Making do and Mending...

In November/December of 2008 I had a Make Do and mend challenge- the idea was to show folks how much moola we spend buying crap. I guess it was my non-consumerist attempt of sticking it to the man.
I was bored the other day so I did some "Make Do and Mend" action- I added up the costs of replacements for the Items I repaired and it came to at least $67. Not bad for an hours worth of work! Well this is what happens when I get bored:

I repaired my paper cutter- I lost the straight edge out of it, so I took a piece of 1/8" X1/8" square stock since it would fit and made a new one- all I had to do was cut off about an inch of the square stock. Some new washers and screws and my paper cutter is good as new- Savings-$20-$30. Cost to repair- $1.47 for the square stock and two new washers.

That rusty old shower curtain pole- I painted it with about the same color spray paint (that I happened to have on hand- Saves my from going to hardware to buy a new clothes rail- Savings $7-$15- Cost to repair- FREE!! (I already had the paint, was bought for another project)

Mom's Reading lamp- made it so the odd 4-prong fluorescent lamp bulb that costs more than than the entire lamp it's self(not really but at $12 a bulb, I should have let her toss it!) Anyway, it wouldn't fit in- Savings $40-(cost of lamp) Cost FREE- just took some verbal coaxing and a screwdriver.

The whole point is not only did I save some cash, but buy getting out my tools and fixing things, I saved some trash! And if you are anti-consumer like I am getting to be- that is cool too (I should qualify that last statement- I am not necessarily anti-consumerist, but I feel that your money should be saved to go to things that matter or that you cannot live without)

Money saving Ideas Compliments of Crunchy

Haven't done a piggy back post in awhile....

Today Ms. Crunchy had an interesting topic- How do you save money ? She linked to this great post from the simple dollar. And for the most part I agree with them both. But I have a few of my own to add in the fray




REPAIR- If I had said it once, I will say it again- Don't throw out if you can fix it save the money and do it. I just had to fix my reefer- turns out all that was wrong was a corroded thermostat. Simply clean off the thermostat! I found this out asking questions of the HVAC guy at work - our HVAC guys also do refrigeration!
Also:

• Conserve- saving water, electricity, gas is a money saver, too


• Quit Smoking- Works for me. I saved enough the first four months to buy my bike.


• Pay off your credit- self explanatory
  


• Christmas time is coming start making your gifts!

Surprising to me is that Crunchy, queen of challenges, doesn't mention that all of the ideas or rather a good portion of them are answered in her challenges. Buying nothing, DIY, Self sufficiency, growing your own, etc. are all just ways to save money. Really. And they help you be nicer to Mama Earth.

Shhhh...Genious at work!!!

First off I must congratulate the plumber who came up with this. I imagine that flushometers are hard to come by wherever he is. This is a classic Make Do and Mend moment. I salute you O brother of the plunger.

Make due and Mend Challenge = The Final Check-In

Make Do and Mend Challenge:Sewed new buttons on my work jacket (a different one) and mended the torn sleeves. Glued the “hat” back on the top of one of my nutcrackers that battled Sammy cat and lost. Re-used and made do with some led Christmas lights for lighting on the deck- Low Watts- works great! Currently working on adapting my fire screen to work with the electric log and fit the fire box again! I Re-Used an old laundry bag to store my artificial Christmas trees in. The box was wearing out- it is over 5 years old!
I started this challenge because I think Repair should be considered the fourth “R” in Re-cycle, Re-Duce and Re-Use. It has been an interesting two months with the folks who signed up, al lot of clothing repair, and people fixed just about everything imaginable. Ib Mommy even fixed her car with duct tape!
I want to thank all those who participated on their blogs, and those who participated in spirit!
MAKE DO AND MEND CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS:
Rob at Rob's World, Lori Ann at Simple Makes, Burbanmom at Going Green, Verde at Justice Desserts, Tara at Enough, Fleecenik Farm at Fleecenik Farms, Hausfrau at Peak Oil Hausfrau, Amanda at Rambling Thoughts of an Eccentric, D.A. at All in Good Health, IBMommy at IBMommy, Full Freezer at My Freezer is Full, Eric & Juila at Ramshackle Solid, Chile at Chile Chews, Greeen Sheeep at Greeen Sheeep, Prudent Homemaker at The Prudent Homemaker, Purloined Letter at The Purloined Letter, Sylvia at Today's Budget , Stephany at Naturally Simple, Lisa at Condo Blues, Eeemily at Eeesapples, Melinda at One Green Generation, Debbie at Artful Aspirations, "M" at Thoughts, Songs and Stuff, Mary at Cat's Fiber Adventures, Jennifer at Tiny Old House

