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

Nelliegrace

We have a lot of apples still from the 90lbs+ we picked, @Cherryfudge. They store well in mushroom trays in the cold garage. DH ignores them in the bowl, but will eat one a day if it is cut up. I do stewed apple regularly, even with eating apples, and serve it with yoghurt. The hens get the peelings. 

Working_Mum

I have made "apple butter" this year @Nelliegrace(it doesn't have any fat in it!)  - it is essentially apples slowly cooked with a little bit of sugar and either ginger or cinnamon in my slow cooker so they caramelise and then popped in a jar and refrigerated. I have loved having it with yoghurt etc and use it in cooker in place of butter.

I'm trying to eat less processed food this year and this is a way of having something sweet available which isn't shop bought and processed!

mandy47

DH went up into the loft to get the Xmas tree and decorations yesterday. He found a box packed full of gift bags, tags, bows and various wrapping. I remember this box from a couple of years ago but when I asked previously he couldn't find it.
We now have more gift bags than I can ever use.
I've given some to DD and filled a bag for charity. 
A few more to go through but I won't be keeping many. 
We don't buy many gifts now that most the kids in the family are grown. It's usually vouchers and cash.

I recently watched a documentary on Netflix about purchasing habits. How we are tempted by big buisness and how much goes to waste.
We all know this happens and most of us on MSE can spot the tricks but seeing in such a way really brings it home.
I felt rather ashamed of past unnecessary purchases. I've decided to up my frugal ways. This compulsion many people have for more and better is mind boggling. 
I can definitely survive on less. I don't have the latest tech [or anything else for that matter] and I don’t need it. 

mandy47

In case anyone is interested the program is called Buy now the shopping conspiracy.  
Interesting and shameful, what a throw away society we have become. 

Green_hopeful

I was thinking about the nice feeling you get when you buy stuff. I still have that feeling although I find that I don’t want to buy the wrong things so I often don’t buy anything. But then once you have bought the things, do you get joy from them or is it just more stuff to get rid of. I don’t know but I know I have get a lot of things to get rid of. 

Working_Mum

Green_hopeful said:

I was thinking about the nice feeling you get when you buy stuff. I still have that feeling although I find that I don’t want to buy the wrong things so I often don’t buy anything. But then once you have bought the things, do you get joy from them or is it just more stuff to get rid of. I don’t know but I know I have get a lot of things to get rid of. 

I think the "high" from buying new stuff can be a bit addictive - I saw my ex-H would have a lift when he received a package in the post but then he'd crash afterwards. I found lots of UNOPENED purchased after he'd gone so there is definitely some psychology going on. I will definitely watch the programme you mention GH

I live a simple life by choice - I did a Swedish Death Clean when I moved house 4 years ago and it was very cathartic. I now get a lot of joy from seeing things in order and being surrounded by things I love. I can find what I need easily nowadays and haven't had to buy a duplicate (of something I know I had somewhere) for a very long time.

I get a lift from working towards my goals and living a good life knowing my impact on the environment is minimal.

I'm not sure 30 year old me would recognise 57 year old me 

Have a productive day everyone,

WM

Katiehound

Minimised today: gave away 2 & half packets of charity Christmas cards which have been in the loft for a couple of years.  I now make the few I need. Anyway a friend needed some and couldn't believe the price: 50 pence each pack. I pointed out that some of us buy the cards after Christmas!!

Working my way through the stack of duvets! 18 doggy duvets made in just over 2 weeks... more needed.

Matty246

I found that after a while of being frugal I got a real buzz from not buying. When I didn', t buy something it felt like an achievement rather than a loss. 

Green_hopeful

When I got divorced I was really hard up and my lawyers bills were more than my take home pay. I kept track of every penny. It made me much more careful about spending money and intolerant of others spending money on what I perceive as unnecessary. I try not to say anything but I think quite a lot of what is spent is just mad. It makes me reluctant to spend because I don’t want to get something and not want it. 

mandy47

Green_hopeful said:

When I got divorced I was really hard up and my lawyers bills were more than my take home pay. I kept track of every penny. It made me much more careful about spending money and intolerant of others spending money on what I perceive as unnecessary. I try not to say anything but I think quite a lot of what is spent is just mad. It makes me reluctant to spend because I don’t want to get something and not want it. 

DH and I went out Saturday for a walk around a nearby town because it has plenty of charity shops to browse and historic buildings to admire.
Never gave a thought that it was market day.
I was horrified at the amount of tat people were buying. We agreed that a big percentage must end up in said charity shops that we were there to browse.

I agree. Pointless spending at any time of year is bad enough but to feel it's necessary to enjoy Christmas is crazy.