Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2017

misstara

Morning MMMers

Had a day off yesterday so spent the afternoon doing some baking - made scones and plum flapjacks. I also found a couple of lemons at the back of the fridge left from when I made lemon drizzle cake so made some lemon curd. I'd forgotten how good homemade lemon curd is.

Tea last night was a simple but yummy sausage, egg and chips. There's a few veggies in the fridge that need used up so tea tonight will either be stirfry or frittata depending on what we fancy later.

Not much else to report, things are beginning to grow in the garden. Hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Lynplatinum

Hiya All

Sorry not to have posted since I went on my small hols to Glastonbury. V busy here - what with the baby now walking and needing exorcsing everyday! So its all about what can we do for free! We have found Bounce and Rhyme on a Wednesday (run for free by the library) and a playgroup run by the Sally Ally for 2 pounds for 2 and half hours on a Friday (v good value as they get a snack and you get a cuppa and they get a craft session and a sing song too!). Other days we take her to the park and there are plans afoot for swimming too.

Glastonbury was brilliant - I have a Brewer's Fayre card and we went to their 'as much curry as you can eat 'for the first night and added some points on there (thanks for the tip Jackie O). the rest of the days we spent going to the Abbey, Stourhead (National Trust - I am a member - just the free car parking pays for itself round here!) and ate lunch out but we found a wonderful local baker by the great name of 'Burns the Bread' and bought some delicious bread and local cheeses and some teats from Aldi nearby and had evening nibbles in our room! We booked this trip for free because I got Sky when I moved in here as my retirement treat and because my friend reccomended me we both got cards with 125 pounds on em. So we booked the Travel Lodge last September for this trip in April and it cost us 98 pounds for two people for 3 nights. Travel lodge I have found my not be luxurious or in the prettiest locations around a place (ours was on a retail park) but they are clean and tidy and a place to sleep and not cramped for space either.

So a MM&M trip all round!

In other home news - am making do and mending! One of the dogs finally managed to rip the old and fragile cover on a sofa cushion so I have temporarily mended it with parts of an old pair of jeans (same colour) and intend to replace the cover with a patchwork of denim slowly as jeans give out. No it might not look v elegant now but the cushion and the sofa are fine structurally so buying a new sofa would seem a waste but I cannot afford to have them professionally recovered so am doing it meself! Am now on the beg from mates for old jeans :rotfl:

We are sticking to the meal planning and averaging about 30 pounds a week to feed 3 adults, a baby which eats about half of what we do (!) and two large dogs - this figure includes all cleaning products, loo rolls etc! Good old Lidil - we look at what will be on offer and plan round that BTW. Plus pound shops for things like doggie poo bags (most cleaning stuff is cheaper in Lidil - you have to know your prices, I find, when going round pound shops - not always the bargain they seem??? What do you folk think?)

Anyhoo - back off for a catch up read now - sorry for the long post - have been thinking of you all and hoping that you were all doing well.
Nite!

mcculloch29

Lynplatinum wrote: »

Plus pound shops for things like doggie poo bags (most cleaning stuff is cheaper in Lidil - you have to know your prices, I find, when going round pound shops - not always the bargain they seem??? What do you folk think?)

I completely agree re the £ shop prices, I get 95% of my cleaning stuff from discounters like A!di, Lid!, Wi!kos and S@vers.
The price of a cleaning spray in A!di is below £1 and I find the quality just as good as brand names. Better value of course, even with special offers.
I find the £ shops handy for things I might otherwise not have tried, not that this always works out.
I'm taking a break from in-cistern toilet cleaners and tried some gel ones that stick on the inner rim, bought from a pound shop.
It didn't take long to work out that using my conventional liquid and brush approach would remove the gel at that spot, so I won't be buying a pack again!

I've one more gel to go, they last a while if you don't scrub them off accidentally...

meg72

mcculloch29 wrote: »

I completely agree re the £ shop prices, I get 95% of my cleaning stuff from discounters like A!di, Lid!, Wi!kos and S@vers.
The price of a cleaning spray in A!di is below £1 and I find the quality just as good as brand names. Better value of course, even with special offers.
I find the £ shops handy for things I might otherwise not have tried, not that this always works out.
I'm taking a break from in-cistern toilet cleaners and tried some gel ones that stick on the inner rim, bought from a pound shop.
It didn't take long to work out that using my conventional liquid and brush approach would remove the gel at that spot, so I won't be buying a pack again!
I really think
I've one more gel to go, they last a while if you don't scrub them off accidentally...

