January 01, 2009
I guess as I think about the coming year my new mantra is to make do or do without. I am really determined to quit purchasing new things as much as possible. It has become a game with me now. I love finding great bargains on food and cleaning supplies and that is how I get my shopping fix. I look at all the stuff we all have and wonder if we could all be out of debt if we had just waited to buy some of it. Our parents used to make furniture last their entire life time. I am good there. We have purchased very little furniture during our marriage. We have lots of hand me downs. That’s my tip for today..make what you already have work or do without.
When our children were young we were broke, I mean really broke. There was no money for Christmas gifts. None. One day as I went to the basement I noticed the curtains on the windows. Lots of fabric there. I took them down, washed them and they became the back of lap quilts for all the grandparents and great grandparents that year. I had some muslin so I bought some fabric crayons and had my little girls draw pictures. I ironed those pictures on to the muslin, purchased batting and got yarn from a friend and tied the quilts. Those have now become treasures. That same Christmas I had doll house furniture out of cardboard and scraps of fabric. We took an old display box from a retail display we had and painted that with some old house paint. I glued curtains for windows and that was the gift our girls got. They absolutely loved it! We still have it.
Recently my daughter made a Halloween treat bag out of an old formal dress. Sabrina was a princess and the glitter on the dress made a perfect treat bag. A few years ago I made a dress up wedding dress from old curtains. Our grandmother would take shirts and dresses that developed a stain or a hole and cut them down to make clothes for the kids. Why can’t we do the same. I recently cut off a pair of my grand daughter’s jeans which were too small and too worn to pass down. I made a really great purse which got lots…of compliments. All of these require only two things, an imagination and the ability to sew. Now may be a great time to learn to sew. I love teaching that skill and many others do also so ask for help.
This attitude applies all over the house. I love spray paint. When my daughter bought a house the previous owners left a very ratty looking table in the garage. It had been used as a work bench. As we were looking for something to put the TV on we decided the table had a great shape. We went to the store bought some black spray paint and sprayed away. The first person to come visit asked if it came from Pottery Barn! I wish we had thought to take a before picture. I have taken lamps and sprayed them and they look new and up to date. I sprayed old picture frames black for a great arrangement in my hallway and some white for a great arrangement in a bedroom.
Last night I heard on the news that business has picked up for those who have shoe repair shops. They seemed to be a thing of the past until times got tough and people realized they could have “new shoes” for $10.-$25. by just having favorite shoes repaired. If clothing looks faded but is still in good shape, dye it!
When it comes to preparedness, I have suggested before, that you fill your empty canning jars with water for water storage. That’s free and helps accomplish your water storage goal. When you want to can empty the water and the liquid in the canned products can be used as “water” for cooking.
One last thought, if you need something why not ask to see if anyone has that item that they can pass along to you. We recently had a friend move and they needed a bed for their guest room. We had a mattress and box springs waiting to be donated somewhere and…they got their bed and we cleaned out some of our garage…a win, win.
Now it’s your turn. What have you done to reuse an item and give it new life?
I just raided Mom’s storage shed where all things forgotten usually go to await their demise! I recued an old bookcase and a 4 ft. tall cd storage tower. They now are in my place holding canned goods!
Whatever works!
I haven’t done this yet, but the plan is to use my husband’s old BDUs (battle dress uniforms, replaced by ACUs, a digital print uniform) to make a quilt for our son’s room. There are enough shirts there that I think I can make it twin size for when he is big enough for a “big boy” bed. Possibly even curtains…we’ll see. I figure I can leave the pockets on some of the portions of material, and take them off others and make some kind of fun pillows with pockets on them instead.
Great post! I’ve been looking around at all the stuff we have that A) we should have waited on before buying; things almost always come our way when we really need them, and B) all the stuff we have that we could do without! My motto lately is “if we don’t have it, we don’t need it!” I think the lean times we are living in show us how much we can do without. It really is a GOOD thing!
A few years back I started an email loop of homeschool families who might light to trade or barter with each other. It has been a lot of fun and productive too. I’ve enjoyed getting things out of my hands into someone who needs them more than I do.
P.S. Mel over at Family Prep is the person who told me about you—
Blessings!
Nancy
What great ideas!
We have used the Redo, reuse, recycle goal for years. Sometimes to be reminded of what we CAN do inspires us to do more.
Our regular grocery store has a great can sale- so 5 cases will be added to storage. Then we will try to make the cardboard rotation containers.
I can’t say it enough – great ideas! Thank you!
Laurie
One area that I feel is important to buy new are shoes. Most other areas I can make do, but new sturdy shoes keep my joints in line. New well-fitting shoes are also important for growing children. Clothes can be hand-me-downs, but good shoes also are important for a child’s feet. If I find a good sale, I will buy an extra pair of sturdy shoes for myself, to use when the current pair is broken down.
My mantra this year is “a penny saved is a penny earned”. I often am a succor to “good deals”, even if I don’t need them. You have gotten me thinking about what I have around here that I could redo. That might satisfy my boredom when I want to buy something!
Good point about the shoes, by the way. Good shoes can affect other areas of your health as well.