Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2017

[Deleted User]

Thriftwizard that sound really good,sometimes when you think outside the box is when good ideas just jump up at you. Leg warmers and a body warmer word indoors will help you minimise you heating bill a bit.
I am still trying to minimise my freezer and its slow work

I didn't realise how much there was in there .re the fish I will defrost and eat virtually anything as when stuff has gone in there fresh its held in suspended animation IYSWIM .
I have eaten fish that's months old and it was fine, most of the fish bought frozen is usually months old anyway.

I go to Whitstable about twice a year as its only about half an hours drive from where I live. There I stock up on fish so fresh its almost still wriggling on the slab.I bring it home portion it up and freeze it straight away and have never had any problems at all no matter how old it is.The nose test is the best way to find out

So I am making do with what I have already, and minimising as I go along
Mending , well no mending as such but I have been knitting quite a bit as I make blankets for The Linus Trust so I guess that could count as both mending and minimising my wool stash :):)

Onwards and upwards fellow frugallers we are all quite focussed for this brand new year

Cheers JackieO xx

northern_star

Its been ages since I posted on the forums but I'd like to jump on board here if I may? In light of a New Year and possible early retirement we're reviewing our finances and planning our (frugal) way forward. I'm very much a make do and mend type (not so much my OH but he's learning) so it would be good to join in MMM. So far today we have
MAKE DO: Replaced a dud lightbulb in our bathroom with one we already had in. The dud was a low energy and the replacement is a standard but as we have saved the cost of a new LED for the time being, I guess it counts ��.
MEND: This one is only part completed but we've removed the broken grill element from our cooker and ordered a new one online to repair it ourselves rather than call out an engineer. We did a successful oven repair this way.
MINIMISE: Have returned a number of things to their owners that have found there way to our house in recent times.

Looking forward to a MMM 2017......

MMF007

Just making do with some scraps for a very late dinner. Have been sorting out clothes for impending hols and it took a while - Not that I have loads of clothes but I have lost weight so had to try on everything :rotfl: Then I had to go back through it to rationalise and take out the skirt that only goes with one top! Haven't got to footwear yet......

Mended, well altered, a nice sleeveless top that had massive armholes that revealed most of the side of my bra. It looks good now. I have had it ages but never wore it because of this poor design, duh.

Minimised by chucking 3 garments that will never sit right on me. Also poured a small bottle of perfume that I won't use into the reed diffuser, as suggested by disflop in relation to essential oils.

Athome1

Am making do today by NOT going to my favourite indoor bootsale but will venture into town later to buy a new toaster using a gift voucher I got for xmas. No mending to do but have several balls of very fine wool that is too thin for blanketing crotcheting so going to try using 2 strands together .. do you think that will work well? I have arthritus in my hands and don't want to be battling with it! I'm always minimising 'cos I can't stand clutter �� Hope you all have a good day.
Ps Why do I get question marks when I use emoticons??

thriftwizard

Athome1, it should work fine; I often use two or more strands together when I'm doing giant crochet or weaving. I might use a slightly bigger hook than usual, though, to make sure there's room for both strands.

Needless to say life overtook me yesterday and I only got one net curtain done. Today's a bit busier, in a nice way (OH coming home, DS2 & TDiL coming over for a meal) so I shan't beat myself up if I don't get more done. It's all laid out ready to roll when I do find some time, and luxury of all luxuries, it can stay like that; I don't have to keep clearing it away & hauling it out again!

Athome1

Thanks Angie will give it a go. I've got my lot for dinner today - a beefless beef casserole for the vegies/vegan and the last of the xmas beef sliced and in gravy for the rest! Usual veg and yorkies to go with it of course -well it is Sunday x

silvasava

Anyone - emoticons that this site doesn't recognise come out as question marks. I've found I can only use the site emoticons that are available when you go 'advanced' on your message. HTH.
Not much MMMING done - Christmas decs all packed away. I do have a pair of black stretchy trousers to mend. The stitching on the zip and one leg has come undone and needs my machine out. Don't know why cos they fit fine, shall inspect all the seams when I get aroundtuit! Need to put some stuff on Fleabay this week and I've some odds and sods for freecycle. That's about it for the moment - Oh did make DH 5lb of chunky marmalade with a pound of dark brown sugar in the mix yesterday!

