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Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

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Comments

  • mrs-moneypenny
    mrs-moneypenny Posts: 15,519 Forumite
    Afternoon
    Sorry haven't posted for a while I hope everyone is well.
    In past couple of weeks we've decluttered our old bathroom and updated it for a nice shiny new one, we have the old one on the drive in a skip waiting to be taken away, along with a load of other clutter we've got rid of. Shed roof has been refelted and a bit of the back garage wall repointed by Dh
    Loads of junk has been decluttered into skip so loads of minimising done.
    Today I've sorted through crafting stash, reboxed it into some sort of organised system and put some into a CS bag.
    I've filled a seperate basket with little oddment balls of wool I can use to make hats for the scbu hospital I've got a blanket on the go which I should be able to finish tonight.
    Will make do with veggie sausage mash and runner beans from the garden for tea tonight.
    I've just about minimised the bruises I gains falling off a sea groyne on holiday and will have the stitches taken out of my scalp on Friday (falling over backwards while roller skating is not a good idea!)
    SPC~12 ot 124

    In a world that has decided that it's going to lose its mind, be more kind my friend, try to Be More Kind
  • silvasava
    silvasava Posts: 4,433 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Congratulations Misstara!! How exciting to get a flat after such a long wait. I'd certainly take a look at what you need and post on Freecycle first. Don't know if there's a Street life site for your area but that can be good too ( managed to replace my upright freezer at very short notice!) BHF can be very good for furniture and electrical items too. A coat of paint to upcycle furniture can really make a difference. Keep us posted on how you get on
    Been struggling a bit this month as DH cracked a bone in his foot and has been limping for about a month. Luckily his car is automatic so he's been able to drive this last week. He's now managed to get something nasty in his eye so yesterday was spent first at the opticians - who made an emergency appointment for him at the hospital for the afternoon. Object removed and drops for 5 days. Consequently nothing done at all! I'm looking round and there seems to be so many things that need doing indoors let alone the garden. Reading how much all of you have achieved I Need to get my Arris in gear and crack on - we've got sunshine so no excuse ;)
    Have a good day all
    Small victories - sometimes they are all you can hope for but sometimes they are all you need - be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle
  • Evening everyone, today I have minimised some DVDs and CDs and they are off to the charity shop tomorrow. Have been decorating the lounge so have minimised most of the old and outdated wallpaper as in 1940s Brown and cream stripes.

    Made shepherds pie for tea and have put a few in the freezer for another few days teas. I want to use things up in freezer before my next shop and its mostly veg and potato products left now. I Have a party this weekend so free food and drinks there. Nothing mended today.
    £2 savers club 2025 #2= £48
  • I minimised some of my yarn stash by starting another blanket for an expectant colleague and tomorrow is mending day.
    Chin up, Titus out.
  • iamsalt
    iamsalt Posts: 295 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 100 Posts
    Hi everyone

    Had an afternoon off work so started work with OH on mum's birthday present...she is a hoarder so I don't buy her things anymore. In the past I paid for her to have a holiday, now she can't manage travelling any more I have to be more inventive. This year we have started the process of replacing an old, holed pond liner which had been only holding about 3 inches of water. Today we removed the old liner, reshapeD parts, put underlay down and the liner in, I had the job of tucking in the liner...such bliss to be paddling in cold water today. I need to finish filling it tomorrow, hopefully anything nice has escaped from the old liner and plants.

    I am still plodding through the compost heap trying to fill my raised beds, I have been gifted some delicious plums so I have been making do for pudding with those.

    Looking forward to working my way through some jobs this bank holiday, and starting to pick my tomatoes.

    SUGGESTIONS PLEASE
    My tin opener has given up the ghost. Is it me or do they just not survive.? I have had cheap, expensive and middling ones and none last long, they don't even do as much as the old days, as so many have ring pulls now. Does anyone have a recommendation of a tin opener that lasts more than a few months?

    Thanks
    S x
    £400,000 starting Jan 2020 current end date Aug 2041 I would love the end date to be 2027 but will aim first for 2037.
    1% target £4000 so far £20 paid
  • Evening folks

    Jackie, do you feel better? I hope it was just a bit too much sun for you.

    Finally dealt with my mending pile yesterday evening - instead of an early night... It included one pair of tights, four undies, a dress where a ribbon came off and a dress with a hole. Plus I added a press stud to a blouse to get rid of this silly gap between the first and the second button.. And I unpicked the seam of my jeans... THey were too long so I shortened them. Luckily didn't cut it off, just foldet it up and stitched in place. Well, they got shorter and shorter with each wash and I now need the whole lenght of it...

    Just took a cake out of the oven, it is our village fair tomorrow and the WI is selling cake, bread and jam, so the cake was my contribution towards it.
    Had a chat with my family today if we will manage to have a stroll along the fair together (we knew already that having lunch or dinner together will not work out...) but from nine in the morning to eight in the evening one of us is working somewhere...

    Made plum and apple jam last Sunday, 700 g of plums, 300 g apples and a kilo sugar got me 1.5 litres of jam. Wanted to blend the fruit before adding the sugar but found that my blender sounded like a airplane engine but does not blend... So I guess I will need a new one... I hate buying stuff like that...

    Have a nice evening everyone!
    Fashion on the Ration 2022: 5/66 coupons used: yarn for summer top 5 /
    Note to self, don't buy yarn!
  • nursemaggie
    nursemaggie Posts: 2,608 Forumite
    Seventh Anniversary 1,000 Posts
    iamsalt Personally I think the cheaper tin openers last about the same as the more expensive ones. I usually buy one of the £1 butterfly ones with the long handle from Wilkos or my local market and they last about 6 to 10 years. The more fancy ones cost from about £6 to about £25. The more expensive they are the shorter they last. Had an expensive electric one bought me about 20 years ago. Saw in in Mr S for £25. It lasted about six months.

    I think I would find an electric one got in the way these days as you say most tins come with ring pulls. I think I mainly use it for a tin of salmon which I don't use very often as DS does not like salmon. I sometimes have a salmon salad if I am on my own for dinner. Not very often.
  • iamsalt
    iamsalt Posts: 295 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 100 Posts
    Thanks Nurse Maggie, I was wondering about going back to the cheap ones and then I would feel less aggrieved about replacing it when it needs retiring.
    I am popping to town later so will have a look.
    Thanks
    S x
    £400,000 starting Jan 2020 current end date Aug 2041 I would love the end date to be 2027 but will aim first for 2037.
    1% target £4000 so far £20 paid
  • candygirl
    candygirl Posts: 29,455 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I've also had allsorts of tin opners that never last, so now just buy the old fashioned butfervly ones from HOME BARGAINS at 59p each.:)
    "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf"

    (Kabat-Zinn 2004):D:D:D
  • wilsooon
    wilsooon Posts: 75 Forumite
    Long time lurker here, v impressed by all your hard work!

    Today I've minimised a bag of clothes for the CS and mended two gates by repainting them. Tonight I shall be mending a hole in a dress, and then making do with it by reshaping the neckline as I realised I never wear it because I don't like the neck. Quite an adventure for me, as I'm not good at sewing. Thanks for the inspiration, everyone!
    Wilson the Volleyball is one of Hollywood's most loved volleyballs. His glittering career started when he became the only companion of Tom Hanks' Chuck Noland in Cast Away. Many say this is Wilson's best performance and he couldn't have given a better effort.
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