Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

claire1a

Thanks HowMuch,

I luckily don't owe anything (Must update my signature!!), used my EF to pay off the last of my CC plus other savings as this was annoying me more then needing my EF (I have £1000 super super emergency money from my nan's inheritance that I DONOTTOUCH, bit I suppose it is there fore utter emergencies!

There is luckily only me and a cat so no family (my parents live two hours away on the motorway), but I do have a lodger at the moment and will make sure that I keep this up when he goes (Possibly the beginning of September but depends on how fast he completes his masters).

I honestly will do anything for this next year as I have had lots of different jobs. Its just a shame as there are very few jobs where I will be getting £1500 a month after tax =( oh wells. Anything will be a bonus to nothing!
The one month non working is on condition of getting the redundancy (Something to do with tax?) and if I find employment before I think they can request the money back off me! Least it will be a nice month to deep clean my house (mortgaged), and spend some time with family.

I am also hoping to do some volunteering in the year I am waiting for Uni in order to build up my primary experience. I have a feeling I may end up with a part time week job, and a bar job at weekends to top up the money!

I really also need to sort my house out and actually start decluttering/selling my carp to raise funds! I have a second spare room which currently houses all my to sell items! Not a great use as this too could also be used to rent out. (As if I have an eb*y room haha!).

Ive just joined slimming world for 12 weeks (9 left), which my mum paid for to kick start my weight loss journey but I doubt I will be keeping this up when I have to pay myself. I am starting to cook from scratch again and currently batch cooking for my lunches so I dont go out and buy naughty food but it's hard getting into the habit of doing it again.

I have been debating a water meter for awhile but now I am considering renting both my rooms out again I think I will leave it until I leave uni! (Although I pay about £50 a month at the moment! Gulp!)

I have been with the same company nearly 9 years since finishing Uni and I definatly need a change. My mental health has really been beaten down by this job so the prospect of freedom is really exciting! Just getting myself worried about the year of limbo to come! I am also getting myself worried about the tuition fees etc as I have spend the last three years really busting myself out of debt and only became debt free this month!!!! (Mainly will the help of having a lodger in, which is why I need to keep this up!)

silvasava

clair1a - well done you! You are planning and aware of how you can earn/make money. Everyone on here will help you keep the motivation going and suggest ways of saving money too.

Managed to get some elastic by the metre from my local handicraft shop so mattress cover was threaded while sitting in the sunshine in the garden. Win win! Unpicked my friends pillowcases to remake into cushion covers for her and a Corned Beef Hash out of the freezer for tea. Sorted!!
Expecting a skype call from 'forn parts' in a wee while - it'll be good to catch up!
Have a good evening all x

Floss

Claire1A the world will be your lobster, as Delboy would say!

Think about your tuition fees - are you going into one of the sought-after subjects where fees may be subsided and a golden handshake or bursary paid?

Lodgers - will you seek another when current has completed their studies? Will you seek a second?

SW - easier now you will have the books & knowledge to keep it up when your subs run out, there is a thread on here for chat & support too.

EBay - read Martin's item on selling

iamsalt

Morning.

MMM has been challenging recently as real life has been busy, and we have had a number of additional expenses to pay. 300 on the car and the cats are off to the vets today as over the counter flea stuff just isn't working this year and they appear to be allergic to the bites. I am also having to travel more to work, which means more spent on trains.
That said - I have been making my own lunches for office days, and we are eating leftovers rather than oh forgetting about them! I would like some fresh veg but everything else shouldn't need topping up until next month.

I made a dress at the weekend that I had started ages ago, and I had some lovely compliments on it when I wore it to work yesterday. which is nice. I am counting that as a mend.
Minimising - I want to eat down one of the 2 freezers over the next month. I do a lot of batch cooking and freeze reduced stuff, but i want some space ready for the garden produce that is starting to come. I also suspect that there are some pretty old things in there that get moved from freezer to freezer when I am not looking!
The good thing about the light evenings is I am away from the tv,usually in the garden and I think I feel better for it.
Have a good day everyone
S X

claire1a

Morning all,

Unfortunately no golden handshake for me Floss as I am going into Primary, but I will get a little bit towards the tuition fees. Which are 9K!!!!!! for the year!!! Not sure why I am so shocked at this but do feel it is unfair that some bursary's are offering 15k plus! Damn me and my non maths brain! I can hopefully get a student loan to cover the rest, which is a bonus but pants as i'll be paying it off forever (as I am with my undergraduate loan!).

