Use it Up
Wear it Out
Make it Do
or
Do Without
Wear it Out
Make it Do
or
Do Without
It's a good mantra, particularly for a family who has made a conscious decision to live modestly and frugally and put every cent we can toward getting out of debt. When we moved to Alaska we got rid of all our furniture because it costs so much to move it...in Pelican our apartment was furnished so we didn't have to worry about not owning much, but since moving into our new (not furnished) apartment we've had to buy a few things. Some things were needs and could not wait (beds and a kitchen table) and since time was of the essence some of it had to go on the credit card. We chose modest models of all of the above and went ahead and got them. There are other things however that fell into the category of 'want' (even if it was 'really really want') and so we have chosen to forgo them for the time being in the interest of avoiding debt and waiting until we have cash...and thus it is that I show off my new kitchen shelving:
A classic example of "make it do"Take a bunch of same-sized moving boxes, cut off one long flap and one short flap and then fold the other flaps into the adjoining boxes as you stack them...Voila, additional kitchen storage for free.
I did use some plywood and packing honeycomb cardboard to build a little bookshelf, and it is not holding up nearly as well...
(aren't you proud of us for our book minimalism?We got rid of at least 3/4 of our books when we moved...support your local library!)
And yes, I have taken photos of the rest of the house. The virtual tour will be posted on Monday. ☺
9 comments:
Cinder block and board shelves are pretty cheap, we still have some of those! Too bad you don't live closer, we have an abundance of dressers! Way to be concious of debt, too many people aren't.
Good for you for being creative and making it work.
Way to be Jenni! There are somethings that absolutely won't buy used...matresses and sofas. You never know where those have been and most of the time you really don't want to [shudders].
The kitchen shelves are a great idea. I appreciate this post and the reminder to support the library.
I know where you got those moving boxes from!!! I helped design them! Good to know the in-laws are still in business!
LOL Mae!
Yes, my FIL saved up the garden center boxes from spring and then this summer asked us to re-pack all our stuff into them because they were all the same shape/size and that made it a lot easier for him to fit them into his truck to bring up to us. And hey, if he's willing to drive 3000 miles to bring me my stuff, i'm willing to repack 29 boxes!
I remember the days of cardboard shelving. I still use cardboard boxes here and there. We have our own house now, so I don't want to buy anything unless it's what I really want, so I am "doing without" until we can afford what I want. (Luckily we can accommodate our needs fairly well at this point.)
Good idea to pay off the debt... I'm a big supporter of that. It's nice that boxes are cheap (free) and easy to find. Great idea.
If you have any food storage in #10 cans, you can use those to make bookshelves, instead of cinder blocks, with planks of wood. A little pretty paper or paint, and you have a decent set of shelves! My grandmother had those! You can find planks of wood for free too. What a beautiful view! Congrats on the new digs, and don't forget to haunt the thrift stores for furniture! of course, if you can find it for free, even cheaper!
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