Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

FunBrum

Minimising my consumption of everything has enabled me to retire last year at 56.
We certainly don't need 'stuff' and I am happier now, than I was working full time plus, to buy 'things' that I didn't have time to enjoy as I was working all the time, to buy more 'stuff'! And so the cycle continued until I stepped back and said "no more"!!! :eek:

I'm still minimising my fabric for my quilt. lyn what a lovely idea the memory quilt is.

making do with cooked chicken ans salad I had for free, for dinner. I took it to my friends house and it fed both of us and the carcass will be made into stock tomorrow.

I altered my sister's apron ,for. The are always too long for her, so I just chop the bottom and run a hem up on the sewing machine. 2 minutes and its done! That's mu[Bmmendind/B] done!

misstara

Evening all MMMers

I cut off the top of my conditioner this morning so it will last a couple more days. I did an audit of toiletries and then stocked up on what we needed. I found a bath gel which came in a set that I got for chrismas, I never take baths so have started to use it as a shower gel.

Also did the food shop today, took all the recycling out before I went so have a little more space in the flat. There was a special offer on steak so I decided to treat us, I also got some YS asparagus so OH cooked a lovely meal for tea.

No mending today and I still haven't started sorting out the bookcase, will do this during the week. Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Shortypie

nicki wrote: »

Today my plans are to minimise the visible clutter by putting everything away where it should be. I'm feeling smothered stuff everywhere constantly and there's a pile of ironing on the side which has been there for 2 weeks!

Oh, same here, clutter everywhere!! :mad: We are nearly always late everywhere, because we are just constantly stepping over STUFF! TBF, there are 5 of us living in a tiny 2-bed bungalow (all we could afford to buy and were in a rush as were getting evicted) and the hallway is narrow with all the doors coming off it - feels like living in a caravan sometimes. Actually, I think caravans have more storage! :rotfl: I managed to find the kids' bedroom floor this evening though, bet it will last a day. . . .

Shortypie

DawnW wrote: »

It is not just buying things though, but the cost of essentials such as accommodation that people have to work so hard to pay for

I was lucky enough to be able to take early retirement from my stressfest of a job at age 60 on a reduced pension, but only because our mortgage was by that time paid off.

Mum2Monkeys - welcome! I know what you mean about buying things that will make your life better. . . My things are clothes, or stuff for the home like candles etc - only problem being my house is always such a mess there's no point buying pretty things! We moved in here in December 2014, it's a tiny bungalow, ex-rental so "lovely" textures wallpaper :rotfl: pine kitchen probably fitted in the 80's! Plus the kitchen is so tiny we've had to put the fridge in front of the back door (which restricts light) and with the pine cupboard and light brown walls, well, I just hate my kitchen!! I was thinking of painting the walls and sanding and painting the doors this year as a cheap fix, but wondering if I should try and save up a grand or 2 for getting a new, more functional kitchen . . . since I spend so long in there. . .

Re accommodation, we have a tiny, scruffy 2 bed bungalow, mortgage payments are £1250 a month :eek: thank you housing crisis and outer London prices!! :mad: TBH if we were renting, we would be paying the same or more, with no security. DH will be 68 when the mortgage finishes.

We also need to run 2 cars (DH is a bus driver so needs to be able to get to work before transport is up and running, and his garage is an hour away as better paid) and I need one to get the kids to school (15 min drive - couldn't go to a local one as they needed the SN unit) and then on to work. I've spent about £600 on my car the last 6 months (needed 4 new tyres, wheel rebalancing, brake pads, and a new battery). It's due for it's MOT soon too & car tax of £250 The boys are going on a school residential - that was nearly £400.

If we weren't getting DLA plus the disability CTC top up we'd be absolutely broke :eek: It's so annoying that we are seen as "comfortable" (in comparison to those on low incomes, eligible for free school meals etc) as we both work and between us earn above national average (although DH very much the main breadwinner) when actually we have less disposable income than many people on lower incomes living in council accommodation (based on finance paperwork I see at work). Not all, obviously, and I'm not benefits-bashing; rather the problem is successive governments pushing up house prices.

Shortypie

Evening all!

Had a nice afternoon at BIL's with DH family, with a lovely dinner of lamb, roast sweet potatoes, mash, and loads of veg. However, as predicted, the kids were not impressed with the "fancy" food so I had to make them tea when we got back. I made the carrot and coconut soup from past-their-best carrots and half a tin of coconut milk leftover from a curry and it was DELISH! Quick too.

