Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

PinkFlamingo30

Right, feeling a bit better now
I have opened a budget account - the amount in there per month is it. Excluding petrol which is building my credit score on another account.
School work is a little more balanced as I have changed my working practices.
Hopefully the calmness will last and I will get back to working and mmm'ing in a zen like state.
Also looking at investing some of my inheritance on a buy-to-let. I have no need to move out (big house and just ma and me + 3 cats). Any thoughts on that appreciated.

Love and hugs to all

kangamama

I don't know what's gone on in your life PinkFlamingo30 as I've not caught up on the post yet but it sounds as if you are on the mend and getting back into the MMMing life again. Big hugs if you need them xxx

PinkFlamingo30

I have anxiety and depression so I get completely freaked out some times. Life just carries on as normal, but I don't.
Money has worried me all my life and still does even with a wage. Love the concept of mmm, but sometimes i just fail epically. Not helped by a compete system failure at school. That is when I struggle, but i have returned to the sanity of on here and it is soaking in again.

Thanks for the concern

kangamama

I can sympathise hun. I've spent nearly 12 months off sick in the last few years due to depression and anxiety. I'm nearly back to normal (whatever normal is) is now but I know there's always the risk of heading back to where I was before. I had to decide to drop my hours at work even though it added the stress of tight finances but I'd rather have time than money and things. I've always been a make do, mend and minimise girl but now it's a necessity.


I didn't manage to get the DVDs minimised yesterday as it chucked down with rain when I got in from work so I couldn't get them out of the garage but I did minimise my wool stash with 2 baby hats for the local hospital and a hammock for my youngest daughter's stuffed toys. It's amazing how much easier it is to make her bed without a thousand toys to move first!


Today I intend to:


Make do - Eat leftovers for lunch rather than digging into a fresh loaf
Mend - Hem a pair of trousers
Minimise - The washing basket! One load drying while I work, I intend to be good and put it all away tonight instead of leaving it in the basket for days as I normally do.

misstara

Managed to mend my shower curtain rail which had fallen down using some packing tape, seems to be holding up well so hopefully it won't fall down again.

Made sausage casserole tonight for tea, made double quantities so the rest has gone in the freezer for another day. Got some fruit that needs used up so it's been cut up and I'll have fruit salad tomorrow for breakfast.

I've been minimising myself so have a bag of clothes that no longer fit to go the CS.

Lynplatinum

Evening all!!

Havent been on for a while as I was away at the weekend at my friends. And am trying to conquer my next deamon of falling asleep in front of the TV. So have switched the Sky to classic FM instead of one of my recorded programes so that at 12 midnight I can sign off here and go to bed. This lack of discipline re sleeping means that I am shattered the next day and do not achieve what I wanted to; which, in turn, makes me cross with meself!

Pink -dont be too hard on yourself - none of us is perfect. (see me and the sleeping thing above - not getting enough sleep is why the mending thing is going nowhere at the mo - keep on reading on here and trying other folks strategies - one of em will work for you - another wont. Keep going tho!

savingpennies - this type of problem with a tap will often be the washer. If you have the physical strength it is worth turning your water off (usually under the sink) running out the water in the system; prising off the top if the tap; measuring and then buying a washer - putting it in and then putting the tap back together. There are very good videos on line - i have done this in the past but arthritis prevents me doing such repairs in future. You do not say how old you are but often Age UK has a list of either folk who will do minor tasks like this for free or plumbers who charge a reasonable amount. You may find a way to access this information in your area. Hope this info helps.

Jackie O - going round an 'Antique' market on my epic trip to Devon with Age UK with my friend (there were spaces left on the coach) I saw a lovely folding wooden ruler with brass on the sides and proper swivel joints. Do you remember them? Sadly it had no centimeters on it or I would have bought it as an heirloom to pass on to my grandaughter. the 'shatterproof ones ARE rubbbish. The little de*ils do terrible things with em at school. If you get em v warm for example you can then bend them and so they are not accurate (even if you re straighten them!!). Plus if cold they shatter as you describe - plus they dont half leave a mark if a kid manages to swipe another with em - and they sting worse than a wooden one (how do I know? I grabbed one in mid swing to stop one of my more difficult children assaulting another one who had been winding him up all day! )

Welcome Peony!!

So me:Bin busy somehow!! Loving my new washing machine - definaitely living up to the promise of the reviews - a very clean result and watched the electric meter and I think it does use less electric - also as promised! :j

Totally rained on Monday so turned into a vegetable and caught up on my recorded Sky (my retirement treat to myself) while also reducing pile of paperwork in the adverts (instead of skipping them as you can do)
Tuesday the sun shone so I went for a lovely 2 hour walkies (minimising me) BUT potentially expensive as I have found my self an Avon lady in the area and have put an order through her door. I wear few cosmetics but I find their creams/shampoo/moisturising lippy very good and my rather sensitive skin does not react adversely to it. I only buy when on offer so I suppose that is a saving.

Making do - went shopping on Wednesday as I was out of milk, fruit and tomatoes but spent well within my £10 budget for the week so pleased with that (house is full of grub!!)

