Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2016

[Deleted User]

Hi chums a friend gave me a bag of chilli's Do you know if they can be frozen as there are rather a lot of them ?

big5

Hi, hope everyone's having a nice day!

We were visiting family over the weekend so didn't get to the supermarket until Monday afternoon. Picked up quite a few YS bargains (usually shop on Saturday morning and rarely get any), so quite a cheap shop this week.

One of my eBay items sold today. Got more than I was expecting for it which helps make up for the other things not selling. Will get it in the post tomorrow.

Mended my son's toy bus this afternoon, one of the wheels had fallen off. It's a nice old-fashioned wooden toy and just needed a screw and washer to fix it.

big5

Yes JackieO, you can freeze them whole or you could deseed and chop them and put them in ice cube trays (topped up with bit of water).

DawnW

JackieO wrote: »

Hi chums a friend gave me a bag of chilli's Do you know if they can be frozen as there are rather a lot of them ?

I just pop them in a plastic bag and freeze. They can be chopped up and used from frozen, don't need to be thawed out first

iamsalt

JackieO wrote: »

Hi chums a friend gave me a bag of chilli's Do you know if they can be frozen as there are rather a lot of them ?

Hi
As big5 said yes, they are easy to freeze, but I also dry mine. I have a dehydrator now, but used to use the radiator or the oven as it cooled.
If the chillies are to b frozen it's definitely worth chopping first, as they can be a bit soggy defrosted and easier to chop before or when still a bit frozen.

We are Mmm while away, I have used up 3 pots of toiletries and a suduko book which has been finished so can be put in the recycling here.
I even managed to complete a job application today, despite being on holiday, as I have realised I would like to minimise my commute and work closer to home, and there was an ideal job with today as a closing date.
S x

misstara

Hello all

Sorry I haven't been about for a few days, I had an assessment today so have spent most of my spare time preparing for it. Will find out in a few days if I have passed so fingers crossed.

Did a small shop on Saturday so sorted for meals for this week. OH decided that he wanted a KFC tonight for tea instead of the sausage casserole I had planned so he had that and I had oatcakes and pate which was lovely. We'll have the sausage casserole tomorrow instead. I've got a day off tomorrow so got various bits and bobs planned.

FunBrum

Hi folks.:wave:

I'm not doing much MMM the last few days as I have a tummy bug and can't get to do much.

I'm certainly not minimising the loo roll!! :eek::eek:

Shortypie

Amazing dress Mrs Money-Penny - I'm always amazed by people who can ACTUALLY sew THINGS :rotfl: it's like some kind of alchemy to me!

I've not quite got the hang of this grocery budget thing yet - did the food shop Friday and spent £65.51 including food for the cat (plus £1.04 off at Sains next time). However, what I ACTUALLY spent was £85.49 out of my grocery envelope as I forgot to pay for the "extras" separately, so I now owe myself £20! The extras were an easter egg for each of my kids and my nephew, also scones, clotted cream and 2 jams plus 2 packs of sugar flowers as it was my mums birthday on the weekend but she gives up cake for lent so I now make her a scone tower every year and put candles on top.

Sunday was lovely, I decided for mothers day I wanted to 1) eat a cooked breakfast out and 2) see an open body of water. I looked up Faversham and saw that they had a vintage & antiques market on so that's where we went. Had breakfast in a caf! in a tudor building (DS1 learning about Tudors at school) DH bought me a teacup and teapot I pointed out at the market. The teacup trio is stamped 1950 (£7) and the teapot (£10) the fella on the stall said may be 30's/40's (latest) but may be 1910's if it's a Saddler but no stamp on it. I love vintage style china but to know that it may be up to 100 years old, and imagining who they may have belonged to over the years, what conversations have been had over them through births, deaths, marriages etc, really tickles me

We then went to a miniature railway (£1.50 per ticket, good 2 loops through the orchards) which the kids loved, they had a little play in the play park, grabbed a tea and shared a KitKat (kids asked for ice lollies - then complained they were cold :rotfl:) I then looked on my sat nav for the nearest body of water! We ended up in a nature reserve, kids had a great time chucking stones in the water, finding sea shells etc for an hour and I loved listening to the waves and just blowing the cobwebs away Pretty cheap & OS day out (if you don't include the food ssshhhh!)

Making do: I found a tin of chickpeas in the cupboard last week and my potatoes are looking a bit worse for ware so I bought an extra curry sauce from L!dl in the food shop (on offer at 69p) and when I was making the chicken curry tonight I used one less breast (went in the freezer) and did a separate veg curry (3 potatoes, tin of chickpeas, 1/4 bag petit pois) which I mixed in with DH and my chicken curry to eke it out plus I did half a cup extra rice and now have 3x veg curry and rice meals in fridge, plus if I do that every time I can save a chicken breast in the freezer and eventually end up with enough chicken breasts for another curry.

Mend: no mending but still crocheting a blanket.

Minimise: 3 coats that have been travelling with me in my car for a month, they were supposed to go to the CS but I realised I park my car every day for work in a car park with a recycling point including clothes so in they went.

It also prompted me to think, instead of letting the recycling build up at home, to get collected every 2 weeks (which is a lot with the amount of beer bottles and cans my OH adds to it :mad: ) I could bring a bag every day to get rid of before or after work. That will minimise the constant detritus in the kitchen.

Also minimised my finances washing machine broke down sunday night (just when I had muddy things to wash and hadn't done a wash in days :eek:) so we called out a local appliance repair place. But it was "only" £90 for the washing machine and dishwasher (which had broken in January and OH only needs to fit a new hose now) so cheaper than replacing both! Dishwasher was £30 off a colleague anyway. SO looking forward to not having to wash up anymore, amazing how quickly you can get used to a dishwasher, we only got it set up in December!

MrsCD

Yes, as others have said, Mrs moneypenny, the dress is lovely. I'm always a bit envious of people who can wear dresses, as I look like a sack tied around the middle, whatever style I try! so I stick to skirts and tops.
I also minimized a couple of sudoku books that had one or two left to finish before I start my new one. It's been lurking in the cupboard for ages and I have been putting off starting it as it's a different format to my usual books. Funny how you get used to certain things.;)
Went for a bit of shopping this morning, and fell asleep for an hour when we got home. Minimized all the ironing this afternoon so I can have a bit time for myself tomorrow.

HOWMUCH

Sounds like you had a lovely day Shortie, I love old glass and china too.

I've been minimising my spending on YS food and a bunch of daffodils paid £4.75 for £31.66 worth of stuff. The freezer is full to the brim again