Propane costs vary by region, so my experience may not be yours. I have had no problem with impurities here in Central Texas. Propane is about $2.50 per gallon. Mercaptan is added and settles to the bottom so that when the tank is nearing empty you will know it and have it refilled. It's a safety precaution as without it propane is odorless. In my locale, electricity is the most expensive, natural gas is the least, and propane is a bit more than natural gas. However, natural gas lines do not go out to my rural area, so the choice is electric or propane. I chose the latter, and received some rebates for doing so, since propane is drilled and refined in-state. I fully understand that both initial expenditures and ongoing costs factor into decision making. I have a beast of a propane stove (60", commercial) and am not sure I could get accustomed to more usual, sealed burner, lower BTU ranges, even though I do have an additional 30" cooktop with sealed burners. It's mostly visitors who use that one. I really don't like sealed burners for the way the flame curves out and around, especially when I use small pans. I also prefer that my range not dictate to me where I can place my pots. Your wife may not mind these things. Many do not. It seams all the prettiest residential ranges, e.g., La Cornue, Lacanche, and AGA, have sealed burners and variously-sized burners. BlueStar has open ones and is about as beast-like as you can get in a residential range. So, for me, one of the questions that needs answering is how important is that gasp-this-is-beautiful sensation every time you walk into the kitchen relative to that wow-this-stove-performs-beautifully-and-reliably sensation every time you cook on it. This post was edited by kitchendetective on Wed, Feb 13, 13 at 10:00

I am totally and irrationally attached to my old car. We just got a "new" one - a 2008 hyundai santa fe, but I am already thinking about what to get next when we sell this one. We got a killer deal on a low mileage used one and could probably even make money if we sold it today (and would make money if we totaled it). I love having a bigger car with a toddler and I love AWD in bad weather but I do not really love the crappy gas mileage so hoping in a couple of years our options are better for a CUV with better fuel economy (some of the models coming out this year look good so we'll see how good they really are and then look for a good deal in a couple of years). But we just put a lot of money (where a "lot" is relative to the value of the car) our 2001 Honda Accord. NOTHING special about it at all but I just love that car. It needed a new CV joint, 4 new tires, an expensive 100k mile service and new brakes. Somewhat recently it had the timing belt done and a new clutch. It runs like new now and even though it's nothing luxurious or sporty and never was, if I am going somewhere by myself and the weather is OK I will always take the old car. To me it's like that perfectly faded, broken in pair of jeans that are just starting to get good after 10 years. yeah there are a couple of frayed edges but oooh so comfortable. DH wanted to sell it when we got the "new" car and go back down to one car again (we have shared a car for the last 10 years or so that he has been working from home) but it's really much harder to do that with a child... and I just could not bear to give up the old car.

I just posted to the "McMansions" thread before I read this one, where everyone is saying pretty much exactly what I was trying to.... Anyway, I subscribe to the TNSBH concepts and looked for a house with a flexible, fully usable floor plan. We went from about 3500sf with full basement for storage to our current 2000sf. Had to declutter all the big stuff and still quite a bit of the smaller stuff to go. Added elderly mother and two guinea pigs to the already existing husband working at home, two kids, dog and three parrots (but the parrots live out on the lanai). Sailboat in backyard serves as 3BR/2BA guesthouse; or guests can opt for the pullout sofa or blow up mattresses. My SIL lives in what I'd guess is a 3500sf house and put an offer in for a larger short-sale in her neighborhood. She's kind of stuck because her house has a weird, inflexible floor plan with lots of open floor space. For example, you could hold a small yoga class in her bathroom because it's just huge with all the bathroom stuff around the walls and open floor in the middle. And it has upstairs and downstairs foyers that are as big as our small bedroom. Can't do much with a foyer. So her only choice is to go bigger if she wants to stay in the same schools because they only built giant homes all around. Her neighborhood in Rocklin is one of the older ones so the homes there are "smaller" than all the newer ones. It's going to be interesting to see what the builders start doing in her neighborhood now...(although it's almost all built out now so that I can barely find her house.)

I actually drive a Honda Fit and spent more on our cabinets than I did on the car. I hadn't considered it in those terms, but -- yes -- I will spend more on my cabinets than I did on my car. I've also heard that men are like automobiles. That Porsche is gorgeous and SO exciting, but the maintenance will be VERY high. That Taurus sedan is functional and ordinary and will never stand out in a crowd. A Suburban is highly functional and will last forever if maintained. I married a Suburban. I think my husband is a Jeep or a good, solid truck. He's solid as a rock, highly functional, can stand a little abuse, and will last a lifetime. Incidentally, that's one of our goals for the next two years: Buy him a Jeep as we head into retirement, a very real possibility being that he will never buy another vehicle. I drive an Audi Q5 - I lease it as I can't afford to buy one. You bring up a good point: A lot of people are leasing cars they couldn't afford to buy ... others are making payments that are probably beyond what's wise for their incomes. So how does this "game" work for those people? A person might have "Lexus taste" but a "Ford budget". In general, I think semi-custom is probably a good option -- not cheap but not horrendously expensive. You will have many, many options in a semi-custom line, including unusual sizes to fit your space, if needed, as well as better finishes, etc. I agree with you. I started with the idea that I'd go with Custom. My current cabinets are Custom, and they're pushing 50 years old. They really did last well for a lot of years. However, as I've become better informed, I've realized that Semi-Custom will give me 95% of what I wanted ... for not too much over half the price. My agreement with my husband: I'm allowed anything I want in this house, but I have to be sure it's good value. I probably send out a bunch of mixed signals. Currently driving a Hyundai Santa Fe, pre-owned. Previous car, Subaru Forrester, gave up the ghost alas at 184K miles. Unfortunately with my back, SUVs are the only comfortable vehicles. House: quartz counters, IKEA sleeper sofa. Cabinets, custom, but competitive price with standard big box cabs. Currently live in southwestern CT. Moving to rural MA. Clothing: whatever fits comfortably, I have no concept of style when it comes to garb. At any rate, i do high end very selectively, when I think something may call for it. So I would want to know price ranges. We are the same person.