Make do and Mend Challenge Update

Make Do and Mend Challenge:Mended some tools at work that I use for my job. Mended my toque to keep my head warm as shown in this photo. I also Mended some Christmas ornaments- I glued a couple back together. Getting to be the close to the last update in this challenge- I will post once more- anyone else do anything this week in the Make do and mend Challenge?

Make Do and Mend Challenge: Made some beef jerky and some diabetic peanut brittle for gifts. Repaired a plunger handle I use at work. About it for me. Oh yeah I picked up some new buttons for my work jacket and sewed them on.
How did everyone else do? I hope everyone stayed warm. I bet those who mended warm clothes are happy this week!

Make do and Mend Challenge Check In

Make Do and Mend Challenge: This week I concentrated on work items-
Fixed a tool I use at work (put a new handle on a Test Cock Cleaner) These are found in commercial Back Flow Preventers; Made a key to open water main vaults; Repaired some of my personal tools for work. Also I finally fixed the shower curtain- two of the holes ripped off the hooks- I took duct tape and ran it in a straight line covering all the holes. Then I used a hole punch to re-punched the holes.
So much for my week- How did everyone else do?

BOOKWORM BOOK REVIEW

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree By Robert Barry

It has been a while since I posted a book review, but I just ran across my copy of this book at my mom's and I thought it was a great book to review, especially since kids could and would enjoy it as well.

I first read this book in I suppose 1964 or 1965- Of course i didn't realize it then, as it is one of the first books I read- at the time I suppose I thought it was a book on the importance of sharing. But today it is a book not only on sharing what you have, but a book about community, recycling, reusing and yes making do as well.

Oh No! The Tree is too tall!!!

You see Mr Willowby orders a tree, by special delivery, and it turns out it is too tall. So, he gets the butler to chop off the top, who in turn gives it the top to Miss Adelaide, the upstairs Maid, who in turn has to lop off the top, and discards it. Then the Gardener finds it, dumpster dives and takes the remaining top home. And you got it- it's too tall! The cut off the top and the bears find it and then the foxes and so on and so on.

The Barnaby Bear Family Celebrates with their piece of tree

This is a perfect book on teaching kids about recycling and re-using. Everyone gets a piece of Mr. Willowby's tree, down to the lowly mice.

The illustrations are good, and the book is it's self attractive. A good read for kids and adults alike. The amazing thing is it was written in 1963. I still read it every year. I want to thank my mom for giving me this book and encouraging me to read!

Make Do and Mend Challenge Check In:

Make Do and Mend Challenge: Well Ho ho ho, I made do with Christmas lights- I bought 3 strings of LED lights last year, they only use 4 watts per string, I never got to put them up due to construction of the addition, Anyway- found out that I only need 1 string. SO maybe a giveaway in the future??? Or I might free-cycle them- and I fixed my mom’s windchime- The strings holding the chimes on disentegrated. Amazing what you can fix with a little dental floss!
I bought a can of Silver Chrome spray paint to paint some Command hooks silver rather than pay $8 each for Metal command hooks (I already had the plastic ones)
How did y'all do this week? I suspect a lot of cookware repairs?

Make do and Mend Challenge Check In

Make Do and Mend Challenge: Well everyone- here we are in the End of November, and I know all of you have been busylittle beavers mending clothing, household items, duct taping cars! If I owned a company I would hire all of you for my workforce!

