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

2Scratters

Evening Peeps,

So  much for my Making do efforts, I raided the cupboard where the button tins are stored. These are the old style 1.2kg tins full of buttons... How hard can it be to find some buttons to go with navy blue? I ended up down a right rabbit warren and still not got some buttons sorted. I refuse to buy any I'm sure there will be some in here some where. They are now in jars of colours sort of matching and they will need to be gone through again to team them up. I had done quite a lot more teaming up than I realised. However this is still work in progress.

Minimising came about in unintended ways which is always better. Threw out some over scratched button. Binned 3 bras. (got 3 new ones delivered today  ) 

Used a Mend as DH had polished a handbag for me from the wardrobe and it is now back in use.

2 Scratters xx

Green_hopeful

Well done @2Scratters for sorting your buttons. I don’t have so many but it’s quite satisfying to do. 

Minimise. We seem to have the national collection of ramekins. We had lots of the brightly coloured ones from Gu but we have at least 5 other sets so I freecycled them. I worry about how to fairly decide who gets things so if I get lots of takers I now draw names out of a hat and tell people that is what I am doing. 

I also try to give people something extra when they come. A lady came to pick up a computer keyboard last week and I asked if she needed anything else. She took a computer screen and mouse. Yey. 

YorksLass

Minimise: I had a walk to the CS yesterday and dropped off a bag of donations (pair of shoes, pair of gloves, scarf, dressmaking pattern, book, jewellery and box).  I had a browse around but wasn't tempted by anything so my purse stayed closed.     I still have 3 black bags of fabric to go but they will have to wait until DS can give me a lift with them.

Still Making Do with meals from existing stocks and have spent very little this month.  I'm going to carry this on during February.

Katiehound

Minimise
About 10 (yes, really!) bottles of absolutely OOD suntan lotion. I'm horrified that I have accumulated this (and even more) I put them in the make up bin in Boots. More to go next week

 I also noticed they had a blister pack recycling point too.

Sarahspangles

Katiehound said:

Minimise
About 10 (yes, really!) bottles of absolutely OOD suntan lotion. I'm horrified that I have accumulated this (and even more) I put them in the make up bin in Boots. More to go next week

 I also noticed they had a blister pack recycling point too.

I had a skin reaction before Xmas, and while I think I know what caused it (something at the hairdresser) it did prompt me to look at toiletries. I generally know when I bought things from my budget app, and I looked properly at the little symbols that say how long something can be used after opening. I got rid of the OOD skincare - I wish I’d known there was a Boots bin - and am making a fresh start with a really pared down set of products. Six months really isn’t long to use up lotions and potions. 

Katiehound

I am fairly sure that I saw a make up 'bin' in a Tesco's about 18 months ago but they are not in every branch, and of course might not exist now!!

It looks as if you can also put empty toothpaste tubes and old toothbrushes into Boots box. There's a long list of items that will entitle you to a money off voucher. I didn't do that: no smart phone for starters!!

Maybe I was meant to empty out the bottles and take the 'liquid' to the council tip? wash bottles and recycle then.......

Sarahspangles

Katiehound said:

I am fairly sure that I saw a make up 'bin' in a Tesco's about 18 months ago but they are not in every branch, and of course might not exist now!!

It looks as if you can also put empty toothpaste tubes and old toothbrushes into Boots box. There's a long list of items that will entitle you to a money off voucher. I didn't do that: no smart phone for starters!!

Maybe I was meant to empty out the bottles and take the 'liquid' to the council tip? wash bottles and recycle then.......

Money off you say? I must investigate! We don’t have a Tesco here, Sainsbury’s (and for various reasons we have two of those) do take batteries for recycling and they have textile bins, but they’re always full when I go.

My favourite thing is my tube wringer, when I do use things up I use the wringer to get the contents to the business end of the tube and then cut the tube for the final rinse. It might be a bit embarrassing taking the remains to recycle!

Katiehound

All the details are here:
https://www.boots.com/shopping/boots-recycling-scheme

Recycle 5 qualifying products, spend £10 get £5 on your Advantage card. You need to sign up and scan the products

annieb64

There is a make up bin in our local branch of Superdrug. I spotted it when I was looking for a bin for recycling bluster packs.

YorksLass

Mend: The decorative trim on one of a pair of ankle boots came off and I've managed to fix it back on.  I noticed they are both starting to crack along the top of the foot so they'll have to be relegated to dry weather wear only - a Make Do.    I do have two other pairs so won't be looking for a replacement pair.

Minimise: A bit more paper shredding and junk mail disposed of.