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

Cherryfudge

The trouble with reading the forum is that when people mention specific foods, I then feel I want them! Maybe not the curry this time, but the apple pie... not something I have very often but I'm wanting the apple pie smell now.

Minimise or possibly make do: I'm finally cooking the remains of some rhubarb that I bought last week. Sadly I had to throw some out but the stewed rhubarb will freeze well.

That leads to a possible 'mend', or at least an 'improve': I'm using a pan that has unscrubbable marks in the hope that the acid from the rhubarb will help shift them!

Nltechnologies

Let's concentrate on sustainable living in 2024 by adhering to the maxims "Make Do, Mend, and Minimize." This year, how are you applying these concepts to your life? Please contribute your knowledge and experiences on mending vintage objects, cutting waste, or leading a simpler life. Let's motivate one another to live more conscientious and sustainable lives!

Anticipating your thoughts and tales!

Regards!

Floss

Nltechnologies said:

Let's concentrate on sustainable living in 2024 by adhering to the maxims "Make Do, Mend, and Minimize." This year, how are you applying these concepts to your life? Please contribute your knowledge and experiences on mending vintage objects, cutting waste, or leading a simpler life. Let's motivate one another to live more conscientious and sustainable lives!

Anticipating your thoughts and tales!

Regards!

Hello
If you read the previous 46 pages, you'll see lots of posts applying Make Do, Mend or Minimise to their lives.
Floss

YorksLass

Thanks @Cherryfudge - If I'm honest it was the fact I'd gone over budget in April, May and June that made me put the brakes on.  Not big overspends admittedly, but I like to keep within my limits.     Your mention of rhubarb reminded me I have a tin of it in the pantry so that might be the next fruit pie.  (I miss the fresh rhubarb I used to get from my late DF's garden.)  Or it could be a cherry one.  Sorry about the mention of the apple pie, it's a favourite here and they never last long.

Small grocery delivery today, all P&C, a couple of price increases (celery and a sliced wholemeal loaf) and soon put away.  Only two items for the freezer since the contents are still on the hit list.  I got some smoked basa fillets that DH will enjoy but I won't, so I'll be having a pasta meal instead.  Another opportunity to use up some bits, probably a few prawns with chopped peppers and mixed veg.  And a sprinkling of grated cheese of course!

Today I've minimised 400g baby merino yarn by putting it in the CS bag.  It was gifted to me by a fellow knitter who is now struggling with her eyesight.  Pity, as it's a lovely lavender colour but I find pure wool very itchy so someone else may as well benefit.

YorksLass

Beautiful weather here today, a shame I've not got any washing to put out!

Today I've made do by making a vat of tomato & pepper soup, a loaf of bread and some custard as we've still got a lot of milk to use up.  We'll have some of that with slices of a golden syrup cake that was in the pantry.  I've done the meal plan for the coming week and have incorporated as much as I can from existing stocks, be it frozen, fresh or cupboard stores.

This weekend's minimising job is going to be venturing into the large walk-in cupboard we have in the hallway for a (potential) cull of contents.  We have a meter safety check on Wednesday and the poor chap is never going to get in there to look at the electricity meter unless I make an effort.  It's a real glory hole and I dread to think what I might find!  DH keeps his tools in there - realistically, he's never going to use them again but I know I'll meet resistance if I suggest we dispose of some.  I don't think even the thought of selling them will persuade him.     It's ironic as he's not what I would call a hoarder.  He can't help me due to his poor health so maybe I can surreptitiously magic some things out of the house.      

Cherryfudge

I wonder if he could be persuaded to donate some, perhaps duplicated basic tools that he wouldn't miss quite so much? There are charities that will take tools, sewing machines and similar things to give people the chance to earn a living by using them.  Even items that need repair may be useful, and perhaps it would ease the situation for your DH if he knows there are people who could put them to use.

'Glory hole' - now there's a throw back to my Grandma, who used the phrase to describe her under-stairs cupboard. She was from Sowerby Bridge, so perhaps it's a Yorkshire term? My Dad explained it as 'You open the door and look in and you say 'Oh, glory!' "

Green_hopeful

I realise I might not be representative but I recently went through all our tools and picked out the ones we like or use. I then gave the rest away. It’s so much nicer to be able to fit them in the box and have them easy to find. My husband checked the ones I was going to gift and only took a couple of extras. The main toolbox is divided into spanners and hammers, screwdrivers and pliers. Everything else is in my big box of stuff. We gave ours away on freecycle but we have a men’s club that refurbishes tools. 

