Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

villagelife

Have been sorting cupboards and throwing away stuff or putting on ebay or charity shop.
I am tidying the house as it will help focussing on the important parts of my life - the people I hold dear.

misstara

Morning MMMers, hope everyone had a lovely weekend. dND hope the abcess is clearing up.

Have got a bag of books to go to the CS - me and OH are moving flats at the end of the month and we have decided we are not moving anything that is not going to be read, worn or used again. Let the minimising begin

Had a lovely roast chicken dinner yesterday so have portioned up the rest - chicken salad tonight, chicken fried rice tomorrow and OH is going to make soup for lunches this week.

mrs-moneypenny

Morning mmmers
Busy today so won't be about till later, I hope everyone is as well as they can be and managing to stay dry in all this rain. I did read in the paper this opening that summer is no it's way back.
Just minimised a huge pile of washing up in the kitchen and threw some bread out for the birds.
Will minimise some of the papers of the table and clear that once I get home.
Started a baby blanket for a friend who's expecting another grandchild next month. Pat I'll need to mend DHs shorts and trousers hopefully tomorrow will see that all done.

Have a good day all.

silvasava

Managed a few things yesterday - deadheaded my roses to tidy them up. My beautiful peonies are in full bloom but are being beaten down by the rain. I've propped them up as best I can but it's such a shame. Intended to go for a short sail with DS1 but weather looked iffy and both of us felt CBA! So we ended up helping some friends on their boat and I have brought home 3 cushions to cover and a spray dodger to repair. I did manage some mending on Saturday, I have a quilted mattress cover that the elastic had gone so I've sewed a channel all the way round and need to get elastic today to finish it.
Yukky weather here today so I'll try to get some minimising done - not sure about any making do though

Frugal_gem

Have been away this weekend in the van which was lovely and not too much rain! Took all our own food which saves a fortune and is usually nicer!!

Came home to a broken fridge freezer yesterday!! So on the look out for a decent second hand one. Luckily, we have a chest freezer and 'brewing' fridge in the shed so making do with that for now. Although it's a bit annoying having to run to the shed for milk every time I want tea, I am very lucky that I do have access to other storage and can afford to buy a new one.

I have been more and more over the course of this year looking not only at my spending but also on where and how the product has been made. I am now going to be making a huge effort to buy second hand / freecycle or ensure that anything I buy new has been made ethically (after checking that I do actually need it). This has proved to be slightly harder than I thought as I keep delving deeper into ethical consumerism!! Basically, this board will save me and keep me on the straight and narrow as always

Have a week off so plan to do lots of sorting through the house, minimising clothes and general carp, batch cooking and long walks with the pooch!

Hope the weather isn't too bad where you are!

ETA: the fridge freezer is beyond repair, no mending there unfortunately!

Bubblesmum

JackieO wrote: »

The Linus Project is such a lovely charity and I have been knitting for them for about 8 years. I make knitted blankets, and my friend does quilts and crochetted ones. I use even the left over bits of wool from her crochet work and make stripey ones.

I have seven warm and well-fed grandchildren, who have never been cold or hungry in their lives, and to me if one of my many 'blankey's' end up keeping a child somewhere in the world warm I am more than happy to do it .

Its good exercise for my right arm which I have lymphodema in, and need to keep it moving to help with the drainage ,so its win-win for everyone

My wool stash is always getting topped with from donations from friends and neighbours or I buy small cardi's from boot sales for a relatively small amount and undo them ,wash and rewind, so they get recycled

As a certain shop says 'every little helps ':):):)

JackieO

Jackie

I too support Project Linus with knitted/crocher blanket, never thought of small cardi's - thanks for the tip

