It’s been a little while since I’ve got stuck into a good juicy challenge here on the Frugal Life blog, so I thought I’d tell you about my new summer project which starts next week.

With the dreary recession continuing and job losses rising, many of us are having to cut down and make do instead of buying new items. Things are hardly as tough as they were during World War Two when food and clothing was rationed, but many people are now adopting the spirit of the wartime ‘make do and mend’ ethos by redistributing items via Freecycle or holding clothes swapping parties.

So, from next week onwards, I will be undertaking a month-long ‘make do and mend’ challenge. This will see me undergoing weekly tasks designed to test my frugal mettle and ability to use my imagination and make the best of what I already have at home or in my locality.

The first week of the challenge will see me banned from food shopping and making meals from items lurking in my kitchen cupboards, freezer and back garden (looking forward to some strange culinary concoctions…)

In week two I will be learning how to revitalise my clothes and put together a new make do and mend wardrobe from old, forgotten items. Despite my primitive sewing skills, I am looking forward to this. I am in dire need of a Gok-style fashion fix and don’t want to spend a fortune in the shops (especially as I have a terrible habit of just coming back with yet another black cardigan).

During week three I will be finding out how to get makeup and toiletries to last longer and to make my own from ingredients around the home. I am hoping to make good use of the James Wong book I got for my birthday this year.

Then, finally, the theme of the last week of the challenge is entertainment. I will be turning off the TV and discovering new, unusual or long forgotten ways in which to make my own frugal entertainment.

I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and learning some new frugal tricks. I hope you’ll follow my adventures and give me some tips and suggestions along the way, too.

What does ‘make do and mend’ mean to you? How have you adopted the ethos in your own life? Leave a message and let me know.

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