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

Cherryfudge

Make do - put together overnight oats for lunch tomorrow using various things that are needing to be used up (banana, blueberries and yogurt).

Mend - a tee shirt and a pair of socks. Sadly, looking at the tee shirt in daylight I can see it won't be worth mending again but never mind.

Minimise - nothing today.

nannygladys

Make do - eating out of fridge/freezer
Mend -  made some reusable face 'pads' out of a cheap new flannel and mended an old t-shirt as the hem had completely come undone so I was going to make some floor cloths out of it but thought I would have a go at mending it as i had my sewing machine out and it worked out fine 😀
Minimise - must do this with money as it seems to be going fast this year 🥴

London_1

Making do: odds and ends from the freezer to use up for dinner I have some fish fingers a left over sausage and some halloumi spicy cheese that I will make a mishmash dinner with .plus anything else I see that looks in need of using up.More wriggle room in the freezer and hopefully I will be able to defrost it by Easter

Mend : one more square to knit then the boarder for the charity blanket then another one will be finished. I will dig out my circular needles for the boarder this morning.

Minimise : some paperwork that is in need of shredding for the recycling bag

Cherryfudge I have an large unopened box of teabags to go with my donation, and both DDs have promised to donate as well.Boy amI looking forward to my cuppa though. I don't mind coffee as I do enjoy a cup at least once a day but my true love is my Yorkshire tea bags but its worth the effort.

Its one of my grandsons birthdays today our 'gentle Jack' and I shall see him later on as he is coming home for the weekend from his school job can't believe he's 24 ! doesn't seem five minutes ago he was toddling around in his Babygro's

JackieO xx

Katiehound

nannygladys said:

 
Mend -   mended an old t-shirt as the hem had completely come undone so I was going to make some floor cloths out of it but thought I would have a go at mending it as i had my sewing machine out and it worked out fine 😀
  🥴

Don't forget that ballpoint or jersey needles are best for sewing T shirt material- I told one of my friends that (my age) and she said she had never heard of them!! (and she has a Bernina !!!)
The needle doesn't snap the threads unlike bog standard needles- I found that out the hard way.

Just off to shorten some jogging bottoms for a neighbour- yes, the ball point needle is in and I'm sewing a three step zigzag so that the fabric stretches.

plumduff55

Make do - none

Mend - my dgd visited this morning and I repaired her Barbie doll's cape. The ribbon tie had frayed and I replaced it with velcro. She was delighted.

Minimise - Yesterday I decluttered my wardrobe and took 5 things to the charity shop this afternoon. Two things were Christmas presents that I know I'll never wear. Better the charity making some money from them than lying in my wardrobe unused. I also took 3 small glasses that I didn't need. 

I've had a lovely Saturday. Family visited this morning and when they left I went to local town to drop off the stuff to the charity shop. Then I went to Asda just in time to pick up several yellow sticker reductions. Perfect day

Cherryfudge

Katiehound said: Don't forget that ballpoint or jersey needles are best for sewing T shirt material- I told one of my friends that (my age) and she said she had never heard of them!! (and she has a Bernina !!!)

The needle doesn't snap the threads unlike bog standard needles- I found that out the hard way.

Thank you for mentioning that @Katiehound, I'm going to bear it in mind for when I have confidence to use my machine as I'm sure I'll want to sew jersey eventually. Meanwhile my tees are mended by hand, but the latest wasn't the sort of damage that you could use a machine on.

Today:

Make do / minimise: I had a gift voucher to spend at our local garden centre and I wanted to use it while it was still in date. We got compost and some bulbs, then I bought a loyalty card for the chain which will get me free hot drinks a couple of times a month as well as some discounts and free seeds. I'd never had one before as their café used to be very second rate and their seeds were expensive, but the café had really improved last time we went and we know people who like to meet us there, so I expect to take advantage of at least some of the free drinks. The card costs £12 a year (50p a cuppa, but more if I don't go often!) but I already have a voucher for seeds worth £2.99 so if I choose some next time around, it will be even more worthwhile (though strictly I don't think that counts unless I'd have bought the seeds anyway, which I wouldn't unless there was nowhere I could get them cheaper... is anyone still with me? ). 

Anyway, it will also mean that if I feel I need a little treat, I can make do with a free drink from there.  

Mend: nothing today.

Minimise: Using a chunk of my gift card minimised wastage. I get very guilty when I don't use a gift card in time, and that's happened. We also cooked our fish and chips at home instead of going to the chippy - minimising cost and calories. I also did a planned big shop to take advantage of double Clubcard points. The rule is not to buy anything you don't usually get, or it doesn't count as a win! I did buy DH some apple juice, which we don't often get, and some baking apples to make a pudding to take to our daughter's when she gives us dinner on Monday. I like to think I've minimised costs there too, as well as arm strain because DH came to give me a lift back. I can put any resulting points towards a railcard next summer, which should save us on some days out.

Actual minimising of possessions hasn't happened today.  

suzeesu2000

Make do - very make do dinner from pantry shelf, cupboard and freezer. Was nice though.

Mend - nothing but did salvage some nice wallpaper samples from three books which were given to me. Take what I can use, free and then recycle remainder.

Minimise - boxes from cat food, the collection bit of a vacuum cleaner all in recycling.

Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend x

retiredinfrance

Apologies apologies for being curious ( nosy), but I’m intrigued about the wallpaper sample sheets that you are keeping. Have you a project in mind? Your post brought back many happy memories of sitting with those sample books and enjoying the designs. 

Christianne1957

retiredinfrance said:

Apologies apologies for being curious ( nosy), but I’m intrigued about the wallpaper sample sheets that you are keeping. Have you a project in mind? Your post brought back many happy memories of sitting with those sample books and enjoying the designs. 

Just de-lurking to mention that D!ck & Angel (from Chateau TV programme) decorated a room using squares of wallpaper from various old, part used rolls of wallpaper found in the attic. It looked stunning & cost very little
Maybe those wallpaper samples could be similiarly repurposed?

mandy47

Mended. DH replaced the leaky hose to the washer.
No more tub under the pipe catching the drips.

Minimise. Old iron put out for scrap man.
Still making my way through my wool. Half way through another charity blanket.

Make do. All todays food/meals from freezer, cupboard or fridge. Used last of the pudding rice and the last of the frozen parsnips from the freezer. Roast chicken tonight.  I'll use the oven because I can fill it.