Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

HOWMUCH

Hello everyone no mending today as DGS was at nursery all day so I've done the housework downstairs for her and yet more ironing. But everything is done and all nice for the weekend.
Minimising well I got some free chicken from DD earlier in the week, so it came out if the freezer and is getting made into curry with mushroom for evening meal.

Serendipitious

Just mended my vintage tree lights - I am so pleased especially with my patience as I had to go through the entire strand testing the bulbs one by one and the culprit turned out to be the third from the end. (I had to leave it till now as I knew it would need a good hour of no interruptions and the right mind-set!) They can be put away now.

Minimising on food spends by using up what's in stock and sticking to meal plan.

silvasava

Mended boat cushion yesterday and DH has helped me wrestle the foam back inside. Typed up minutes from Wednesdays meeting and circulated them. Now trying to sort out selling our caravan as we are not using it enough ( minimise?) Making do for tea tonight with the last two large potatoes so I'll bake them & find something to go with them Have had really low energy levels this week & I don't know why - probably just need a kick up the bum!

mrs-moneypenny

Tonight tea is going to be a casserole made up of all the veg left in the fridge and some quoin mince. I've even spotted a bag of frozen dumplings I can put in.
No plans to do much at all over the weekend apart from going through the wardrobe and seeing what I want to give to the charity shop and some more sewing and knitting.

Have a great weekend all

mandaguin

I'm trying to make this more of a habit, especially the making do when it comes to food. My spending habits are a little ridiculous in that department - it doesn't impact my finances to a huge amount, I just feel like I could find better uses for a lot of the money. Will be spending time tomorrow going through cupboards, fridge and freezer to meal plan and try to use as much as possible.
OH has been sweet this week, taking leftover burrito mix from the freezer for his lunches as I found it way too spicy.

GreyQueen

Convo with Mum just now in which she mentioned that the kitchen clock had gone wrong and she was going to get another.

I suggested that as the new-in-2015 cooker has a clock on it, which its predecessor didn't, plus everyone wears watches, was it really necessary to replace it? Suggested she might want to wait until Easter, see if they've really missed having a kitchen wall clock, and only replace it if they have.

We will see. I have no clocks at all apart from a tiny alarm clock as I wear a watch, plus there is a clock on the computer and another on the mobile.

It's amazing how often we have things just because we have them, without questioning if they're really needed at all.

mary_hinge

Yesterday it really hit home that If I'm going to stand any chance of shifting 6k debt this year I need to take the MMM approach!

Today I mended 2 of the many niggley faults on my car....1 required a trip to the scrap yard for a £3 part the other just needed some tlc, a clean up and a wiggle :j 4 more to go

I minimised my material/button/ yarn stash and made a crayon roll and a crochet giraffe for a birthday party tomorrow that master H has been invited to. I will print of some colouring sheets too. creates space and saves ££ Hm gifts are ok.... right?
I will also minimise some of my xmas smellies with a nice soak in the bubble bath :rotfl:


Making do: Dinner from the stores, recipe tweaked to use up what we have!

meritaten

hi all - very chuffed with myself at the moment!
We are having a brand new bathroom in few weeks and doing the 'trawl' around various DIY stores finalising our choices. we have decided now on the shower cubicle, the basin and loo! Tiles were more difficult but in a branch far far away, of BnQ I 'almost' finally, decided on these:-

http://www.diy.com/search/results/?question=fiji+wall+tiles

the white option, the plain ones on all the walls and the textured ones in the shower cubicle.
so we had to go down to the local BnQ for some sealant we had forgotten yesterday. and these tiles were incorrectly priced. The ones which should have been £17 (6 packs needed for shower cubicle) were priced at £14.23. hmmmm - its an epos store and its legally the price they were asking for them. just to make sure, I asked an assistant and they came up on the Gameboy as £17! she then brought the tile guy, who then said he would sell them to us for the price displayed! a saving of £30!!!!! made up my mind for them 'DEFINATELY' these tiles!
I have known them do this before if you point out their mistake before going to the till - as some cashiers will just insist that's the price take it or leave it! Same thing happened with mums lawnmower - it was incorrectly priced and I saved her £40 by pointing it out to the dept manager.
Now I am hoping that the rest of the tiles go on offer or sale before I really DO have to purchase another 17 packs!
(my old job was shelf stacking so I know to check product codes against ticket price - you will be amazed how many mistakes are made and its always worth pointing it out. dept managers are usually grateful, as it saves hassle with customers and if trading standards spot it the store are in deep doo doo)

Secretstasher

Hi all. Had another long day at work today so came in and flopped in front of TV for an hour. Hubby of work today so he did tea. Tasted nice at time a bit spicy but am now paying price for the amount of spice he added. He did some Moroccan chicken thing but was heavy handed without thinking about me being able to only have small amount of heat! Shouldn't complain because he made food And he used what was in cupboards and fridge and freezer. Freezer looking more depleted thank goodness due to all the minimising this week :T
He also put a new thermostat on our other car and it now works and only cost him £8 for the part - and I was telling him to scrap it too :rotfl: the car has never ever been so warm when driving in it.
Bonus today in form of tax rebate for quite a substantial amount, don't get paid till end of month but told about it, just have to make sure I don't spend it... Straight into emergency fund. Not told hubby about it though so might manage to squirrel a bit away for some spending money for a weekend away (courtesy of my old Avios points from my travelling with work days)
Don't need to shop this weekend apart from milk, as away from Wednesday till following Sunday and I have got enough food in to easily feed us till then.
I am dropping 4 bags at cs tomorrow so more minimising has been done. Feel sure I will be mending something over the weekend so should have covered The three Ms . Have a good time all.

Lynplatinum

Evening all

Last night went out to my curry/beer club (well its only W!spoons but some of my CAMRA friends meet there every week. I havent been for ages and they were v pleased to see me - which was nice

Then tonight bumped into my friend and her OH on way to pub so popped in with them for a pint!

Both 'evenings out' came in at under £10 allocated for happy stash! So I am 'Tilly Tidying' £1.31 from that this week.

Oh yeah for newfolks - Tilly Tidying is where you only put a certain amount into your purse each week (on a Friday for me) and do NOT spend above that (Card spending is forbidden). Any you have left you remove the following week (Friday) and put into saving pots or jars.

Amazingly I havent spent a penny this week on groceries this week so that £10 is intact! Am going to let it 'roll over' into next week tho as I am running out of essentials like oatcakes and salad.

Have a large can of pinnapple which I need to minimise - thought of a sweet and sour chicken but beyond that and/or a pinapple upside down cake (and wouldnt want both in the same week) I cant think of a 'use up' - any ideas folks?? :A

Also anyone know how/if I can freeze contents of the can once opened?? Ta :A

Nite all