To wonder how many are trying to keep up with the Joneses

[Coffeeinthepark]

I realise I've spent a crazy amount of time lately thinking about parts of my house that need improving. I've got a slightly dated kitchen, not my choice of colour but objectively 99% of the world's population would be very grateful for it and my own grandmothers could not have imagined such luxuries.

Problem is, all around me, people are redoing their kitchens and of course the nicer they become, the worse mine looks to me by comparison.

But new kitchens cost a lot of money and that comes at a cost of longer hours, more years working etc. I see a lot of families, including mine, working hard to do their houses up but I think it is a huge collective action problem of conspicuous consumption fed by beautiful interior magazines. Maybe I will do my kitchen and maybe it will make someone else feel worse about theirs in turn.

AIBU to think I should fight my desire for the dream kitchen?

Maybe you can PM me.

We don't really do keeping up with the joneses. We have our own family style which is rather anti competitive, economic yet chic

Twelveleggedwalk said it is often the small cheap things that make a real difference to the enjoyment of a house. She mentioned the spice rack for the inside of a cupboard door. We have that too and it is amazing. It made cooking much easier and made me feel much more organised. A whole new thread on this could be a good plan.

I take your spice rack and raise you an ironing board stand which hangs on the wall of a cupboard and keeps board and iron tidy and off the floor

I scrubbed my kitchen floor (terracotta tiles) on hands and knees yesterday afternoon and it looks fab! It is amazing what cleaning and even more transforming, a lick of paint, can do to a room.

Totally appreciate that if your kitchen is 40 years old and the electrics are hanging out then paint and a scourer isn't going to really make much of a difference though !

Mrsmook...yes, exactly!
Our electrics are dangerous :( we only found out when the dishwasher broke and we had to take it out.
The plunking is also buggered...in fact we have been told one of the pipes has been plumed in upside down!
Sigh.
We have decided to spend the money and make it a) safe and b) a decent workable kitchen that will last a long time.
I really don't care what others have.
I care about making my living environment pleasant to be in and functional for us as a family.

Plunking!?
Plumed!?
Ahem....
plumbing
plumbed

I hate it when my plunking gets buggered Badvoc!

Yes..it stings a bit doesn't it? :)

I am trying to keep up with my neighbour.

He is an aging alcoholic, who gets through a litre of cheap brandy a day. I try my best.