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

Sarahspangles

Green_hopeful said:

Once everyone had taken what they wanted we did a freecycle open house where people could take anything they wanted. We did a couple of open garages when preparing the house for sale so the freecycle people knew what we were doing. We cleared a six bedroom house in a day. 

I wish our local Freecycle was still going. When I’ve been at the house I’ve put a few things out at the end of the drive with a little sign. They’ve always gone.

There was one day where we’d booked a kerbside collection from the Council, my OH helped me put the heavy stuff out and departed leaving me to my sorting. Soon after I heard a clang and realised the filing cabinet had been loaded on a definitely non-Council van that was pulling away. Each time I put something out - clang. In the end the Council took some random stuff I hadn’t booked, the operative just rolled his eyes. I was exhausted after dragging stuff up from the greenhouse all day.

Green_hopeful

@Sarahspangles We have a nice scrap man called Colin. He was really good at taking the washing machine and tumble dryer that had got flooded. We dragged them outside and he picked them up from the back garden. He comes the same day. He delivered an IBC for us for £30 which was pretty good. I haven’t met him but he seems nice on the phone. We got him from Nextdoor. 

Dropped off quite a few things at different charity shops today.  We have a lovely retro Sue Ryder, a posh Sue Ryder and lots of everyday sorts of charity shops so dropped stuff off across town. 

Sold a jumper from youngest child (25 years old) on eBay. It’s been on for ages. People buy said child stuff he doesn’t want so he gave me four bin bags full to sort and sell or donate. 

YorksLass

Minimise:  On Wednesday when DS visited we took all the bags/boxes of donations to the CS and, surprisingly, we managed it all in one trip.  Now I can evict the dust bunnies from under the stairs.     I've also got rid of the big Xmas tree and lots of baubles but have kept a few for the new mini tree.  

I've already started another batch with a small toaster (working but I don't use it) and a pair of shoes - hardly worn but they give me blisters on the back of my heels.  I've tried thicker socks, plasters etc but nothing works so off they go.  More photo albums have been pruned too - I started with the "easy" ones but it's getting progressively harder.

Cherryfudge

Make do - used some yellow-stickered sausages and an out-of-date pasta sauce with the end of a packet of spaghetti so that's three things gone that I won't be replacing, as it was uninspiring!

Mend - glued the soles back on DH's 'good' shoes.

Minimise - nothing other than the above-mentioned foods.

Nelliegrace

Last year some of the rolls of Christmas paper had thick brown paper instead of a cardboard tube in the middle. I saved it and used it to wrap outside the baking tin for the Christmas cake. I use paper clips.

https://www.deliaonline.com/how-to-cook/baking/how-to-line-a-cake-tin-with-baking-parchment

I have been thinking. I can make the frill for the side of the Christmas cake from greaseproof paper, wrapping paper and reused ribbon. I am only marzipanning and icing the top. The plastic figures to decorate it have been washed and used for 44 years.

Many years ago Dad was Santa for the hospital. He looked the part.
Some idiot had used a pin to hold the Christmas cake frill in place and Santa had to be rushed to surgery on Christmas Day to have it removed from his throat.

Minimised. GS12 asked for a tall mug and we took him the Whittards latte ones we use very rarely. 

Cherryfudge

Make do: some remnants of chicken and ham plus onion, pepper, peas, gravy and cherry tomatoes made a very tasty pie for dinner and cleared some fridge and freezer space.

Mend: I'm proud of myself for looking on YouTube this morning when the boiler went off and working out how to reset the pressure so we had heat again straight away. This evening I fixed a small hole in a favourite sock, then mended the lining on DH's coat as the seams of the sleeve linings had come apart. DH then reminded me the zip keeps separating so I looked that up too. It seems the slider can widen so a miniscule pressure from a pair of pliers can close it enough to keep it going a bit longer. I think it may eventually become a replacement zip project, though, which will extend my skills!

Minimise: Carpets shampooed over the weekend - minimising dirt. Also those fridge items getting turned into pie though I've had to throw out some whey and milk as both went off. I'm not sure why in the case of the milk as it was dated 11th. I'll have to find the fridge thermometer I think in case there's a problem there.

YorksLass

Minimise: I'll be popping out later this week for some milk and potatoes but, apart from that, I don't need any shopping as all this week's meals will be made from what I already have in stock.  Today it's a chicken stir fry with noodles.  Yesterday I made a rice pudding in the SC using a tin of coconut milk from the cupboard.  I don't mind having that more than once for afters and can ring the changes by adding some fruit or a dollop of jam!

Another item for the CS bag - a small white metal round basket with a handle.

Mend: Snap! on the zip slider mend @Cherryfudge, except mine was on my handbag that I must have had for 20 years!  I do have three others but one is too big, the second is too small (shades of Goldilocks) and the third one is a "going out" bag.  I think the too big/too small ones will be on the CS pile before long.

YorksLass

A few more items minimised to the CS bag this morning - a scarf, a pair of men's gloves, two small plant pots, a small plant holder (it's a Xmas themed one with an elf on it), a glass beaker and a vase I never use 'cos it's an awkward shape and flowers never look right in it.  I'll take this bag on Wednesday when I go to the hairdressers so it will be gone!

Green_hopeful

I love toast. Nearly everything is better with toast and I have been known to survive on it for quite long periods of time when living on my own. I like scones and banana bread toasted but last night I tried coffee and walnut cake toasted and buttered. What a delight. 1/4 of a small cake minimised!

Cherryfudge

I'd never have thought of toasting coffee and walnut cake but it does sound tempting!

Two more small mends yesterday: the neck of DH's jumper that had a few disengaged stitches and a pocket corner that needed to be reattached.

Make do/minimise - ran out of time and energy to cook 'properly' so I grabbed veggie chilli from the freezer. It's not a recipe I'd make again in quite that form so it won't be replaced like for like. I also minimised some small windfall apples to the bird table as they weren't getting eaten indoors.