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

mandy47

Minimised thanks to MSE.
Changed from a company I've been with for years to save money. Minimised mine and DH monthly mobile bill from £8 each to £1.15 for 6 months then rises to £4.50 pcm. More data allowance and includes roaming,  that's a win win.
Mend. 
DH is making another hole in my very thick watch strap. I've been unable to wear it because it just twirls around my puny wrist. I'm a biggish lass but have very thin wrists. 
Make do. 
Still plenty of veg being used from freezer. 

YorksLass

Put the flags out - I've finally finished the bra modesty panels!  They were trickier than I thought they would be and I think I was probably using the wrong fabric.  What I ended up using was some non-woven stuff that doesn't fray and stretches like the garment fabric.  Yippee - three hardly worn bras back in use.  

2Scratters

Mend - I'm off to the cobblers to collect a boot where the sole has separated due to me walking quite frequently in sandy areas as it cuts into the glue  who knew? Last time it was done he did FOC and I paid on for someone at Christmas whilst in a queue. 
Minimise - getting items loaded into a sm paper carrier bag to be dropped off to the CS today. I keep loosing the for life bags as needed to leave them at some places. A couple of items sold and stock packaging to use on them reduced. 
Make do - still using up food stock from the freezers. I have too much bread going on and it needs honing down. Fortunately there is always the birds to be grateful of some breakfast. 
@YorksLass great savings there.


2 Scratters  

Green_hopeful

We have been trying to sell my in-laws house for 18 months. We have sold twice but flaky buyers have pulled out both times. The first pulled out after nearly a year and the second ones pulled out after 4 months. Deeply disappointing. Nothing has changed they both have just changed their minds. Anyway we cleared the house when we thought we were about to exchange and complete last April. 

So the agents let us know at the end of last week that the second buyers had pulled out and today we decided to re dress the house. We gathered some pictures and ornaments and my curtain stash. We gave the house a good clean and popped everything in. It was looking quite bleak after being empty for so long but curtains and pictures made it look more homely. The only expenditure was some bright plants for the front garden. Viewings tomorrow and Wednesday so hopefully someone will like it. 

annieb64

It took us about 18 months to sell my Father's house, Green_hopeful. I think the Quaker graveyard under the front garden may have put some people off! 
Hope your viewings go well.

Katiehound

Well today a friend mended my blue Dyson 01. The original flex had cracked slightly causing it to short and cause nasty sparks about 1/2 " from the body of the machine. I guess that isn't too bad: I see it was manufactured in 1998!I It now has a shorter flex......

YorksLass

Two things Minimised this week:

1) The lampshade from my bedroom - a dingly-dangly affair that's very pretty but a so-and-so to clean.  I've had it for years and still like it, but am fed up of the hassle so it's off to the CS for someone else to enjoy.  I have cleaned it first!  And I now have a replacement that's simpler and more modern.

2) A pack of men's socks, unworn and still in the packaging, that I took to the SA clothing bank today.

A Make Do of old cotton knickers that I've cut up into cleaning rags, ideal for mirrors and windows.

Cherryfudge

Lots of mending today:

• A pair of DH's socks (holes fixed and 'run' to reinforce weak areas).

• A bra (side boning was digging in and I saw the casing had shrunk and warped the plastic insert so I carefully picked out the stitches at the top of the channels and eased the boning as flat as I could. It's still within the casing but looks better and I'm hoping it will stop it digging in).

• Sewed the spoke of an umbrella back under the top fabric, if you know what I mean.

• DH is having a coat crisis despite owning several. I've taken one in hand. There was faux leather binding on the button holes which disintegrated, leaving a course canvas appearance underneath that showed up as light against the dark coat. I'm making proper buttonholing over this and from a distance it actually looks okay. Only one of three buttonholes is complete but I'm half way through the rest. Then I remembered there was wax on the back of the coat and have melted this with a cool iron and kitchen paper. I'm really surprised how well it came out - though as with the button holes, daylight will give a truer verdict. Of his other coats, one has gone prematurely bobbly and been shaved! However, one area needs attention again. The other coat needs a new zip so I'm leaving that till last.

Make do: Out walking the other day, someone had pruned a delicious-smelling shrub and left bits all over the place. I now have some flowering twigs in the lounge where we can enjoy them.

Minimise: we're trying to reduce the amount in the freezer so today's lunch included sausages and onion bhajis and I've earmarked some chicken portions to defrost for dinner during the week.

2Scratters

DH has presented me with a v small mend of sewing a button back on a pair of work type pants. I didn't even need to dig out the 3 large biscuit tins of buttons to find just 1! 
Make do I had saved (never intentionally a had just never got round to using them ) 2 large leeks and have kept them in a tall vase with some water being gently topped up. I trimmed the greens and had frozen them. They actually have roots on them and am contemplating planting at some stage later in the spring. They have lasted for months like this.
Minimise an item has sold on ebay so now that is packed and ready to be posted.

Have a good week

2 Scratters xx

Cherryfudge

Make do: I wanted an accessory for telling a story to small children and managed to make it using things I had in store. Gained: a tiny bit of space!

Mend: I've finished the buttonholes on DH's coat and given it a wash, so from the outside it looks better but I've now looked at the lining and it's wrecked all down the sleeves. I've found info online so I have an idea how to go about repairing that (replacing is beyond my abilities). I went to buy bias binding to iron on and reinforce the frayed edges, but the shop only had 75cm of the right sort left, which I bought so at least I can make a start. I could only think of one other place in town that might sell it but although they have it, it's a third of the price and very course quality, so it probably wouldn't work well on the lining fabric. Anyway, the project is on hold till the coat dries.
I've also glued a bit back on a drinking water bowl off the bird table and mended two pairs of my socks. The trouble is that I keep wearing the favourite ones so they keep getting worn out but I like them so I keep them going!

Minimise: a big bag of items for the Toddler group have been taken back where they belong. We're still eating from the freezer so there's more space there, too.