YorksLass

Cherryfudge said:

'Glory hole' - now there's a throw back to my Grandma, who used the phrase to describe her under-stairs cupboard. She was from Sowerby Bridge, so perhaps it's a Yorkshire term? My Dad explained it as 'You open the door and look in and you say 'Oh, glory!' "

As my user name suggests, I'm from Yorkshire so maybe it is.  I like your Dad's explanation although I tend to open the door, look in, am rendered speechless and promptly shut the door again!      

@Cherryfudge and @Green_hopeful: Thanks for the suggestions for the tools, very helpful.  I'll do some research before I/we decide.  We did gift some to DS a while ago but I doubt he'll want any more.

Anyway, I got up early this morning and, while everything was quiet, armed myself with a cup of tea, paper and pen and set to making a "Plan".  The cupboard is about 2 1/2 feet wide, 4 feet deep and is like a Tardis.  There's an over-door shelf rack, a  metal shelving rack on the right hand side (3 shelves), electricity meter/fuse box on the left wall and lots of stuff on the floor.  Tomorrow I'm going to move the two tool boxes and other assorted tools to under the stairs - temporarily - along with the carpet shampooer.  That will at least give the meter check person room to get in!

Today I've tackled the over door rack and have binned two old paint colour charts, bits of string and a paint roller handle.  A pair of (unused) safety goggles, two surplus wallpaper strippers (also unused) and 4 pairs of shoe laces have gone in the CS bag.  Everything else went back in - neatly - and now there's two empty shelves.     Only a small win, but a win all the same.

Minimise: A bit of paper shredding this morning and recyclables put in bin.

Make Do: Some gammon slices out of freezer for tomorrow's dinner.  Used up the last bit of Wensleydale cheese with chutney on crackers at lunchtime today.  Didn't have any of my usual cleaner for the cooker ceramic hob but did find a bottle of Barman's Friend in the cleaning cupboard that worked a treat.

On the Mend front I'm slowly sewing up a hand knitted sweater a bit at a time; once finished it will be one down, one to go.  I love knitting but not so much the sewing up so it's been a real labour of love to work my way through the pile.  The yarn stash is considerably reduced now and, since we really don't need any more winter woollies, I'm going to use up the oddments to make baby blankets that I can donate to the local hospice for their Xmas market.

YorksLass

Today I've tackled the Tardis cupboard - it took me 5 hours and I'm cream crackered!

The intention was to move two tools boxes, assorted other tools and the carpet shampooer to under the stairs, which I did, and to leave the rest for another day.  But you know how it goes - I may as well carry on and promptly took everything out.

At that point I needed a break for lunch during which DH and I had "the conversation" about his tools.  A small success in that he's conceded he'll never use them again so I've left him to think about what he wants to do with them.  I know not to push too hard, otherwise nothing will go.      

Lots of (useless) stuff has been binned and assorted paintbrushes, a paint roller tray and a plug-in timer switch went in the CS bag.  I've put some part-used tins of paint on one side to go to a local social enterprise that collects them to be reprocessed and re-sold in their shop.  I'll give them a call tomorrow to arrange a collection.

I still need to go through the general DIY stuff - screwdrivers, hammer, pliers, screws, nails etc.  We'll keep some but a lot could go, especially screwdrivers.  As well as some in a toolbox, there’s a metal tin (the kind you get Xmas biscuits in) that’s rammed full of the things.

For dinner we've had cooked gammon slices, baby potatoes and broccoli followed by a choc ice.  That's me done for the day now and I think it will be an early bedtime tonight.  

wumph

Noticed you added butter beans to a meal and reminded me I have a portion of baked beans in freezer so will add to a Korma curry effort I am making.  Have sorted out wardrobe (hanging trousers like the folks on the Reels) but how long that will last goodness knows.  Sorted a few bits for the charity man next week.  Not much done really but at least its something.