I really think I have saved a fortune in cleaning products over the years, I bought a ewbank steam cleaner on a carboot five years ago for £5, a steam mop for £5, my toilet cleaner is 28p in asda and a bottle lasts a month, used daily, white vinegar sorts my mirrors and windows and a 99p bottle of stardrops lasts for ages. Don't buy air freshners, cant beat opening the doors and windows.

Make my own pot pouri, candles, beeswax polish and air sprays.

[Deleted User]

Hi everyone,
sounds like you had a great mini break Lynplatinum, and like you I often think as long as a place is clean and comfortable the view doesn't really matter,Travel Lodges are brilliant for this, as if you are in a car you can drive to pleasant views.

I for one would never bother with paying extra for a 'sea view' in any hotel or B&B. I just want it to be clean, comfortable and warm enough

Your sofa sound brilliant. last year I was searching for an extra large throw for my sofa (circa 1978, but very comfortable none the less )I had two that I used to put together in a nice cream waffle material.I couldn't find one large enough, but my oldest friend said not a problem I will machine those two together .
Why I never thought about it before I can't imagine, but she did the job and its brilliant and I am very pleased with the result I took us both out for a meal(including points ) at the local Brewers Fayre,job done :):)
Often its thinking laterally that makes a difference

Well I am getting on with my poppy project and now have 25 done of the 100, I also managed to get enough buttons on Friday for the middle bits from a friends button box. So that's my 'mending for this week at least as many as I can get done per day

'Making do' I have my meal tonight courtesy of left overs from dinner last night at DDs only have gravy to make as I came home with a plate of roast beef and veg, so it will get zapped in the microwave .

'Minimising' will be getting shot of some of my read books to the local CS as I have a bagful to go later today.

So onwards and upwards chums, hope you all have a great monday and the sun shines down on you all


Cheers JackieO xx

affordmylife

Morning everyone

Chickens are out. Washing machine is on. Goulash in the slow cooker. All going well here.

Just been offered baby ducks!!!! Omg the mess !!!!

Off to deposit in the charity shop soon. Ironing and tidying this afternoon. All fun here x

affordmylife

I hadn't set myself a budget of £200 this month for food. How silly was I. We're up to £282.88 already x

osbornbiscuit

Hi
Well it hasn't stopped raining up north but it saves on me watering the garden (does that count!).
Have managed to minimise some more books to the charity shop along with winter clothes that are past their best. Unfortunately I managed to come out with a Per Una posh dress and a floaty Per Una skirt that were a bargain. I just need to get out more......
Minimised more wool for preemies, still on the 4 ply.......will it never end.
I never buy doggie poo bags. I find nappy sacks are cheaper and just as good for my yorkie.
Oh I have also put a load of stuff on flebay so hopefully should be in profit.
My aim now the 'nice' weather is here is 4 no spend days per week which for me is a challenge.

[Deleted User]

Minimising my 'Poppie knit' I have done 39 so far only another 61 to go :):) but I am enjoying it
Making do with a ham salad for dinner tonight with a small jacket spud
I have a pair of DGS Mikey's trousers to mend this morning as he has split the seam in the crotch, I think its his bike that's doing it The saddles seems a bit ...sharpish :):)he says its like sitting on a knife :):)

silvasava

Morning all - just bimbling along here. DGD coming round at lunchtime for me to help her with getting a tax rebate online for her petrol expenses & I'll probably feed her too!
5 cushion covers done out of 7 - I prefer different fabrics in the same colour tone so have two of one fabric and three of another- need to source a third toning fabric. Luckily I have an outlet near to me that makes curtain & furnishing fabrics for the likes of Harrods etc - can get some really good offcuts or end of line stuff on occasions. So far my 5 cushion covers have cost me under £13.00 and they're 24inches square.
Out at yoga tonight so DH will be having his usual baked spud with cheese and beans - luckily its his favourite!
Now the rain has finally stopped need to get out and plant up my two window boxes - I got a dozen pink geraniums in Mr M for £3.00 - will need 8 and the other ones can go in the back garden somewhere. The window cleaner came last week so really need to do the insides but rain forecast for tomorrow so I'll probably do it then.
Oh what an exciting life I lead
Have a good day all