We had it with a 50p loaf of tiger bread from L!dl. DS1, who I thought would like it, didn't, so only ate soup from his bread til his bread was gone. DD, who, I thought would hate it, said it was the best soup she'd ever tasted! (tbf, her only basis for reference is Heinz cream of tomato :rotfl: but I'll take the compliment). There weren't any breadcrumbs in DS1's soup so I boxed it and will take to work for lunch on Tuesday (took the day off tomorrow as kids have inset day). DS2 wouldn't touch soup if his life depended on it, so he had 5 mini sausages, butter tiger bread slices x 2, a cheese string and cucumber (peeled and cut into sticks, with no "jelly bit" :rotfl:)

Make do/minimise: apart from the soup, I also re-gifted MIL a scarf I was bought for Xmas (still in the wrapper) and put it in a gift bag I'd got a birthday present in. I'd also arranged a flower delivery from Bunches for her birthday last Thursday. Don't know if anyone's used them, for flower delivery I think they are quite reasonable, £17.99 the bouquet I got MIL and it comes with a personalised card plus chocolates - I found a 20% off code and also got 10% through Quidco so saved £6-odd (purchased my mum a birthday/mother's day bouquet too for next week).

I also minimised a Lion dressing up outfit yesterday, sold for £3 through a FB page. Have discovered that DD's Cinderella Shoes are now too small so have advertised them on the page (however, I will be replacing those). Also minimised ANOTHER bag of assorted junk from the kids' floor (am getting more ruthless) mostly to the bin. Have a clear floor now

I'm hoping to do a boot sale end of April, I have soooooo many kids clothes to get rid of (also some curtains, a rug, some toys). I was thinking about having a 10p tray/10p kids lucky dip box in which to put all the random little things like Happy Meal toys, plastic bracelets etc - what do you think? I've only done one boot sale, years ago. And I'm not good at "anti-haggling" so don't know how much money I will make!

Mending: nothing BUT I have an idea for turning 2 of DD's summer dresses from last year into skirts for her. I think I could just cut the bodice off and make a waistband into which I would put elastic. I think it would work. Unfortunately I have zero sewing skills and no sewing machine. . .

Lynplatinum

Hiya All


mumto2monkeys - so much inspiration on here - it really has changed the way I look at life and welcome to the gang that dont take the rubbish stuff advertisers try to sell us and the fraud of big companies lying down! I would suggest decluttering one cupboard/area of shelving per day. Dont try to do it all at once - you will make yourself ill over it! Also the longer you practice MM&M and NBI the better one gets at it!

Wildthing and Shortipie- yep, its hard when you look round and see others not putting in the same hours as yourself (ves) who seem to be infinitely better off. One thing I have learnt though, is that those seemingly better off are very often buying it all on credit and/or are spending every penny they earn and have nothing in reserve,should things go wrong!!! The way benefits have been changing I would not want to be reliant on them anymore as it seems as if making the poor poorer is easier for successive governments than punishing greedy rich people who dont give a darn about ordinary folk :mad:

Have had a good couple of days - yesterday went out with my CAMRA mates from midday till 9 pm and only spent £15!! This reduces next week's Happy Stash to £5 but I do not mind that as I had a v good time - including a meal at lunchtime! Beer wise many of the places we visited were WSp!!ns so I could use the 50p vouchers for money off a pint :T

Today opened post from most of last week and found, to my surprise, that the GWR railway had given me £50 worth of train travel vouchers!!! Since the delay was due to a tree on the line - they did not have to give me anything but gave me vouchers( not cash) as a nice gesture - I can use them for up to a year!! So yea for complaining - it took me about 20mins to find info on this site (under travel section) 5 mins to fill in form + a 2nd class stamp!! RESULT :j :j :beer:

Interesting that many of us have had similar discharge from hospital experiences - what a waste of time - and I can totally see the point of discharging the elderly or less able in the daylight! Co ordinators seem like a good idea but also - for this ward at least a boot up the proverbial seems to have been needed!! Most nurses I know send their working day running around like the clappers but not so this particular ward????:(

Make do: Went over to see GD this after (soppy ahhh and gooey noises this end) and son cooked me a veggie Spag Bol - so no need to cook me a tea - treated myself to a crumpet when I got home - I got 6 for 28p on YS earlier this week Sat ate from stocks! Plus used sunshine and fresh air to dry washing!!
Mend: my stress levels as I completed some important paperwork today!
Minimise: My waistline - hopefully as I went for an hour and a half's walkies in the glorious if chilly sunshine today!:A Put more stuff into the shredding pile; did loads of DS1 + DIL's washing up for them!
Frugalin on!!

nicki_2

Shortypie wrote: »

Oh, same here, clutter everywhere!! :mad: We are nearly always late everywhere, because we are just constantly stepping over STUFF! TBF, there are 5 of us living in a tiny 2-bed bungalow (all we could afford to buy and were in a rush as were getting evicted) and the hallway is narrow with all the doors coming off it - feels like living in a caravan sometimes. Actually, I think caravans have more storage! :rotfl: I managed to find the kids' bedroom floor this evening though, bet it will last a day. . . .