This week, I am getting ready for the Thanksgiving Holiday, so I fixed a pot Lid and repaired a Roasting Rack in time to prepare the Roast Beast on Thursday. Normally I would put the Roast Beast on the rotisserie, but wanted to do it in the oven, where I will cook the potatoes and Veggies at the same time!
Made up some more Bel Cloches from pop bottles for plants. Fixed a small cookie sheet that goes into my broiler oven so it will actually fit my broiler oven (It is one I picked up at thrift store)- Just a hair too wide- got inventive with pliers and bent the edges so it would fit! What Creative repairs did everyone else do this week?

Make Do and Mend Check In

Make Do and Mend Challenge:Well everyone- I had a tough week- got nothing repaired at home. In fact I didn't get much of anything done this week at all. Suppose I was bummed out all week over Binky. But a new week starts tomorrow! How did everyone else do?

Make Do and Mend Check In

Make Do and Mend Challenge:Lets see- this week I repaired one of my rain barrels, (the hose came off- I needed to put a new hose clamp on it) and I repaired the passenger "make-Up" mirror in the Suzuki- A little hot glue and I can fix anything! Hot Glue and Hot Glue Guns are the Craft Shops answer to Duct Tape. And I learned this week that IBMommy does her auto body work with Duct Tape! LOL She gets points for originality and the use of Duct Tape- how did every one else fair?

Make do and mend Check In Week 3

Make Do and Mend Challenge:Well I did not get much done this week- got the gable completed, That’s about it! 4 more gables to go- 2 on the house and 2 on the garage. A person runs out of time when doing a major construction item.
How did everyone else do? Oh yeah I did take some scrap wood and make mason bee houses!

Make Do and Mend Challenge Check In -Week 2

Make Do and Mend Challenge: Well week two. And I have been mending things for Christmas. I know it must be Christmas- Like I said to the gal at the hardware store- It must be Halloween- You guys got all the Christmas stuff up! Still working on the siding- almost finished! Every gable I do I find faster and better ways to do this. As for other things I fixed this week- Took a Pig Shaped cutting board my mom had (she actually collects these!) and routed it out to put a clock work in so she can hang it up with the other pig cutting boards in her kitchen, for Christmas, And I reupholstered an old headboard for her for Christmas as well. Fixed the lock on the back door.

Mske Do and Mend Challenge Check In #1

Make Do and Mend Challenge: How did everybody do this week? For me, I started repairing the siding that the roofers damaged during the addition by putting up sheathing, covering with roofers felt, then covering with shingles to match the addition; And I put a new handle on Grandma’s spade- I reused the handle from another spade that I saved; and saved old handle for a fencing project I saw once and want to reproduce; Made a closet pole out of an old broom handle- replaces the one that was either broken or sawed up.
How did everyone else do this week?

Make Do and Mend Challenge

After joining countless challenges, I am ready to host my first one:

Annoucing The Make Do and Mend Challenge, to celebrate that old friend –“Repair”
The challenge is simple, really, instead of throwing out something and adding to the waste stream, try repairing it instead.

This helps out in your other challenges:
Buying Challenges- you are not buying something new
Frugality Challenges- You are saving money buy fixing whatever and not buying new
Waste Reduction Challenges- Should be obvious
Independence Day’s challenge- I am big proponent on adding Repair to the “3R’s” –ReDuce, Re-Use and Recycle
Sustainability Challenges- Nothing more sustainable than Mending something to save from buying new now is there?

It could be something as simple as sewing a button back on a shirt or blouse, or mending holes in your jeans, doing a repair job on your vehicle or bike, sharpening and cleaning your gardening tools for winter, mending a fence, You get the idea- Just FIX something!

Once a week, On Sunday Evenings, I will hold a Make Do and Mend Challenge Check-In- where you can brag about your Repairing Prowess and what you repaired or ask questions on how to repair something-

Nifty little badge to put on your blog:

Anyone who signs up will get their name posted on the sidebar!