Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

[Deleted User]

In a way its quite fun when you are 'eating down' the freezer stocks.You can find some odd sorts of meals Last night I decided as I am frugalling I will cobble together my dinner. I found a batch of wraps that have been in there since Adam was a lad I think,but I had the foresight to wrap them individually in cling film which was handy.

So out came a frozen wrap which defrosted during the afternoon.This I plonked on a plate after I had given a quick 'nuke' in the microwave to warm it through and filled with lettuce, tomato's, cubed up sage flavoured cheese (also defrosted from the freezer )and from the fridge I had cooked two small rashers of very lean bacon and some squashed looking mushrooms splodged some sweet chilli sauce over the lot and wrapped it all up. Result was one very tasty wrap absolutely bulging with stuff from the fridge and freezer.

Using up everything I can think of for the foreseeable future I think I accompanied this with a slice of coffee and walnut cake from yesterdays coffee morning

That was brilliant by the way I had two very nice cups of fresh ground coffee and two slithers of cake, and when I donated to the fundraising (it was what you wanted to donate and I put in £2.00 from my Happy Cash Stash :)) the lovely lady said as you have enjoyed the cake so much here's some to take home, and gave me a decent slice in a box.It really was gorgeous and it was my 'sinning treat' for the week as I try not to eat too much in the way of cakes and it was home made so well worth the £2.00 donation.
The coffee morning was at a little church that my friend helps on the committee with.The fundraising was for a girls refuge in India, so a good cause and I have promised to help out with some knitting for them as well.

I have got some unidentifiable box out this morning from the freezer and it is in the fridge so tomorrow nights dinner is sorted as what ever it is I shall have it on a jacket spud I'm pretty sure its not fruit at least as it smells rather like a chilli I must remember to label things when I freeze them makes for 'interesting times' when eating though :):)

Minimised my ironing completely and even got it all put away (I hate that job )

Made a few more knitted squares for my charity blanket for the Linus trust so quite a useful day yesterday and apart from the donation I haven't spent any cash this month and I am on my 9th NSD as well :):) Things are looking good chums

JackieO xxx

silvasava

Really dull and drizzly here today so will clean the inside of the windows. It might sound daft but our house faces east/west so usually I have to do the front in the morning and the back in the afternoon while they're still in shade so now I can do the lot in one hit. The house really needs a good clean as its only had a lick and a flick for the last month as we've (me) had so much going on. Sometime this week a friend is coming round to plan our kitchen for us as I want the wall taken down between our kitchen and dining room - it had a revamp over 20 years ago so I'm getting quite exited! Not sure when the work will actually start though, depends on hubby!
Right - need to get on! Have a good day all

[Deleted User]

Good Morning chums, bit grey and damp here in north Kent but due to dry up later. Came home with some left over bist from dinner last night, so my freezer dive will do for tomorrows lunch instead, it is is a small portion of chilli I just checked

So tonight I will have roast beef,potatoes,carrots and broccoli for dinner and I only have to make a little bit of gravy and zap the left overs in the microwave. I have a couple of nectarines in the fridge and one I will chop up and mix with some basic yogurt as a pudding, the other one will be saved until later in the week. Tenth day of no food shopping and I am really pleased. I am definitely making do with what I have.

Mending will be turning up DGS school trouser for him as they are just a little too long

Minimising will be probably doing DDs washing for her later when the weather brightens up a bit.

Hope you all have a good fruggaling Monday

JackieO xx

misstara

Evening all
Tonight for tea I had a baked tattie with egg mayo which used up some eggs that went out of date today and some salad bits that were a bit past it. I've cut up some fruit which was going soft which I will have with yoghurt for breakfast tomorrow. I also made flapjacks with some out of date porridge oats.

No mending but I found a button on the floor this morning which came from one of OHs shirts so I've asked him to hunt down the shirt.

iamsalt

Evening.

Busy day here today with work, but no commute thank goodness.

But big news for me...I have minimised half the mortgage. It was a high interest rate 4.74 and a inheritance arrived, so it's used to pay off £68,000. This releases the pressure on me while oh is a student, but gives us apace to over pay if we want on the rest of it which is low interest rate.

I am still working my way through the freezer, using things up as I transfer the stuff between the freezer and new one...pork mince as bolognase for supper all from stores.thats making do and minimising.
Mend nothing yet but there are a few things lined up, and I would like to make a new dress for holiday from fabric I already havee.

S x

silvasava

How lovely for you both iamsalt. Am having a wry smile over the high interest rate of 4.74 though - ours is paid off but we had rates varying between 8 and 14 pct. Think the lowest was 5 towards the end.
DH is going for a colonoscopy today - he's feeling a bit fragile and not sure what to expect. Part of me is sympathetic the other part is thinking 'man up' - can't be any worse than many women have endured what with childbirth and mammograms etc. Don't think I'm very good nurse material. Just found out a friend has broken her leg and is in the same hospital so will pay her a surprise visit too, so that will take care of most of today.

iamsalt

Hi Silvasava, I know we are very lucky with the low high interest rates, OH had those rates when he was younger and first bought a flat, I am quite a bit younger, but I am aware of the pressures people were under at the time. I am just thankful that it wasn't at that rate, or we wouldn't have been able to afford to protect his mental health by him leaving his last job.

I hope your husband survived, my mum has had a couple and she did say it wasn't as bad as the mammogram. I have found it interesting that men I know will put off doctors for weeks and months because they are worried of what they might be told.

I came home after another delayed train journey to a parking notice. We had tried to take mum out for fish and chips at the seaside on her birthday, but the carpark shut at 7.30 and we arrived at 7.15, so I let the dog out for a quick wee and then we left rather than pay for parking. Unfortunately it wasn't quickly enough so I have a £40 fine for being there for 18 minutes. Lesson very definitely learned.
I will eat from stores and reduce the spend this month further, to pay for it from spends this month rather than dip into savings.
Last day of work today before annual leave, and we are away from Sunday, so apart from some bread I don't need any food. Tomorrow is hair cut, visiting a friend who had an operation and providing ID to the bank for a new account.
I hope you all have a lovely day.
S x

silvasava

Ouch to the parking fine. IAS. Can you do anything about it? I know there is a thread on here on how to contest - especially if it's a private car park.
DH is in recovery lol! Said the worse part was the effects of the drink to clear his system. When I asked which ward my friend was on found she'd been discharged so will give her a ring to see if she needs any help.
A friend of ours very kindly offered to plan our kitchen for us - he's coming round this morning to finalise some details. It won't be done until next year but gives me chance to get rid of a lot of stuff before the work starts - that's the theory anyway!

[Deleted User]

Well minimised my food shopping bill today and only bought necessities and pleased that it only came to £10.61. Purse shut with a clunk as I go home and no more shopping for awhile

Making do with as much as possible from stocks I will get this blooming freezer empty :):)

Mend: did a couple of squares of my charity blanket this afternoon ,i try to do at least two to three a day

JackieO xx

Treasurequeen

Ok this is the second time I write this post. It is cold and drizzly here I've just walked the dog in it because there are meant to be showers this afternoon. My nans freezer died yesterday so we have all the stuff that was in her freezer in our fridge, so it's all being cooked and batch freezed for the freezer as she doesn't want any of it. Yesterday was quiche with stuff from out freezer, tonight is roast chicken stuffed with sage from my herb garden. I'll also be doing a beef casserole to freeze and a beef curry. Nothing mended today but have a huge pile to do that I have been putting off. Minimised a bag for the charity shop of books and CDs.