Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

mummy2threeboys

Really sorry to read and run Following for the new year, hope you had a wonderful joyfilled Christmas and A happy new year xx

[Deleted User]

Hi chums still at DDs at the moment and we have not been near a food shop at as it was a turkey curry last night .

Son-in-law made a gorgeous turkey curry with enough left overs to freeze a few portions.Today lunch was cold bits and pieces, ham,cheeseboards etc.tonights dinner is a roast lemon chicken which I can smell from the sitting roon where I am at the moment.DD wants me to stay until after New Year bless her and the boys love having Granny around to play cards with, but I am really missing my own bed, so I may go home either tomorrow or Friday.I have such a lot of stuff to catch-up on at home, and my to-do list is getting longer by the minute.
I love being with the family, but there are times I just want to have a quiet 'potter' IYSWIM. :):) I'll see how I am tomorrow. I shall be back for the New Year anyway as I like to see the bells in.

Right time to have dinneras one of the boys are calling me

Have a good evening chums whatever you are doing

JackieO xx

chickadee

Evening MMMers. I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Glad there were no turkey disasters, only near-disasters (savingpennies!). We only had five for Christmas day so it was just a fancy roast dinner for us! We had the traditional turkey, stuffing and trimmings. We ate at about 3pm so there was no need for tea, just eating lots of unhealthy goodies On boxing day we had turkey sandwiches for lunch, after a long walk around some local reservoirs and beauty spots. For tea we had another Christmas dinner from all of the leftovers. Yesterday I made a leek and potato soup at dinnertime and we went to my mum's for a buffet in the afternoon. She is 85 so I went early to help out with the food. All of the family descended on her in her little terraced house so it was a bit cramped and busy. Like musical chairs, if anyone moved to get a drink or go to the loo their seat was taken! Today for lunch we used up the remaining pate and bread from the Christmas day starter. This evening saw DH make his speciality turkey patties and all we have left are 8 sprouts! We haven't been to any shops since Christmas Eve and haven't spent a penny. A very satisfying Christmas in all! I hope everyone else is well and enjoying what remains of the holidays with respective families.

silvasava

Well - leftovers sorted! 8 bubble and squeak cakes in the freezer along with 2 turkey and ham pies and a ham and mushroom quiche. I also had a go at my late Mum's franzipan recipe - it was a good effort but not as nice as hers - will need some 'tweaking' Just need to decide what to take to a friend's for a NYE American supper. Have a good day all.

YorksLass

I seem to have been an MMMer most of my adult life without realising there are so many like-minded people out there. I’ve been a long-time lurker, reading all your lovely posts, and I’d like to join you all for 2017, if that’s OK?


There’s me and OH (both retired) and, whilst not on the breadline, we need to budget carefully. Thanks to Martin’s MSE advice, since April 2016 I’ve minimised our outgoings on water rates, gas/electricity, phone/broadband, internet security, holiday insurance and claimed for a concessionary TV licence (OH now 75). We even got a rebate on what we’d already paid on water rates and TV licence. Plus I’ve claimed back the tax I paid on savings over the last 3 years. A total of around £640!


In 2017 I aim to minimise “stuff” accumulated over the years –DS and DD’s odds and ends (still here even though they now have their own homes and families), stashes of wool, fabric, cross-stitch kits, books, CDs, cassette tapes, stationery items, kitchenware, bric-a-brac, clothes and goodness knows what else. Even though we’re not considering down-sizing just yet, we may do in the future and I know you can’t fit a quart into a pint pot, so said “stuff” has to go. And it would make my life easier too as I find all this clutter depressing.


Unless we have any visitors (none expected) NY’s day will be spent filling out my 2017 diary with birthdays, appointments, reminders, bill payment dates etc to help me be organised. I’m also planning ahead for Xmas 2017 (yes, I know it’s only just been and gone but I like to be prepared) and have already topped up gift wrapping paper - two YS rolls from Sainsbobs, 50p each reduced from £3 each. I also bought a YS half-leg of lamb (now in freezer) and two YS small oval Pyr*x dishes to replace bigger ones that I don’t use anymore (these will be gifted to DS and DDiL).


Feeling very pleased with myself that all food bought for Xmas has either been eaten or made into dishes for the freezer, apart from some white Stilton. We have this with Xmas cake (I think it’s a Yorkshire thing) but, being very crumbly, there are always bits left in the box. These won’t be wasted though as I shall add the bits to hm apple pies tomorrow. Tonight’s dinner is a hm takeaway of king prawn curry and rice.


A progress report will follow next week, in the meantime a Happy New Year to everyone out there.

Hard_Up_Hester

Today I made do by minimising some of the veg drawer and the larder, I made HM Chow Mein.
I mended some of the DGC's clothes by repairing the pockets on a coat, reattaching a hood to a jacket, sewed up a hole in a onesie and replaced a zip in another onesie.

misstara

Welcome YorksLass, it would be great to have you along for 2017

I've put up a new thread for 2017 which can be found here

Happy New Year everyone