[Deleted User]

Athome1, I knit constantly as I make charity blankets and am often given wool which is not thick enough so I always wind two thin ones together to make a double knit ball.Even nicer if it a coloured one plus a white or paler one ,gives it that tweedy effect and I am not one to waste anything .
I even knit in stripes if there is not enough for one square

Well stayed away from the shops and have only had one day when I bought lots of fruit and veg this month so I am quite please .I am at my sis-in-laws until after lunch today then I will be wending my way back to north Kent before it gets too dark ,although I have noticed its now light until gone four in the afternoon so fingers crossed spring will soon be on its way
Onwards and upwards chums
JackieO xx

vodkawitch1

Making do from fridge/freezer which is fine as lots in. Great not to have to spend anything.

Nothing to mend and will be minimizing some paperwork later. Going for a long walk with my son and his dog soon. It gives us a chance to catch up and its free so what`s not to like.

I`m struggling a little with low moods as lost my lovely daughter to mouth cancer she was only 33. It`s very hard but one day at a time as my brother keeps telling me. Thankfully I have two sons and a large family which helps.

Have a lovely day everyone

YorksLass

dND - I have to admire your perseverance/ingenuity with the pork and am glad it eventually turned out so well.
thriftwizard – Just love that gorgeous quilt!
JackieO – Like your DD’s MiL, I make up a Xmas hamper for DD from BOGOFs, freebies etc. She’s a carer for her partner, both on DLA, so they’re always glad of it. And I love your description of “harvest festival” knickers – not heard that expression before –you’re right, comfort not speed is definitely the name of the game nowadays.
VJsmum – Thanks for the recipe for mincemeat flapjacks, it sounds yummy and I know I have a jar of mincemeat in the cupboard, so I shall be trying this.
Hollysnan – A belated Happy Birthday to you.
Misstara – Hope you’re feeling better now.
Athome1 – yep, I often “double up” yarns, just experiment with different size needles or hooks to get the right tension. As JackieO says, two different colours used together give a nice tweedy effect.
MMF007 – I’ll definitely be pinching your idea for a cheepo present book; like you, I also buy presents in advance and then forget about them. Have already got some trousers for DGSs 2 & 3 (Sainsbobs sale, £3 each), too big yet but will fit next Xmas.

So, what have I been up to this week?

MINIMISE
New 2017 diary filled with appointments, birthdays etc. Shredded last year’s (and 2015 and 2014 – why was I keeping those?), so no excuses now for forgetting things.

Xmas tree down, back in box for next year, decs sorted - not-so-good ones binned and replaced with a YS pack of new ones from Sainsbobs, 40p. Mmm, that’s not really minimising, is it? Did better with Xmas cards though, they’re gone.

Laundry and ironing done, baskets completely empty – oh, how I wish they would stay that way.

Shrapnel “aka loose change” jar emptied and contents taken to Coin* in Sainsbobs, voucher exchanged at Cust Services and money put in Happy Hols purse that pays for coffees, ice creams etc. Cost of annual holiday, travel and insurance has its own separate budget.

Three large oval ovenproof dishes put on one side for DS & DDiL who, with their 3 boys, can make better use of them than we do.

MAKE DO
Meals have come from freezer/fridge/cupboards and we haven’t gone short - if anything, we’ve eaten well. Like a lot of you, I’ve also been playing freezer tetris and have made a list of everything in there. Tbh, apart from milk/spuds/fruit/veg, I can’t see me having to buy much in the way of groceries this month - need to do a meal plan though, methinks. Same goes for cleaning products and toiletries – have got more than enough, apart from loo rolls.

Ketchup bottle (one of those squeezy top-down ones that refuses to part with last of its contents) completely emptied by balancing it upside down on a wider-necked glass jar and rinsing out last bits with a few drops of water. No-one ever notices it’s a bit runnier than normal.

I’ve started to sort out the wool stash. Oh my, so much of it. The WIP pile is even worse but that’s my own fault; I love to knit but am not so keen on sewing up. I will get round to it this year - although I suspect some of it may be pulled out/washed/re-wound and used for something else. All the little odds & ends are now together in a bag - useful for small intarsia motifs or Swiss darning.

Mid-week I took time out to look through knitting patterns to see what I could make for 2017 Xmas pressies that would use up some of the stash. Currently on the needles is a cable sweater for DGS1 (easy pattern, makes good TV knitting) and I think there will be enough of the yarn to make matching ones for DGSs2 & 3 but I’ll put different buttons on the shoulder bands so they’re not exactly alike.

MEND
Not much, apart from a hand trowel re-united with its handle courtesy of OH and his rivet gun (good as new now) and hand sewing elastic back onto waistband of 3 pairs of knickers before it comes off altogether. But there will be a machine sewing session coming up soon as the pile is getting bigger.

Have a good week all.