Mend: shall we count stuff like weatherproofing fences etc?? I need to do this and am off upto St Austell the lovely dentist tomorrow (well the hygenist) and it is the nearest £ shop and B&Q type shops So will be spending tomorrow in order to mend - if that makes any sense????
did my minimal ironing on Tues - now does that count as minimising as it reduces clutter/ gets rid of a chore/ gets rid of a pile of stuff OR mending as it now renders the items wearable (which they weren't before) :rotfl::rotfl: Oh such a First World Problem!!! Thoughts on a post (card) folks!!:rotfl:
Take care all! frugalling on!

PinkFlamingo30

Thank Lyn
Less mending more prevention of mending with the fences, so yep it counts
Ironing most certainly counts as minimising. It has before and I dont think anything has changed.
Maybe i should look into wooden rulers..... Most of my classes have a ruler limit 6out at anyone time and collected as soon as the title is under lined! Saves the testing of shatterproof.

mrs-moneypenny

Morning mmmers sorry haven't been in for a while been busy mmming I suppose. Bearings went in the wm so that needed mending, I put the last coat of gloss on the wardrobe doors yesterday so hopefully they can be rehung over the weekend which will mean the bedroom is almost finished. I've knitted a couple of hats for the local scbu but need to sew them up.
I've sanded down all the paintwork on the landing that needs reglossing and need to get on with that next week.
I minimised a load of weeds and gone over stuff from the gardens yesterday as the green bins are being emptied today and we've started a list of half term jobs (which is when we 'put the garden to bed for winter) like creosoting the fences, putting the solar lights and garden furniture away etc)
I've also applied for another job which doesn't really fall into any mmm category but it's sonething I really fancy doing and it will improve our finances.
Hope everyone is as well as they can be and has a lovely weekend.

Lynplatinum

Evening all

So am grumbling in me underwear - the hygenist cancelled :mad:
Should not complain - anyone can fall ill!!!

However, they sent the txt about 9am - I didnt see it till 10 just as I put my phone in me handbag to set off!!! Grrrr :mad:

Was all dressed up, ready to go and had arranged to meet up with my friend for a tenative coffee afterwards so I still went. Had lovely chat with friend; managed to buy some more grey paint to do table with this time (before they stop doing that colour); also found out where the W!kes store is (near Truro) as they are cheaper than B+ Q. Checked out the prices today and if you are buying their own brand this still holds true. So got my fence coating stuff today. Near by was a Home B!rgains - went in for a potter - looking for another door mat (for the conservatory - I came in from the gravel in the back yard on a wet day last week and nearly went apex over base) + a toothbrush travel thingy. Bought these and other items (some for Christmas/UHT milk for stores/ pearl barley (couldnt find this in Hayle) I have to say HB have some truely random stuff in. They have some Kilner type jars for £1.99 if anyone is looking for some for the C pressys (sorry). They are a bit large to fill tho But quite pleased as spent just over £11.
So in all today spent £40 over my usual budget but am still pleased as these give me the stuff necessary to do needed projects at home - without me having to go to Truro especially to buy this stuff and the 'House' budget is separate to the everyday budget. The 'house ' pot is now almost empty - I gave myself £500 when I moved in to get things like this done.

Have also booked hotel for Beer fest in October And got a discount so am pleased with that. After the B Fest it will be back to penny pinching prior to the C time of year. Indeed, this begins NOW!! As need some spending monies while there !!!:rotfl: Although, as I work at the festival I get a certain amount of beer and food free (rule is you must be sober enough to deal with punters!) :beer:

So need to get busy on the mending side of things as I now have all materials etc!!!!
Make do: Food from stores (apart from coffee which came from Happy Stash)
Mend: bought stuff to begin on this
Minimise: nowt really - tho I could go all highbrow and say that I was minimising my impact on the environment by picking stuff up on the way home????? ..... Nah far too cheeky!
Nite all

[Deleted User]

Good Morning all Lyn I had one of those folding rulers when I was a little girl Now I really feel antique :):)

Minimised my ironing pile down to zilch last night so I can 'play' today (that means I can do what ever I feel like doing read,knit watch tv,and NO housework at all.)

I like to have a 'play' day now and again as I have such a busy life during the week with DGS ,U3A,history class,sociology class, book club,knitting group and god know how many other calls on my time that now and again I like a 'play day'

I have in the fridge some HM leek and potato soup for lunch and for dinner I have dug from the freezer a small piece of steak and a couple of sausages to make a mixed grill with tonight.I made a large pot of ground rice pud yesterday and added sultanas and cinnamon to it so that will do for several days pudding with some custard.

So very little cooking to do.The only mending I have got is to put some new 'poppers' om my duvet cover that I ironed last night as several of the plastic ones seem to have melted /disappeared into the washing machine I have some metal ones in my old sewing box which i will fish out and sew on later today when I'm watching some catch-up tv. Done my new months accounting this morning so all up to date .New month so left over cash from food purse will go into next years holiday account, not a lot but around £14.00 odd will be a start towards the holiday spending cash for next August

No food shopping to buy as yet as I am still making do from the freezer and fridge I have enough in there to tide me over the weekend

Hope you all have a good weekend and the sun shines down on you where ever you are
Cheers chums


JackieO xx