Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2017

savingpennies · 27 January 2017 at 9:26PM

On the minimising front I spent some vouchers I got for Christmas on some new underwear, some of which was in the sale. Tomorrow I need to do an inventory of the freezer. I usually write everything in my freezer book but I've been a bit lax recently and forgotten what is in there. I can then meal plan a bit more effectively and minimise the contents a bit.
I carry a spare make up bag in my handbag which contains all sorts of vouchers/money off coupons/loyalty cards, etc, so I spent time today tidying it up and seeing what I have that I can use. I am ashamed to say I found a £10 shopping voucher, £5 John Lewis voucher, £2 Co-op voucher and an M&S giftcard. I must be slipping, it's not like me to forget these things. None of them are due to expire anytime soon so I need to think carefully about how to use them.
No mending to do as yet.

CAZBEAR · 27 January 2017 at 10:16PM

Hi can i ask how you mend tights Siebre ??

Well today i minimised the spend on takeaway by making our own vegetable biryani and sweet potato korma...some for the freezer too and baked a cottage pie while i had the oven on so thats lunch sorted for tomorrow . Make do with DH's bottle of (thick and expensive) handcream that the pump wouldn't work on by decanting into a (washed out) hair mask pot and getting the last bit out with a bit of water and a good shake !! It's still plenty thick enough to use.
Also cut the top off my tube of foundation to get the last out..about another weeks worth in there and it doesn't dry out for quite a while if you slide the cut off bit back over the rest..
Just a few bits needed to see us through to the end of the month so hopefully a cheap weekend !!

Had some supermarket vouchers in the post so we can restock in the next few weeks

Hope everyone keeping well and warm this is such a lovely thread:):)

Lynplatinum · 28 January 2017 at 12:03AM

Evening All

Last day tomorrow of our meal plan which has lasted a day longer than thought about as we repeated one meal because we enjoyed so much and there was some left!!!

It has saved us loads of money - we did a brief L!dil shop and spent £17 as we had eaten most of the perishables such as fruit and other 'treaty' bits. this included the luxury treat of L1dil bakery goats cheese and pesto individual pizzas (4 for £2) for our lunch! Also a lot of the 'on offer' stuff was things we love (like leeks) which we can then meal plan round.

Spent £35 last week for all of us (3 adults and a baby!).

So we are hoping to do the same this week! Planning day
tomorrow

Make do: food from stores and drying washing out of doors (no tumble dryers here!)
Mend: DS has been great at begining to sort out his finances and has been working hard at this all day! I have mended an account with my club book who had over charged me (for the first time in 30 years!) by getting them to look at what they had put down!
Minimise: Me by going for a long walk and having a good old dusting and hoovering session hope to have minimised the dirt in the house :-)
Night all!!

misstara · 28 January 2017 at 7:50AM

Morning all

Had a good rake through my handbag last night and minimised all receipts and assorted paperwork that had collected in there. Found a form to register at new doctors which I picked up over a week so have filled it out and will hand it in on Monday.

I finally found my sewing kit so will get on with the mending over the weekend, there's not much so shouldn't take long. I've got a huge pile of ironing to minimise and the flat needs a good clean so will be roping OH in to help with the cleaning later.

We had spag bol last night (some that I'd batch cooked last week), tonight is haggis, neeps and tatties and tomorrow will be gammon steaks (YS). Think there's enough bits and bobs in the freezer to keep us going another week or two before having to do a proper shop.

I got an unexpected council tax bill in for £277.98 so trying to rejig the budget and minimise costs to cover. Have also picked up overtime and shifts with 2nd job for a bit of extra cash.

Hope everyone has a good Saturday

Athome1 · 28 January 2017 at 8:17AM

Morning all ..off to work soon so just a quick post to ask a question and make a comment (multi-tasking:rotfl:)
Last night I lit one of the Yankee candles I was bought for xmas .. Clean Cotton and at first I thought it was lovely but the smell of it around the house this morning is making me feel queasy! Everyone seems to rave about but I don't like it at all .. am I the only one??
Have a good day x

Athome1 · 28 January 2017 at 8:20AM

Sorry to hear about your unexpected bill misstara .. I find when I get a little next egg together an unexpected expense always seems to appear!! :mad:

Siebrie · 28 January 2017 at 12:04PM

Hi Cazbear, I think they are 60 denier, and if I stretch them a bit I can clearly see the knitting. I use a thin needle and thread in the colour of the tights. I just pull the gap together

It is not very neat, but usually also not very visible, and dd can wear it a few times again.

[Deleted User] · 28 January 2017 at 3:06PM

Siebrie you are a lady after my own heart if I can fix it I will and its got to be beyond repair for it to be binned

I have been minimising my knitting stash with some more charity squares for the blankets I now have a big bag of odd colours that are not enough to even make a square with so I am saving the odds and ends up and will make a blanket of all of them when I have finished this one

No mending to do thank goodness

On the making do front I went to Lidls this morning to get my DD some of their on offer cheese Very nice big block of mature cheddar 850 gms for £1.99 I originally was only going to buy this as its a week-end offer but once there I spotted some great reduced bargains and so spent a whopping £8.97

But the pork loin fillets at £1.69 for four were a bargain as I will be able to turn them into four meals for myself When I got home I dipped them in flour ,egg and dried stuffing mix and froze them so four meat for meals at just over 42p per meal for the meat

I also got some reduced cheese and a whopping sweet potato that was only 23p so with the red peppers and the sweet potato and some reduced cheese I shall make a veggie lasagnes which once cooked with yield at least three portions two for the freezer and one for the fridge

Plus there was a nice piece of gammon complete with a honey glaze to go on top which I will use on Monday as my friend is coming to lunch and there will be left overs from that as well.So my food budget purse is firmly sht now until mid February as I have more than enough in fresh and frozen stuff to keep me going

:):)Spent a total this month of £41.21p on food and have a good chunk left over to go into my holiday fund

:):)
Onwards and upwards chums

JackieO xx

Floss · 28 January 2017 at 3:17PM

Jackie when do you go on your spring break? I got my National Trust newsletter the other day and there are a few things coming up at Lyme Park & Styal Mill. Let me know if you'd like me to post it to you.

[Deleted User] · 29 January 2017 at 9:46AM

I shall know for sure tomorrow when my friend comes for lunch ,but as far as I know it will be 21st April for a week Floss,very kind of you to offer.I have English Heritage ticket and my friend has a NT so we like to cover all our options

:):) We are avid country house nosey parkers

:) Like to see what we would have missed had we been born a century or two ago. Calke Abbey is one of the best I think I have ever visited and its falling to bits but an amazing house to walk around none the less

PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING

Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2017

Comments

Categories

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free