Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2017

[Deleted User]

Making Do - currently have some pans of baby food simmering on the hob for the littlest grandson who comes to visit next week using fruit from the freezer that we grew last year.

Minimising - He Who Knows is sitting at the table shredding newspapers to make paper bricks that we dry in the polytunnel and use as firelighters in the woodstove in the winter.

Mending - Going into town today to buy some buttons to go on a charity shop jacket I found for £2.49, really good quality one just missing the front buttons.

misstara

Welcome to the thread Doggylady

OH continues to minimise stuff so we've another couple of bags to go to the CS. Think the only thing left to go through is an old laundry basket which is stuffed full with things he never wears. Once it's clear, the basket can go to the CS too.

Really need to spend some time over the weekend in the garden, the grass needs cut and the weeds seem to be multiplying daily. I'm off all weekend so will have plenty of time.

We're starting to minimise the contents of the freezer in preparation for defrosting it. It's absolutely rammed full of ys goods so it may take a while!

Hope everyone has a good day

Doggylady

Morning all
Made do and mended my DS2s work trousers. Converted them to shorts and patched a hole in the pocket. (He's a postie and thinks that it is a golden rule that posties wear shorts whatever the whether)

Still trying to minimise the paperwork in DHs office. My shredder is starting to make complaining noises. I hope I don't wear it out completely.

Off into town now to scour the CSs for a sun hat for me. ☺️

[Deleted User]

Minimised two car loads of clutter from Dds house this morning.Got the boys to help declutter their bedrooms and the top floor bathroom.You wouldn't believe how many old shoes were found that had been forgotten about and are far too small for any of the boys now.The youngest lad of 13 takes a size 8 already. So a sack went to the recycling box outside our local cobblers, footie boots ,wellies and assorted shoes/trainers but with four growing lads my DDs shoe bill is enormous.
Her low mileage exercise bike went to the charity shop ,she has no time to use it and the boys are all like bean poles with not a scrap of surplus fat on them So quite a bit went to the CS and the rest to the tip. DD was really pleased as she had been telling the boys it was well past time for a clear out..
Made do with some bacon wrapped around a chicken breast for dinner tonight and had some chopped apple for pudding.
No mending but a few more poppies made tonight A productive day all round I think, welcome to the lurkers, let us know what things you do to make do minimise and mend

JackieO xx

Lynplatinum

Hiya folks

Not been on for a while due to manicness in my place but at mo am doggie and house sitting for a friend who has gone off camping for the first time - do hope the promised storms dont happen while shes out there!! This has given me some space and time to get on to here! However, have been MM&M ing - seems it is now part of my DNA :rotfl:

Minimising: Finally got around to selling some of the rubbish in my place - took an X box driving wheel to a dealer in secondhand stuff like that and, even although it was not complete (had no table clamp) got £13 for it! So that was some space cleared! Woohoooo

Making do: following meal plan and still eating up stuff that my son bought with him (unbelievably - but its cans and soya flakes etc) Also (since had a very expensive month - car tax + insurance + essential gardening work that I couldnt do myself) fancied a cold coffee en route to my friends. Now usually I would 'treat' myself to a Cos!a - which is a treat about once or twice a month but vvv skint so parked up in L!dil and got a chilled coffee for 55p from their chilled section! result :j

Mending: not sure if this counts but repurposed a table that had been at my mum's house (now used as a rental property - main source of income). I took the castors off it - with my son's help - it has a formica top and so will be ideal for crafting on! nice smooth surface! Also have used two old, unwell nest of tables to put rest of the pots on so hopefully the lavender that was in them might - potentially flower (folks may remember that I have to keep pots out of range of my son's two male dogs ) Have pile of clothes mending to do when I get home - I like sewing as its peaceful but cant do it with the toddler around LOL
Anyhow hoping to get time when at home to be on here more again. Frugaling onward!

[Deleted User]

Minimising - spent some of yesterday sorting through yet more of the 'treasures' in the store room and have generated another couple of boxes to go to the next boot fair. I can see some of the floor!!!

Making Do - using home grown produce from in the form of courgettes from the polytunnel and home made pesto with basil from the polytunnel for lunch today (and probably a few more days next week) too rather than let the glut go to waste. Also using last years frozen summer fruits to make compotes for pud to make room for this years which are beginning to ripen now.

Mending - sort of, we have the grandchildren coming for the week and I wanted to make a 'tent for them if this warm weather continues and have made plans to a big old flat double sheet to attach to the garden fence and some poles like a canopy so I'm sewing on ties to achieve this. Having said that it will most likely rain for the entire week!!!

Doggylady

I will be minimising the huge privet and holly hedge in my front garden today. Just putting it off for a bit longer and having a cuppa.
Will be making do with what's in the fridge for dinner as I'm determined today will be a nsd.
Mending pile is empty at the moment but best not to speak too soon.

Lynplatinum

Evening All

Well, tried minimising today and traipsed a load of bit round Lostwithiel antique dealers today but no one was biting and the chap who was interested in the Ladybird books was off on holiday

Still its a very pretty town with a little river running through it and a cash point! Got some out as I hadnt made any monies but managed to minimise spending on food for the few days I am at my friends by going to Ald! and spending £6.80.

Minimise - well hopefully me! Am trying to keep mostly to proteins and veg with a little fruit and carbs only first thing in the morning. Really need to loose this weight as I have a wardrobe for two women - one my current size and one a size smaller! Plus as I am currently in the 'obese' category I need to be in the 'overweight' category to avoid various illnesses - an elderly chap down the road has just had his second leg off due to diabetes and is too heavy to manouvre himself out of bed and is dependent upon nurses and carers. A dreadful warning to me. Determined now!

Determined to prove that loosing weight does not have to cost a fortune!!! Any suggestions along the high protein/ low carb/low sugar route folks?

Mend - nowt much on this front Im afraid as am at my friend's place - there's a pile of it grown at home!!!
Frugaling foreward!

elona

MrsL

Omelettes, lean mince, chicken thighs with the skin taken off, cheap fish like herring or mackerel . Home made soups,vegetables like carrots etc turned into ribbon noodles or pasta. Stuffed mushrooms or peppers. Don't forget the humble ham shank which is very cheap (I cut the fat off before I cook it).

crazytree

Getting little bits done. I've a few things finishing on eB@y today, only one bid on about ten items though! Used up odds and ends of loaves from the freezer to make bread puddings.
And I sorted out so t-shirts I no longer wear from my work clothes drawer. Should be lots of stuff to take to the charity shops soon!
No proper mending done although I've altered a couple of charity shop buys by cutting them down. Loads of the dog's toys need sewing up before they lose all their stuffing!
Making do with homegrown salad leaves and spring onions, as well as purple mange tout which I put in egg fried rice. They turned the rice blue!!!!!
Next clearing out project is going to be the top shelf in the big kitchen cupboard we can't reach properly. There's so much junk there!

Well done to everyone. This group really seems to encourage us to crack on with it!