice and grated rind and dissolved soda and raisins. Bake in a moderate oven (350) for 45-50 mins in well-greased baking pans about 12x9x3 inches.

I'm a moderately good cook, but not a baker, but this is fantastic and turns out well every time.

Right, I've no more excuses, I have loads to do today - have a good one, everyone.

Viv x

Thanks for the recipe and to whoever did the dorset apple cake, sorry I've read about 5 pages to catch up.
I have a sewing machine that my MIL gave me, which I've never used as I'm not sure how to thread it properly, my friend who is great with a sewing machine is going to look at it for me and give me a lesson when we find the time.

Austin_Allegro

Bobarella wrote: »

I really want to read the tightwad gazette too but it's too expensive on ebay and my library don't have it. I haven't bought a book in years as I prefer to use the library or read online for free so I'm in a quandary.

Have you tried asking asking your library to order it? Some libraries have some rule about if enough people ask for it they'll stock it, or they can get it through inter library loans for a small charge.

On Amazon you can get a second hand copy for about ten pounds including postage. It sounds a lot but bear in mind it is a HUGE book - about two inches thick with hundreds of ideas - I've spent many happy hours reading it and saved lots through all the tips, so I think it's worth the money.

good_advice

Afternoon everyone :wave:

I had free range boiled eggs and x2 slices of B&B for breakfast today. £2.40 for a box of Tesco own brand. So 16p each egg.
Amazing what I work out with my calculator by my desk top computer.

I spent £56.25 on food @Tesco yesterday for x3 adults.
Some items are doubled like the deep filled steak pie.
Tesco think they make us spend more = X1 pie £3 or 2 for £5. I simply bought 2 and popped one in the freezer for next week.:rotfl:

I minimised the grocery bill by £2. 25 using coupons.:j
Every little helps as the Tesco saying goes.
Have now started saving coupons for next week.

Minimised the mess in the bathroom with some TLC this morning. Usual clean and then an extra clean = Uses a old value toothbrush to scrub the tiles with neat bleach. It stops the grout lines going black with bould.
Washing machine on for shower curtains with washing gel and white vinegar in the drawer.
Hang curtains back up to dry = no line dry today as it is raining.
Put new FREE samples of toothpaste in the cup on wall.(from my free stash cupboard).

Danced with Dyson upstairs and a spray of Febreze (free from a old trial I did).
I always think when I empty the dust bucket of vacuum and see the dust bits picked up I have done a good cleaning job.:)

Craft is ongoing = I have the 4th large draw string bag to make.

Make do - passed on my magazines to adult DD. Christmas take a break, Prima, Boots mag, Asda mag and Dare.
The Prima was a 12mth subscription Christmas gift I asked for.

I shall be making do with Scottishpower - checked the new MSE energy switch event against my tariff only to find it will cost us £7 a year MORE:eek:

Minimise your books with the help of FREE kindle books. I use a daily email I signed up to = Daily Free Books UK.
I can recomend.

Keep smiling, even when the going gets tough!

cheerfulness4

Seemed to have spent all day messing around in the kitchen and getting very little done. :cool:
I managed to get my pizzas cooked, which taste delish but don't photo so well. (it went dark and started snowing the minute I began snapping)




I had to run after DS who had run off with the top one and get it back to photograph. He was whinging he was starving.

I'm going to make some Lentil and Bacon Soup for when DS gets home late tonight as he'll be freezing. That will get a few more vegetables into us.

Going to pop some tv on in a little bit and repair a wash bag that I keep all my face creams, serums, eye gels, tonics, make-up removers and cotton wool in.
The lining has ripped slightly and the four pockets lining the sides of the bags interior have gone through the bottom so I can't use them.
Its been like that for over a year and its only just occurred to me yesterday that I can do something about it rather than put up with it. Its a gorgeous bag with lovely memories of the family holiday when I bought it. Tomorrow it will be beautiful again!

I'm thinking of trying to do a repair to my Freedom Bag that goes on every trip with me. The zip bust in one of the clear window pockets which is so inconvenient.
I'm going to see if I can replace it myself. Mum once used to make handbags, makeup bags etc, so if I get stuck I'll go to her but I'd really like to go solo on this one.

Don't forget that the Sewing Bee lead up show is on tonight at 8pm on BBC2! :j:j

vhalla1478

Have spent the day doing someone's books for them - a mad dash before 31st January deadline. How can you spend nearly £1700 on mobile phone calls? Mine costs £10 a month and I moan when that comes round.

Right, I must do my quota of my rug after tea; will post a photo when it's finished if you're all still around.

cheerfulness4

Well I'll still be around to see vhalla. I can't afford to go anywhere.:rotfl:

vhalla1478

Cheerfulness, your remark really made me smile - thank you - I know the feeling!

good_advice

Thanks Cheerful, just turned the TV over to BBC2 for the sewing programe.
I would have missed it if you had not reminded us.

You pizza's look tasty. Hm is so nice.
When I made mine in the summer, I cut out the dough base around a side plate.
At the moment i buy pizza for quick and easy standby dinners.
I took x2 to a DVD night I went to last Friday.

meritaten

good thing you missed the yarn cheerfulness! started to use it today and was very disappointed. it knits up very thick and feels rather rough - cannot use it for baby cardie or even jacket. It wont get wasted though, I will crochet it up as a cot blanket.
so be warned mums and grannies!

jackyann

PS about Fabricland: I have found out that you can ring them and get a quote for P&P if you are buying something light or small.