Make Do, Mend & Minimise in 2025 (and 2024)

Cherryfudge

A P.S. to the above: DH stopped to talk to our neighbour, who was in his garden and asked if we'd mind if he removed a branch of our tree that's hanging over his side and makes the house darker than it needs to be. Long story short, the three of us spent the afternoon removing a big branch and a couple of small ones, then the two chaps worked together on a holly next door that needed to be reduced in size, and between loppers, saw, chain saw and two pairs of secateurs we've filled both our wheelie bins with twigs and have a pile of small logs and kindling to dry for our log burner. It was really nice working with him and although the trees are reduced in size, they still looking good.

So: free afternoon's activity/exercise/company/fuel/fresh air, and probably a sound sleep tonight. Tool sharing and wheelie bin sharing too: the power of community. We did offer him logs but he didn't need any.

suzeesu2000

Make do - made good use of my time this evening by working on family tree. I do get very absorbed. Also overnight oats for brunch as I got up late.

Mend - not exactly mending, more re-using. Got the cloche out that I couldn’t use last year. Need to put together but no energy to do physical today. Also scouring about for used plastic bottles to re use as protection for my little seedlings when they appear. Just in case.

Minimise - An old printer which really is ready for the bin. Put in the recycling. Sad to see it go really as it’s been a good friend. 

Cherryfudge

Make do - yesterday's dinner was more filling than expected so it fed us as today as well, with a bit left over for a lunch for one.

Mend - darned some socks, which took ages but the darn is nice and solid.

Minimise - a couple of cushion covers donated. We've also not put the heating on today as it's not been needed.

gemmajenkins0208

All the usual making do going on - using food etc we have in rather than buying out.


No mending.


Have minimised another 4 items by way of 2 vinted sales. 1 item in one parcel and 3 items in the other. Also minimised another item sold thru fb marketplace. Also found a tub of leftovers in another drawer(!) So ate that up so now there is definitely no more leftovers. Will start my batch cooking again soon to get a healthy supply of leftovers again.

Cherryfudge

Make do - turned some stale bread into spiced bread pudding, which also counts as minimise. It also reduced some of the baking ingredients stash (and increased our waistlines).

Mend - another two pairs of socks, though after a while practising 'running' reinforcement on some thin socks, I realised it's simply not worth it for some things. The other pair though, was woollen and I like wearing them so I hope they've been worth all the time it took to reinforce them.

suzeesu2000

Make do - dinners from freezer

Mend - utilised a saucepan lid as replacement for the lost lid for the small slow cooker.

Minimise - Put a dysfunctional garden sprayer in recycling. Also a garden grow bag which had split into recycling plus some old plastic pots no longer viable. 

Cherryfudge

Make Do: used a recipe that @London_1 posted for vegetable chilli. It varied slightly from the original according to what I had in but it was substantially the same and now I feel well fed and rather as though I'd like to relax instead of going to work! It's reduced the backlog of veg and given me a healthy meal, with another five portions cooling down for the freezer.

Mend: nothing today.

Minimise: I gathered up some surplus empty jars and recycled them rather than adding to the big stash I already have. I do use some for marmalade, honest - and then there are lots that are nice shapes... oh dear. Anyway, these are set free to make their way elsewhere.

YorksLass

Make Do - The usual pulling things from the freezer for meals continues but there's still not a lot of wriggle room.  Today I've mixed together some leftover mash and sprouts for a bubble 'n squeak type dish that we'll have tomorrow for breakfast with a fried egg on top.

Minimise - Two books returned yesterday to the Little Free Library and two more borrowed (at least they go back, once read  ).  Two boxes of sticking plasters condensed into one box and the empty box put in recycling.

Mend - Am currently rescuing a hand knitted jumper that's gone a bit baggy around the bottom.  It's a bit nerve wracking snipping a thread to separate the rib from the main body!  I'll re-knit the rib in a single rib rather than a double rib and use fewer stitches to make it a bit more snug.

I have two large minimising projects to get around to but I really need to be in the mood.  One is a large walk-in cupboard at the end of the hallway where we keep DIY stuff and such like; whenever we need anything from there, more often than not, we have to take things out to find whatever it is.  The other is a built-in cupboard in the spare bedroom that I've already made a start on but there are numerous photos, documents etc that need serious attention.  One day ......

suzeesu2000

Make do - freezer meal

Mend - nothing

Minimise - put an old bent tray in recycling. 

Been a sluggish week sadly. Think it’s the weather having an effect.

gemmajenkins0208

Make do - the usual


No mending.


Minimise - used up the last ancient sauce sachet from a microwave burger(partner eats them but doesn't use the provided sauce sachets, so they build up in the cupboard if I'm not careful) on my egg sandwich for tea tonight. The bread for this came from freezer stash(so you could say I made do!).