Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

HOWMUCH

Good evening all us MMMer's I've been out shopping for the day with my DD whilst DGS was at nursery. We went bargain food shopping, last night I make a list of all MrM's specials that I could use at some point. So in we went straight to the YS area. I got some 50% reductions a posh quiche, Indian side dishes, Indian meal for 2. I then got all the items I had listed off their website didn't buy anything else so that was a good shop.
We went to Farm Foods do a £25 shop and used a £2.50 off voucher. They had Fray Bentos large tins for £1.39 which I use for corned beef hash and sarnies. We also went to BnM and Home Bargains. Then last but not least Aldi for their super six veg, I got 5 packs of beetroot with 25th July date, iceberg lettuce, broccoli, kilo carrots all for £2.32.
I had an hour knitting this morning and we had a beautiful sunny day, Vulpix you had snow over night and we aren't a million miles away I don't think. x

Shortypie

Evening (well, kind of - this is about the time of day I can sit down and have a few minutes to myself :eek: )

Rushing around as usual today: work, school run, supermarket to get my boys their Lego comics (they memorise the date the next one is due out and never forget, but have no trouble forgetting to wash their hands after a trip to the loo :rotfl: ) dropped one off to his autism social club, nipped into local shopping centre to pick up my bargain replacement jeans and get my other boy a PS3 game this is a bit naughty - he'd asked for this particular game (Jurrassic World - he's been learning about dino's at school, it's his first full year in a mainstream class and has a really engaging teacher so he's loving it ) for Xmas, then birthday in January but because they are twins I got them a game to share. He is autistic and has been getting increasingly obsessed with when he would get this game, crying every evening talking about it.

So I told him that if he read his whole reading book and did his activity (it was a hard book) I would put some money towards his bit of birthday money and get the game. He was really good at reading his book and tried hard on his activity so he got it. It retailed at £29.99 but by a stroke of luck was down to £22.99 where I went and they threw in a free Lego set I'm determined not to set a precedent though and have asked school to not give him such a hard book in future (his aunty, a teacher, said it was too hard for a child his age, let alone one with learning difficulties)

Minimised:

- sold 4 Disney dressing up outfits via FB page for £8
- my bank account replacing DD's school shoes, one of which is now flapping

Made do:

- Used up the dregs of the food (had a bag of frozen chicken, had curry for dinner and was enough for lunch leftovers)

Going to take a load of bags to CS tomorrow on the way to meet friends for lunch. Then when I drop the boys to a club, DD and I will pop to L!dl for the weekly shop. I still need to write a list. But the fact that I have only about an hour and a half before I need to go and get the boys again will restrict any desire to dilly-dally about and put unnecessary stuff in the trolley and since it will be a Friday around 7pm, hoping for some YS stuff!

I'm really feeling so much more organised and motivated since joining a couple of these forum threads :T

nicki_2

Shortypie wrote: »

So that will be £50 when payday comes but fingers crossed it's an investment, my boys have worn Cl@rks shoes out in under 6 months before; shoes are one thing I have discovered it doesn't pay to skimp on quality.

This is what I've found as well. I was going through a pair of trainers every 4 weeks when I bought cheap ones, now I invest £30+ in a pair of Reeboks from Sp0rts direct every 3-6 months depending on how much walking I've been doing.

Not much MMM here, but I have bought the konmarie books and plan on spending this weekend while DD is away reading both cover to cover. I'm pretty good at decluttering etc but I've found I've held on to stuff because someone bought me it, or it might come in useful in the future. I'm hoping these books will work their supposed magic and help me get rid, and also in the process help me get rid of the last few things in the house which were bought with my ex when we moved in here 12 years ago since he's been gone 8 years! However the ex stuff is a bit drastic as that includes painting all the rooms, buying new light shades, new blinds etc so not always cheap to sort. I really really want him out of this house as I think its holding me back on a subconscious level.

FunBrum

Hi everyone :hello:

Mrs-moneypenny your quilt is beautiful! :A
I've finished my first attempt at quilting and on my second for my GD, but nothing as elaborate as yours....it's stunning! :T

I'm making-do with freezer food until the end of the month, when I will do a very frugal shop. There's a few batches of soup and fish. I have eggs, pasta and some homemade pasta sauce. So I'm not worried about food.:)

minimising my fabrics to make quilt segments.