We're renting a 1930s end terrace, supposed to be 2 up 2 down but there's been a kitchen extension on the back so there is a through lounge. The "hall" and "landing" are literally the size of the doorways, with the front door having a notch taken out of it so it will open due to the angle of the livingroom door frame. The only storage is the understairs cupboard, a built in wardrobe in my daughters room which is packed full and the cupboards in the kitchen which is ridiculously small. We used to have an airing cupboard, but now its the boiler cupboard so we can't really store anything in there.We moved in here 12 years ago in May as a stop gap as we were being evicted from our previous rental house (3 bed mid-terrace, through lounge, HUGE kitchen, downstairs bathroom). We were getting kicked out on the bank holiday Monday, and was offered this place on the Saturday before. With having a 3 year old at the time we virtually snatched the keys off the landlord 4 years later the relationship between me and my ex broke down and he moved out leaving me on benefits/very low income so I'm stuck here until I either come into a lot of money or move in with someone else which isn't going to happen any time soon. :rotfl:

I feel like I've been decluttering constantly since I moved in. First it was all the baby stuff as there was nowhere to store it, then the kitchen stuff, and each room as I unpacked it, then the clothes/toys/books as DD grew up, then ex and all his stuff , then stuff that was household but was bought with ex (curtains, bedding, rugs, the bed etc) which had to be replaced with new to me stuff... I'm sick of the never ending decluttering so I'm going KonMarie this time :rotfl:

mrs-moneypenny

Morning all.
Hope everyone is ok and had a good weekend.
You certainly all sound busy, I've got hair appt this morning to minimise grey roots and split ends, then going to minimise the weeds in the front garden and plant some seeds that my mum saved for me from her garden from memory they are aquilegia but the labels fallen off the tub she put them in do it will be a nice surprise when they come up.
We are on a kondoing mission and slowly going through the house using up minimising and donating to the local CS.
Yesterday I went through my knitting needle bag which I have cleared before a and donated loads to CS, I'm sure they breed I have kept long, med and short in each size and have old and new measurements but I've still found 70 pairs to donate this time.

One day the clutter will all be gone and we will much more relaxed and able to find what we want and we will be happier as we will only have those things around us that are useful used and bring joy to our lives.

I'm taking small small balls of wool down to the hairdressers with me to minimise my stash and convert them into instant smoothie hats for next years appeal.

[Deleted User]

Good Morning all MMM'rs.Sun is shining for a change and what happens when the sun shines ? you spot all the dust :):):) so a quick flit round and I have minimised my dust

Mending : I have a small knitted blanket for the charity I knit for to finish off today
Make Do: I am making a trifle this morning to save me going into a shop and buying yogurts .All the trifle ingredients I have in the cupboards so no spending required.

I also minimised my doughnut maker machine to my brother to give to one of his DDs as they have small children.Its been sitting in the conservatory for ages in a box and it just wasn't used anymore One bit of clutter less

I think we are all guilty of 'buying' stuff we don't need or use and its realising that and getting shot of it that makes us all feel better

I like to find a home for things I don't use anymore if I can.

I was given a couple of weeks ago from my sis-in-law a set of braille domino's that my late brother had been given years ago and she found them in the garage.She passed them on to me as she know I shall find someone who can use them

Last week my U3A newsletter came round and on it it says we are having a talk by an ex-soldier Steve Pendleton about how he has coped losing his eyesight in a helicopter crash .
He has been before last year and he is an excellent speaker .Light bulb moment then and I thought well he will know who to pass them onto as he does a lot of work for the St Dunstan's charity so I have finally found a home for something that sat in my sis-in-laws garage for several years doing nothing Result, and I am really pleased :):)

Now I just have to find a home for all the rest of the accumulated clutter that seems to grow in my house :):)
Onwards and upwards chums
JackieO xxx

FunBrum

Today's list isn't a very impressive I'm afraid.

mending I only have some jeans that need turning up so i will do that in a short while.

minimising this morning, I'm sorting more carboot stuff at my friends house. We are getting ready for the new season, and plan to blanket bomb it and turn over as much as we can, as quickly as we can.
He is not sure of a moving date, but has a lot of things to sell as he's downsizing!

I'm going to lunch with my sister, so will have to make do with a posh lunch....her treat!