HOWMUCH

Hello MMMers and welcome to any new peeps, we've just got back from another 4 night break.
Mend : future SIL cycling back pack strap. Shopping bag handle. Knitting done a jumper for new baby due next month. Plus a Aran hat to match a sleeping bag I'd knitted using up the left over ball of wool.
Make do : using up food we've got in the freezer, plus I took a cool bag last week with HM frozen ready meal saved having to think what we would eat we were there.
Minising : cleaned up another buggy I have for DGS he didn't use it last week. We are off again in 3 weeks on another 4 night break, so if he doesn't use it again it's already to be sold. When we go away in October I'll take the new to me one I've got for the new baby.
He's coming in a treat with his free flow speak a lot if autistic children just repeat what they've heard.
Friday night we had to go collect some thing from a near by village, so did a round robin of the supermarkets. I got 2 bags full of YS bread from MrT's for 35p everything was either 2p or 3p. Then popped to Sainsbobs got 4 packs of salad leaves at 5p for 200g bags, DD and DS had 1 each leaving me 2. I also got a ham and egg salad meal for 10p. Things for stir fry noodles 5p and prepare veg and bean thing 10p. I popped these in the freezer, an organic pack of 3 peppers 10p. Then green one was used today making a vat of chilli. Red and yellow using in salad meals and the rest will go into a lasagne tomorrow. Then MrM's got a quiche, Davidstow cheese n onion pasties x4 for£1.98, 3 bags of those artisan bread rolls 10 in each bag 25p each a pack of 80% pork sausages 15p, 4 large egg n pork pies 15p each they are cut in half and in the freezer. Then called at Asda got 2 French sticks and 5 400g bloomers for 27p. So we have enough bread to last about 4 weeks if not more for 72p and enough Saturday night pork pie for 8 weeks for 60p. I use the YS pitta breads instead of naan with curry. The French stick were cut in half and will come out to be had with chilli or spag Bol. Bread cake with be sarnies for lunch or some bacon or fried egg at breakfast.
Ive got a terrible chesty cough so not feeling too good not been out since the YS shop on Friday.
Hug to all those who need one x

[Deleted User]

Good Morning chums

Bubblesmum well done, another Linus lady I find especially useful to but the tiny baby cardi's at boot sales as usually they are often white and so I can use the white wool with colours for stripey blankets or on its own for doing a white edge around.Saves a fortune in buying white wool.Doesn't take long to unpick either and a quick wash and wind into hanks and hang on the line to dry and its done and ready for reknitting.
Well done HOWMUCH on your haul. I nipped into the tiny Mr t's on the way home last night as I had to drop some recycling off at the bin nearby and spotted two huge long sweet peppers reduced to 30p from £1.50 so snaffled those sharpish.The place was empty because of the footie on tv, I rarely go in ther as a rule as I'm not keen on Mr Ts prices and prefer Aldi's or Lidls but I'm not one to turn my nose up at a bargain Started a new charity blanket again last night,got bored with the footie so watched a film instead,thank goodness that I have my TiVo box for movies

No cooking tonight as its quiz night and I get food in with the price of the quiz.Coffee morning this morning at Dobbies so I have a voucher for my free coffee which will come in handy.

For lunch I will be making do with a tin of pea and mint soup that my Dd gave me to try as she said it was delicious Not keen on tinned soup as a rule but she had bought some at Aldi's and said it was the nicest she had tried. At the weekend my son-in-law bought some coconut and lime juice drink from Aldi's and it was delicious,I may put that on my list for my next shopping trip there.
have a good day all you MMM's the sun is shining and its mid-summers day today :):)

JackieO xx

claire1a

Hello everyone,
Very deep lurker here. Apologies now for the super long post!

I have just been asked at work to consider taking voluntary redundancy (City Council) and I am really thinking about it. I am in my early 30s, would really like to go into primary teaching and feel that this could be a blessing in disguise... I would get around £9000 depending on exactly when (and if) i am allowed to leave. Which is possibly (very scarily) at the end of September!!!! I will express and interest in leaving later in the financial year if possible (Even two months later my package would go up another £1000) as I am unable to get into teaching until September next year.

Principally I have only 4 wages to go... then a whole year where I need to make enough to cover my bills until I start my course! I am planning on using my redundancy money to fund my year in training to cover the bills then. Also I might be able to get a maintenance loan whilst at Uni but this is something I am hoping to avoid!

I am also not allowed to work for the first month after leaving work (Scared these means my procrastination will set in and I wont be able to get a job for months) so need to save as much as I can in the mean time!!

So 4 months to get my emergency fund back up (Currently down to just £37!!!!!) and prep for a potentially very lean year!!! Lots of Making do, mending and minimising to be had!!

Quite excited though!

HOWMUCH

Hello all and welcome Claire1a is it just yourself or a family? I notice in your signature you've got £607.56 debt. I would try and get this paid off before you finish. Do you have a sanction on the month not working, is it part of the deal? You will becoming up to the time companies take in extra staff for Christmas so you may be able to pick short term work there. I was made redundant about the same age. I took anything I could get, I worked as a kitchen hand for about 3 months I'd never done this type of work before but it was more than the dole. I registered with employment agencies this lead to my next job. What I'm trying to say is take anything you can get. Do you rent or own your home? Start cutting back as soon as you can, why not even today, I enjoy the challenge of eating as cheaply as we can. Council tax I have no control but we've gone into a water meter and saving £500 there, gas and electric and water I've got control over. I batch cook and reheat normally in the ping machine. If you supply more info we can help you better.
As one door closes so long as you want it and keep you mind open. x