Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

charlies-aunt

Minihauk wrote: »

Question for the sewers amongst us: I would like to buy a sewing machine. It will not be used much and does not need to be fancy. Any recommendations for a good value, basic machine please?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Singer-Featherweight-Electric-Sewing-Machine-B23-/361564070698?hash=item542ee5e32a:g:3Y4AAOSwrURXPg5H
The Dove House Hospice often has really nice, used but in vgc sewing machines for sale on its ebay site - may be worth bookmarking them and checking what's on offer every so often


John Lewis periodically sells unpopular colours of their own brand sewing machines at a huge discount so it may be worth a scout - I bought a bright blue one last year for just a fraction over half price. No fancy embroidery stitches but a really good basic machine that is easy to use


Ask around - lots of people buy them on a whim and only use them once and will gladly sell them for a nominal sum to get rid!

silvasava

Minihauk - IKEA do one that's not too expensive. A friend of mine bought one & I was quite impressed.

Lynplatinum

Hiya All

Well as of today - for the first time in my entire life (57 years) I am homeless. Have been right royally messed about with sale of second house but young family buying mine needed to leave their rented by end of month so agreed to complete today. Am now at my dear friend Pat's for a few days - till Wednesday then I'm off to my sons for his 30th birthday for a while!!

pinkypig - I once marked exam papers - a pittance for quite hard work!
jackie O sorry to hear re your brother. battery running low folks so more tomorrow

iamsalt

Oh gosh Lyn. How brave and kind of you. Sounds like you have a good support network though.
Do you think The house you had chosen will work out or will you need to start again?
S x

HOWMUCH

Lyn we ended up without a home back in 1986 and we had a 19 month old baby. Everything went into storage, we too didn't want to lose our sale so we went ahead with the move. We took the in laws to their caravan in the coast and we stayed there for 4 months until we found something and we was lucky we got a reduction on our now house because we was chain free. We've been here 30 years on the 1st July, so you will end up fine I'm sure it will all workout in the end.
We had the most amazing break in Suffolk with our little Roo, lots of playing on the beach and shell picking. We made good use of our bus passes, Southwolds, Lowestoft and Gorlston days out. We didn't use the Tesco entry ticket to the Sea Life centre this will now be used when we go to Norfolk in October. The weather was so good I didn't want to waste it and be stuck indoors. I'll be back later and welcome Pinknfluffy x

Minihauk

Thank you Charlies-Aunt and Silvasava.I'll check them both out.

No MMMing here today. Have been to look at a new house. Really can't make up my mind whether or not to move, but releasing some funds would be good.

iamsalt

Minimised some dried bits of tree and rotten pallets at mums last night. The pallets were there before she moved in 15 years ago, and the piles were over 5' high. The old prunings had been piling up for years too, and both going has made a big difference to her garden. I am trying to help her get it nice before she can't manage it and we need to get a gardener to help ( or I work part time to help!)
Made a cake for a do tonight. We are going to a quiz in aid of a mental health charity my friend volunteers at, and without the charity, I probably wouldn't still have my mum, so it will be a fun night out with friends, for a good cause, and with cake and bubbly from home to celebrate my birthday tomorrow.
Mended - hopefully my mobile phone. I broke it a while ago, and it was fixed by professionals, but the screen has come loose recently and I have glued it back in place, let's hope it holds! These smart phones are lovely but not particularly robust. OH has a super duper case for his which protects it, and I will definitely invest in one when I eventually change phones.
S x

misstara

Not much to report from here, one of OHs friends dropped round unexpectedly at teatime so fed him as well, made do with what we had, just bulked it out with more tatties and veg. I've just started on a course of iron tablets so hopefully will be feeling better with lots more energy soon. I've still to drop off the bags at the CS, really need to do that this week. Still haven't sewed the button onto my jacket either. Other than a tiny 3 hour shift tomorrow morning, I'm off work tomorrow so hope to get various bits done. Night MMMers.

Lynplatinum

Hiya all

Plugged into the wall so I should not end up having to rush off as per yesterday. Yep its all a bit rubbish on the practical front with a car full of STUFF and a bag of clothes!! Well- I wanted a simple life and you know what they say about being careful what you wish for !! :rotfl:

On the plus side I just have some fantastic friends - one of whom is house sitting my ten out door and 3 VERY LARGE indoor plants for me - another is babysitting my two MASSIVE boxes of craft stuff! And then there is my dear friend Pat who has taken me in - despite not being the most well off person in the world!! Am trying to do bits for her and have offered her some dosh while I stay because I will be using electricity and water and some food! Am going out and getting bits like bread and milk for her though on top of some cash I shall pay her!

Jackie O - sorry I might have been a bit insensitive last night. I havent been able to be around here much but I was truly sorry to hear about your brother. You have such a fantastic family and I hope that you were all able to support each other over this.

Welcome new folks. This thread helped me save £3,000 last year to pay for this move - including a full packing service from Pickfords and a Molly Maid house clean. I would heartily recommend same - efficient, effective and polite. As long as Pickfords are as good the other end I shall be v happy. Worth every penny! (for those that dont know I have arthritis quite badly and lifting and bending are two things which, in the normal way I make myself do but prolonged stretches of so doing would put me in a lot of pain for a long time - plus MM got everywhere sooooo clean! Amazing!)

Words of advice for anyone considering moving DO YOUR MINIMISING AT LEAST ONE YEAR IN ADVANCE!! I never realised I had so much stuff - even today I was minimising nail varnishes with my friend and sending some to charity shops and some to her!!
Making do for me is a bit obvious - making do is hardly a hardship in Pat's chaotic but comfy house.
Mending - does it count that I stopped her burglar alarm going bonkers by listen to the man on the phone and his instructions and at the top of a ladder with screwdrivers etc was able to take out the fuse - open the box etc??? If you have one of these things get yourself a maintenance contract and keep it up - it took 2 hours to find someone who could help. he could nt drive because he had had a drink but was kind enough :A to tell me how to disable the **** thing as it was driving my friend and the neighbourhood mad!! (my friend had let her contract lapse! She will use him to come and mend the thing ASAP!
house the other end is back on the market :-( cant say I blame them but it is upsetting
Just have to hope for a rapid completion on the other one??? HO hum
Nite all
True riches are your friends me dears!

savingpennies

HI everyone and a special hi to all the new folk on here. I've not been on for a while. I discovered Mr Monevator and got rather infatuated.
Jackie O - so sorry to hear of your loss. I am sure your lovely family rallied round to support you. Thanks for the tip about the Linus Trust: I like knitting but don't always have anyone to make stuff for.
Lyn - Oh gosh! House moving is stressful enough when it goes ok. I hope everything works out and thank goodness for good friends.
Pinkypig - I did exam marking for over 10 years until last year when it wenet online. I couldn't face all those A level essays on a computer screen so packed it in. It is hard work but I got into the habit of doing so many a day early in the day before work and then so many in the evening and having one day off a week. I learnt so much from it to help my students.
Minimising: We have been sorting out the garage and took 10 bags of books to a book charity in town. They were so grateful it was worth the extra journey. 6 bin bags of clothes went to the local CS and OH took some stuff to the tip. We could actually get a car in there now:T We've also boxed up a load of stuff for us to do a car boot next month.
Make do: I had some wrinkly peppers that needed using up so roasted them and put them into jars with red wine vinegar and olive oil. We've used some on pizzas since and they are delish. I emptied the last of the compost bin on to a new flower bed I am creating and then went round the garden looking for cuttings to fill it with.
Mending: I've two jackets to mend. OH has a hole in the pocket of one and on mine the seam has come undone.
Have a good week everyone.