My lodger is away this weekend so deep clean and a little decluttering to be had!

Hope everyone has a great day and the sun lasts as long as it can!

peachyp

Hi all

I have been lurking for a few weeks and thought I would join in.

Partner and I are about to purchase our first house so will and have been doing a lot of MMM!

House needs £5000 of damp treatment and updating, it comes fully equipped with an avacado bathroom suite and the whole place hasn't been decorated for about 30 years :eek:

We are quite young (24 &25) and very inexperienced so there is a lot of learning to be done by both!

Make do - Sourcing as much as possible from freecycle and friends/family. We have already picked up a variety of things - coffee tables, laundry basket, shelves, paint which will save us a bit of money. I am an avid comper so have managed to pick up a few bits there - cutlery set, steam cleaner, furniture throw.

Mend - The whole house!

Minimise - Whilst gathering all important furniture I need to minimise the junk that I have collected over the last 24 years. So many cuddly toys, books, cds, dvds, ornaments that will need to go to the charity shop or similar. Big task that needs to be done soon as my parents want all of my stuff gone once and for all.


Looking forward to absorbing all of your wisdom

celtic_moon

Hi again all :hello:

I am still avidly reading along but limited time and facilities to post - would help if I could remember my login details (saved on this pc).....

Welcome to all the newbies - you will find LOADS of help and support on this thread - it's helped us stay on the MMM path for over 18 months now!

We are still MMMing in a HUGE way! We have had to take on another industrial unit earlier than anticipated (it came free before we wanted it to) so we have tightened our belts even further! We have kitted out the entire office with the furniture I had at home (I used to work from home) and bits I grabbed out of a skip! We had to pay the sum total of £4.29 for an extra long telephone extension cable and that was all!

There was a grotty old desk left in the unit which had seen better days. On closer inspection, I realised that the frame was in perfect condition - so I have re-homed a piece of melamine from a skip and it will be attached to the frame and will become my sewing desk at home. :T

I have had to go back to being wheat free (did it for 8 years before my hyst due to having endometriosis) - I couldn't afford the increasing clothing bill as I raced up the size chart and the other effects could've minimised my hubby and I wouldn't have blamed him - ye gods the smells!!!!! :eek: I am already seeing the benefits - increased energy, slowly reducing the bloaty flab, less brain fog so I will remain wheat free forever now I think. Hubby is doing it with me (he wasn't around when I did it before) and he is seeing some benefits too!

Hoping I will have some energy & time to get back into sewing as I have so many projects I want to do and clothes to make - fabric stash is huge and I am seriously unimpressed with the quality of clothing in the shops!

Much love and hugs to all xxx

HOWMUCH

Hello again and welcome to new peeps,
Claire1a it sounds like you are in a Uni area could you tap into that if they do any events. Pop a notice on their website re rooms to let and mature students normally don't wish to share with young students.
I've been busy today taking DGS to nursery, washing baby clothes for DD ready for next month. She's convinced herself it's another boy so asked me to wash all the 0-6 months things. I'd already washed the unisex clothes the last good weather we had.
Next week is the last week of my main carer for DGS when his mum goes on maternity leave, I will have more time on my hands plans are to decorate. And eBay some unwanted items or local Facebook selling site.
Hug to all those who need one x

Frugal_gem

Hi All :j Great to see the thread so active!!

Picked up the 'new' fridge freezer this evening and am very pleased. It`'s smaller than the old one (that was second hand when DH got it about 9 years ago!!), and nicer looking. Not sure about anything else - it definitely works but will have to wait and see how it performs!

Minimised a load of magazines and a bag of clothing to the charity shop.

Mended the fridge if that counts :rotfl:

Tomorrow I'm painting the kitchen door and frame and giving the house a good clean in between coats. Also will be trying desperately to keep the dog away from wet paint!!!

misstara

Welcome to the thread peachyp and claire1a

celtic_moon fab to see a post from you. I went gluten free just over a year ago now and will never go back. The benefits are amazing - no more bloating or sore stomach, more energy and over a stone and a half weight loss for me

Have been busy minimising various things around the flat in preparation for our move. Although slowing losing the will to live - forgotten how much work it is packing up. We've lived here for almost 10 years so have accumulated a lot of stuff. I've two big bags to go to the charity shop tomorrow and I'm sure there will be plenty more to follow.

Making do with whatever is in the fridge/freezer/cupboards for our meals as I'm trying to use up as much as possible before we move. Hope everyone is well.