museumworker's quest to consign mortgage to history!

Courgette

museumworker wrote: »

The clothes budget is a funny amount as I started August 2009 with a pro-rata amount - I managed to save £6.79, so carried it over to this year! And I think I will need that extra few quid at this rate! Are you thinking about joining us in that challenge?

Nooooooo! I can't keep up with all my various challenges as it is. I think my husband might jump off a bridge if I announced yet another MSE challenge :rotfl:

Glad it's sorted with the loft

Queen-Bee_2

museumworker wrote: »

I am no longer worried, I'm convinced it is fully within permitted development regulations

Good!
QB

museumworker

Here's the link to the conversation that helped put my mind at rest: http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=220826

My favourite part I'd like to quote is "So pay a fee to get a piece of paper that I'm not required to have which confirms that I don't need permission to do what I'm doing in the first place?" :rotfl:, that is currently how I'm feeling about it. I know I may need it if and when come to sell, and it can delay a sale, but right now I do not need this certificate, and the hassle, all to prove to some neighbours that they can do the same with their loft (which it wouldn't prove anyway, they'd also have to apply for a certificate of lawfulness!). We have no plans to sell for some time anyway.

Pretty tired out by this whole thing now. I have however been making progress on the decluttering front, tackled an old leather bowling bag that used to belong to my dad yesterday. After loads of bits of toot being chucked out, now have place to store hairdryer and electrical beauty items in the bedroom . Haven't got very far with the CPD though , think it is just too much to do right now and will give some time to it at the weekend. Decluttered my handbag at lunchtime today, and am going to do some stuff under the bed tonight. My bedroom WILL be a haven!

Colleague very kindly bought me ham egg and chips for lunch , sold another book on Amazon and posted (this is only about 90p profit, but profit nonethless!) - the other book I posted yesterday netted me £15 :j. I have cashed in some Mr T vouchers for a subscription to gardening magazine for OH for Xmas (hope he's not reading this!) before they increase the amount of vouchers needed. Collected the facetogo sets from boots today, they are very nice and a great gift for under £8 each! Got some xmas wrapping bags from poundland so can start on some wrapping. Still a little bit left on the Xmas present front, but a manageable amount (I hope!).

Most excitingly, found another shop which sells Schwim bottles, I bought 4 for £2 and will get more tomorrow :j:j:j! A swim for me is £3.80 in my local pool and £1 for DD even with swimming card, so saves me nearly £4 if I use them for us both to have a swim. These bottles have been really hard to find of late, so I'm over the moon. We go swimming every Monday, and the offer is on til Feb, so the money really adds up.

museumworker

Courgette wrote: »

Nooooooo! I can't keep up with all my various challenges as it is. I think my husband might jump off a bridge if I announced yet another MSE challenge :rotfl:

Glad it's sorted with the loft

Now I don't want to push anyone over the edge... step away from that bridge Mr C! However, I would whole heartedly recommend the Clothes challenge, it has been my most fun challenge of the year. All my friends know I do it, everyone in the office, and it is a constant source of amazement. I now have 2 friends (non-mse forumites) who have been inspired to start it themselves, so we have chats about 'how much have you spent', and coo-ing over new additions to wardrobe! Our general conversations seem to go "I love your new dress" - "yes, £4 oxfam!" - "fab!!". No admiring of designer clothes here (apart from the free designer clothes that I have now, of course )

tootallulah

Hi MW sorry that I didn't reply yesterday but as expected you have sorted it out. I do know a bit about planning but I have an attitude to letters of legality which is summed up in your post, get one if your buyers solicitors demand one otherwise forget it. I didn't say anything because my builders persuaded me that I didn't need planning permission for a new bathroom window (I thought that I would). As it turns out there has been a complaint and so I am doing a retro planning application which I am not happy about. Consequently my planning confidence is at an all time low. My window does make a planning change which your loft conversion does not, I should have known better.

museumworker

Thanks toots for the reassurance, so sorry to hear about your window though - pants! Hope the application goes through fine.

The insulation and boarding is done now just in time for the big freeze! Plaster board goes on tomorrow I believe...

Books came from thebo0kpeople, one however missing, but they will send it now. So glad I checked the order properly! Bought 2 bottles of wine for work colleagues today, £6 each reduced from £9 in waitrose, something french. I had been looking for something even more reduced, but a nice bottle of french red for £6 is fine. I bought wine bottle gift bags 2 for £1 from poundland yesterday, so that is 2 presents wrapped , plus did the organic surge gift bag last night, used some tissue paper had salvaged from sister's gift and looks fab for a £10 (plus 50p gift bag!). I don't think I have ever wrapped a present in November, clearly am getting organised slowly but surely!

Decluttered under the bed last night, however have created a bag full of stuff that needs putting away, apparently putting away is an important part of decluttering so am going to do that tonight.

HM lunch, salmon from freezer for tea, and am making chilli in the slow cooker for friend who is coming over tomorrow. Hoping to be finished by Apprentice, then bed .

museumworker

Mucked up rice - trying to do too much at once - so binned and had salmon on its own followed by cheese and crackers and a few squares of dark choc. Now can feel migraine coming on - first in ages! Wish I'd had either choc or cheese - now need to avoid both as definite link. Am annoyed with myself for eating so badly, I was just starving and couldn't face cooking rice *again*. Only positive is that it is the first time I have ever spotted a direct corrolation (which I can't even spell right now!).

Courgette

Hope the migraine lifts soon - :T to spotting a link though!

And a definite 'noooooooooo' to the clothes challenge (athough it does sound fun, you're right. Not sure Gherkin would be too impressed with me showing off my finds though :rotfl:)

[Deleted User]

Sorry about the migraine mw (perhaps a blessing in disguise to be able to identify triggers that you know you can then avoid?...) hope an early night sorts it out!
funnily enough we were discussions a clothes challenge today! - or the idea of bringing in clothes we didnt want anymore and swapping -a lot of my clothes are handouts from my friends wardrobes! .... perhaps another challenge, though like courgette Im not sure I can add any more or my brain might explode!! :rotfl:
glad all the planning stuff sounds sorted- some people I think just like to wind others up with drama /horror stories!

CathT

hmmm, lots of trigger foods there, am guessing they are both the culprit

We invested in a rice cooker a while ago, seriously the best thing i have bought for a while. Makes perfect rice and as we know exactly how much to add we have no waste. Bags of rice last us ages now!

Glad all is sorted with your loft work.

Great news on the swim offer too, always nice when something you enjoy that you do regularly works out a bit cheaper.