I've Become a Little Too Good at Making Do

Erika Webb
Jun 29
4 min read

The other morning I heard myself say something that made me stop and laugh.

"I think I've become the Master Wizard of making do."

My husband laughed too. Then, without missing a beat, he said something along the lines of, "You know you don't have to do that, right?"

He's right.

In fact, if anyone in our house is encouraging me to replace something, buy the better version, or stop wrestling with something that should have been retired years ago, it's him.

The ironic part?

I'm the one who talks myself out of it.

As I thought about that conversation, I realized I wasn't talking about one thing. I was talking about a pattern.

I've become really, really good at making do.

I know exactly how to jiggle the cabinet door so it closes.

I know which pair of scissors actually cuts and which pair is mostly there for decoration.

(True story: I actually got up in the middle of writing this blog and threw them away. I'd officially had enough.)

I have kitchen tools that technically still work...if I'm patient enough.

I automatically work around little annoyances without even thinking about it anymore.

For the longest time, I thought that was something to be proud of.

And honestly...I still do.

Many of us, especially those of us who grew up in the Gen X era, were taught to be resourceful. We fixed things. We stretched things. We wore things out. We didn't replace something just because there was a newer version.

There is real value in that.

I don't ever want to lose it.

But somewhere along the way, I think I stopped asking myself one simple question.

Am I being resourceful...or have I simply gotten used to living around things that no longer serve me?

Those are not the same thing.

It isn't just the kitchen scissors.

It's the shirt that's never quite comfortable, but "it's still fine."

The drawer that sticks every single morning.

The lamp that's never bright enough, so I move my chair instead of fixing the problem.

The pretty cocktail glasses that somehow only come out when company is coming over.

Why?

I enjoy them too.

I realized I've spent years adapting instead of asking whether I needed to.

The strange thing about making do is that we're so good at it, we stop noticing we're doing it.

The little inconveniences become part of the scenery.

Then one day you finally replace the old can opener...or buy the whisk that actually works...or fix the drawer you've been fighting for years...

...and your first thought is almost always the same.

"Why didn't I do this sooner?"

Not because you needed something expensive.

Not because the old one was unusable.

Because you had quietly accepted unnecessary frustration as normal.

That one hit me a little harder than I expected.

Because if I'm honest, I have a much easier time believing other people should make their everyday lives a little easier than I do believing it for myself.

I'll encourage a friend to buy the shoes that don't hurt her feet.

I'll tell someone to replace the kitchen gadget that makes cooking frustrating.

I'll remind people that little improvements add up.

Then I'll go home and keep making do.

Maybe that's why I write this blog.

Sometimes I'm writing to myself too.

I don't believe we need more stuff.

I don't believe buying something automatically makes life better.

But I do believe there are moments when we quietly convince ourselves that "good enough" is the only option, simply because we've been saying it for so long.

Sometimes the answer is repairing something.

Sometimes it's letting something go.

Sometimes it costs absolutely nothing.

And yes...sometimes it's finally replacing the thing that's been making everyday life just a little harder than it needs to be.

That's one of the reasons I love sharing products that have truly earned a place in my home. They're not trendy because someone on the internet told me they were amazing. They're things that quietly make everyday life work a little better. You can browse some of my favorite everyday upgrades HERE if you're curious.