I tried to mend (darn) some socks but they were too far gone!
All I have to sew is the quilt and nothing to mend. I even have no wool untll I find some at a price I want to pay.;)

HOWMUCH

Hello and good morning MMMer's, I was busy yesterday dividing and storing all the food I got yesterday. I like mince in bags of 250g and away in the freezer £1 a bag then. The YS Indian meal is also in the freezer that will be going on holiday with us next month in the freezer bag. DD says I'm like a walking price machine knowing where all the best prices are. I just said you have to be when you're on a budget and a very tight. She said mum you've got money spend it, my reply was I do but I'm not wasting it by paying over the odds for the same item. I then said how do you think we put you through university for 6 years and we all had a good laugh.

Shorty how old are your boys, my DGS is 3 and he's on the spectrum and every day is a new day so to speak, we have to have a routine and repeat it. He loves books and reads he's very high functioning with his numbers,letters and words. But he lacks social skills and doesn't do much free speech and conversation off his own back.
Sorry not but happening MMM wise today x

Forgot to say I have a vat of veg soup on the hob

MrsCD

Only mending done here, still have this awful cold, so haven't done much at all for the last few days. Sewed a button on DH's trouser pocket, and will be heading to bed again shortly. Can't believe how much it has taken out of me.

silvasava

Minimised a couple of phone calls and a portion of Broccoli and Stilton soup for DH & I for lunch. DS1 has invited us round for dinner tonight so no cooking Apart from getting some washing out on the line and the dry stuff aired and sorted, washing my hair and cleaning a couple of pairs of boots that's my lot so far.
Dry but bitterly cold here - DH has chopped some more logs and some kindling & now we're settling with a cuppa
Have a good evening all. x

squeezedmillennial

Just had a great make do moment: thought we had no food in the house, realised we actually had flour, yeast, and loads of leftover Mediterranean veggies in the freezer. Making pizza for dinner, no mozzarella, so will add a generous grating of parmesan. This board is rubbing off on me, old me would have bought some ready meals

Shortypie

HOWMUCH wrote: »

Shorty how old are your boys, my DGS is 3 and he's on the spectrum and every day is a new day so to speak, we have to have a routine and repeat it. He loves books and reads he's very high functioning with his numbers,letters and words. But he lacks social skills and doesn't do much free speech and conversation off his own back.

My chaps are 9 They are not high functioning though, they have learning difficulties, one in a special unit and one in mainstream for the last year. They like to chat though, oh boy do they?! :rotfl: just not often appropriately. For example, if they met you, one of them would start chatting to you straight away and tell you what year his dad was born, that it was the same year as the end of the Vietnam war, that he has one grandfather who is 62, that his other granddad died when he was 69 etc you would literally get a non-stop family history, that's what he tells everyone. The other one would be trying to interrupt to tell you, in his stuttering voice, what Star Wars toys he has, and probably get right up in your face as he has little awareness of personal space.

Changes of routines aren't necessarily a big deal unless a) it involves deviating from their "screen time" (that can result in physically challenging meltdown from one, especially in the evening when his ADHD tablets are wearing off) or b) it involves going out.

I love them to pieces though, all my mummy friends do too, they are very endearing

Lynplatinum

Evening all

re quilts - a friend of mine made a 'memory quilt' each piece of material is something that matters used such as a pair of ladybird pyjamas or a special t shirt or the shirt worn when first meeting OH.

nicki - I would defo get rid of the ghost of your ex - you need to move on. most of my lampshades come from CS - I have 'customised' them using beads and bits of material and curtains too - which I have dyed and customised! Its v creative and more interesting than buying off the shelf

Are all hospitals the same? DS1 + GF + baby were told that they were getting out of hospital at 6pm. The final obs were done on babe promptly at 7.40 pm (irony here) - then the pediatrician came round at 9pm (OK perhaps he was dealing with other more urgent patients) So then they txt me - I drive over. Get there at 10pm. And wait - and wait - Son asks why - waiting for paperwork! at 11pm told that they were waiting for meds - son went to office to find out why - nurses were chatting about EastEnders and had not yet taken script down to be filled - although it had been signed by doc at 9pm! Son insisted that he accompany one of the nurses down to the dispensary - now! As his lift (ie me) had been waiting for an hour. 11.38 pm they finally get out!! It seems that they were just hanging around and did not care about the patient's welfare (in that they wanted to get out and in so doing would free a bed space).

Now, I am v grateful for NHS. Think nurses on the whole are some of the most fabulously dedicated and hard working people in the world. I believe that a socially supportive workplace makes for better co - ordination and team work within the workplace. (Ergo some chat time non work related is good) But this seems a real silly series of delays. Anyone else have the same experience? Or can explain it to me?

So not much time to mend; made do with food already in :-) even took own coffee to work; minimise - time for myself this week not good in one way but what else could I do for DS1 + GF + GD1??? :rotfl:
So from tomorrow MM&M back in full force!!!
Nite all