Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

Lynplatinum

Evening all

Well MM&Ming not really happening here as am still with my friend until next week (all fingers crossed that the completion of my houses goes well). She has a habit of going shopping at least 3 times a week and out to lunch with her Mum once or twice a week - which is all fine but I am spending about £50 per week - way over my normal budget!! However, once I am in my own place I am sure I will soon be back to my usual frugal ways!!

However, I am considering what to build my cupboards with when I do get back into a house of my own such that I do not end up with loads of stuff clogging up the back of my cupboards, yet I have a small supply of foods should I not be able to go out for any reason.

claire1a I am therefore in a similar boat to yourself, i.e. considering what to stock.

So far my list of 'things that will not go off but will get used' includes:

1) Cans of: tomatoes, baked beans, cannelini beans, falgolet beans, chick peas; sweetcorn
2) Packets of dried: green lentils, pearl barley (makes fab rissotto) rice (sticky and brown), pasta twirls, spaghetti,
3) more perishible stuff (use within 3-6 months): flour (plain + Wholemeal), baking powder,bicarbonate of soda, polenta

Haven't thought about freezer yet as I am not sure what space I will have (a built in freezer comes with the house) and already have an extensive range of herbs and spices!

Hope this helps you think about what to stock claire1a.

But any thoughts on fresh milk substitutes one could keep in???
Also any other suggestions folks?? :A

Many thanks for any help
Nite all

The_Cheerleader

Good Morning MM&M'ers,
I love reading this thread as it keeps me focused with frugaling along, although sorry to say I don't think I have posted before,
Lyn and Claire,
one idea for stock cupboards is powdered milk, I make it up per instructions to use in recipe's where milk is required.
I have used it in cheese sauces, pasta/veg bakes and potato dauphinoise and nobody has ever noticed the difference and it keeps longer and is less bulky then cartons of long life milk hth,
Make do,
made a quiche from; left over defrosted pastry scraps, defrosted 1/2 tub of cream that had split, 4 OOD eggs DD had brought back from uni, hard cheese, wrinkly cherry tomatoes, and a sprinkling of thyme from the garden. It was delish
Mend,
Had to have roof repaired as a few tiles had slipped and gutters were pouring over, for princely sum of £40 which I'm delighted with, as we had put off for ages thinking we could n't afford the repairs.
Minimise,
several bags of DD clothes,books, and dvds to charity shop, as we are only a stop gap from uni until she moves to london.
Have a lovely day all x

mrs-moneypenny

Morning mmmers hope all are well
Just minimised some more paper recycling and did all the shedding so two big bags out, some tatty bakeware on the metal recycling pile and a bag full of buttons to school.
Need to do the mending and minimise the ironing pile.

bargainhunterss

*sneaks in at the back*

Hi everyone! I have FINALLY caught up with the thread, 30 pages of posts..phew! So haven't been posting, however now I'm all caught up I can actually get involved in the discussion :jIt's been lovely following everyone's MM&M ways and hi to all the newbies!:wave:

Ok, plan for this weekend....
Make do...try and use up some of the freezer stocks for lunch & tea (OH is working lates so only need to prep for myself).
Mend...got a pair of OH trousers which have a little hole in the knee that I am going to try and mend. Also, myself and my geeky friends are making a plant ID guide for our friend who is starting a new job (wildlife), so I've got some plant samples to mount and label (bet that's a mend that hasn't been on the thread before! :rotfl:)
Minimise...as OH is working tomorrow I'm going to try and tackle the kitchen cupboards of doom :eek::eek:. I think everyone has some of those kitchen cupboards that contain all kinds of kitchen carp (mainly plasticky boxes, tea towels, and god only knows what else!)

Treasurequeen

I have had a busy week of going to and from the hospital for tests. Hopefully that is enough until August fingers and toes crossed. I have been sorting my bedroom out and have a bin bag full of things for the charity shop. All this minimising ready for my move and still so much to do. Making some cat toys out of my old fluffy slipper socks tonight as I didn't want to throw them away. Tonight for tea is sausages, eggs, chips with a mixture of quorum sausages and reduced fat sausages as I wanted to use up both bags so I can get some freezer clips back. A Friend who works for a magazine publisher has given me two adult colouring books and some food magazines free so they will keep me occupied for a while:j

the colouring books would have been £20 in the shops :eek:

bargainhunterss

Quick making-do/mending question....does anybody have any ideas of uses for odd socks (other than making pairs of odd socks:rotfl:) ? I'm going to sort out the odd sock mountain (plus undie drawers) this weekend and I want to get rid of old socks that haven't got a friend if I can! For info, I have no pets or chiddlers to make appropriate things for so can't use them that way!:o

Thanks!

Prinzessilein

I was at the GP this morning...collected a repeat prescription while I was there and got it filled at the chemist...so that is my soapless gunk and moisturisers and shampoo sorted for the next month or two. ..I REALLY miss a lovely hot soak with scented bubbles et.c - but it really saves the pennies when you can only use prescription stuff! (just call me Pollyanna!)

Popped into the charity shop this morning too...they had some 'new' whodunnits in (I like the 'classics'...Sayers, Christie, Marsh et al) and found a couple that I will read and then pass on to my sister.

I do online surveys...and checked my Consumer pulse account today...I usually cash in my points for Waterstones vouchers (it used to be the Amazon ones until they stopped offering those as rewards!) ...almost got enough for £30 so that will be a nice bonus in a few weeks!

bargainhuntress...what to do with socks?......the obvious answer is to use the odd socks for cleaning rags....if they are bright colours then you can cut across them and use the resultant rings as hair scrunchies....with a spare ankle-type sock in a nice pale pastel you could add a button and decorate with spangles and embroidery, ribbon trim if liked - and call it a key-purse!....or if you are really 'crafty' you could gut the socks into strips, add them to your rage bag and start making a rag-rug!

bargainhunterss

Thanks Prinzessilein! Some great ideas there :money: I'll see what I can rustle up this weekend!

nursemaggie

bargainhunterssIf you have brightly coloured odd socks my DD and DGS made Snowmen out of toilet roll middles covered in cotton wool. Se used buttons and felt for faces etc and made scarves and hats out of DGS socks he had grown out of. She made the hats out of the toe ends gathering a bit from the end to make a bobble and used strips for scarves. They looked really good and they gave them to friends at Christmas. They may sell at a Christmas fair or you can do the same.

Siebrie

My mending pile has gone! Thanks to my mum :roll: My parents are staying here for three weeks and mum is looking for something to do while watching my dds (8 and 5). She says that while she is doing some mending or knitting it is clear to the girls that granny can't play with them, so they will amuse themselves.