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Mariah2
Yo, that's fifty dollars for a T-shirt.
PeaNut 526,154
October 2011
Posts: 5,510
Layouts: 0
Loc: Illinois
 |  Posted: 3/9/2012 12:47:18 PM
depends -- how bad is the kitchen!?
IMO travel is the best - you get experiences and memories and connection.
But if the kitchen is realllllly bad and this is your chance to fix it so you are not grumbling every time you make dinner, I might do the kitchen. |
"We are NSBR. We talk about E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
Diva Cups Merkins Tub Girl Crock Pots Kitten Heels The Hoff HOF Obama Bush Kardashians Shopping Carts Shopping Trolleys Dead Aunt Cookies Trolls Not Trolls Garden Snakes Snails Stripper Poles with or with out Birds In-Laws Scoff-Laws Blogs Borg Paint Colors Dinner Books and Each Other"
--SueSume, 3/21/13
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lindywholoveskids
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 168,696
September 2004
Posts: 7,190
Layouts: 0
Loc: Northern California
 | Posted: 3/9/2012 12:48:12 PM
Unless there are urgent issues with the kitchen and fencing, I would go to NYC!!
Get tickets now! | |
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SydVicious
BucketHead
PeaNut 403,519
December 2008
Posts: 826
Layouts: 37
Loc: Wiesbaden, Germany
 | Posted: 3/9/2012 12:50:30 PM
Not enough info, but if your kitchen is a disaster or you really need a new fence, I can't imagine blowing the money on a 4 day trip ANYWHERE unless someone's been diagnozed with a terminal illness. To me, maintaining one's home is more of a "need" than a pricey vacation.
I agree.
Traveling is awesome, but when the home needs updating it takes priority in my book. Inside the house also takes priority over the outside. You could always save for a few months and do a small, fairly close to home trip that would cost alot less. Good memories are good memories whether they cost alot or not. | |
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Mariah2
Yo, that's fifty dollars for a T-shirt.
PeaNut 526,154
October 2011
Posts: 5,510
Layouts: 0
Loc: Illinois
| Posted: 3/9/2012 12:52:00 PM
But I also cringe when people use that to justify decisions that put them in financial jeopardy, like putting a vacation on the credit card to make this fabulous memory and then spend the next 2 years paying it off, hoping you don't lose your job in the meantime and can still make the payments. And if you have dilapidated fence with holes for your Doberman to escape and wander around the neighborhood, and for the neighborhood to view your dh's collection of old cars rusting in the backyard, and decide you need a really cool vacation to get away from the dreariness of such a life, then sorry, I'm not going to vote for a vacation at any cost.
If that's the logic I would also say no kitchen and no fence either!
But supposed you have the money for one of the three, not all of them (very responsible), then I would pick one. For me it would always be the trip first. |
"We are NSBR. We talk about E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
Diva Cups Merkins Tub Girl Crock Pots Kitten Heels The Hoff HOF Obama Bush Kardashians Shopping Carts Shopping Trolleys Dead Aunt Cookies Trolls Not Trolls Garden Snakes Snails Stripper Poles with or with out Birds In-Laws Scoff-Laws Blogs Borg Paint Colors Dinner Books and Each Other"
--SueSume, 3/21/13
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luvmythree
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 223,222
September 2005
Posts: 2,703
Layouts: 47
Loc: Kansas
 | Posted: 3/9/2012 1:11:58 PM
Depending on the need for a new kitchen/fence I would say the trip. The reason I would choose the trip is that my kids have never been on a real vacation, our "trips" have always been because we had to take the youngest to a drs appt. we have never gone on a trip to just go for fun. |
Kirsten mom to~
Alexandria 20
Ethan 10
Owen 8 CFC syndrome,cp 29.5 wk preemie
Expecting my first grandbaby May 2013!
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Momof1sweet-lil-lad
& the Velcro dog
PeaNut 133,429
February 2004
Posts: 9,093
Layouts: 0
Loc: With my Shadow
 | Posted: 3/9/2012 1:14:18 PM
I would go for the kitchen. You would understand if you saw my kitchen. |
The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has its limits. ~Albert Einstein | |
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thebirdhouselady
BucketHead
PeaNut 11,889
March 2001
Posts: 835
Layouts: 5
Loc: Alaska
 | Posted: 3/9/2012 1:23:32 PM
If it were a complete kitchen redo I would definitely go with that. If not I would choose the trip. A fence doesn't do anything for me. | |
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MiniMcguyverGirl
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 200,789
April 2005
Posts: 2,984
Layouts: 134
Loc: Louisiana
| Posted: 3/9/2012 1:27:11 PM
I always choose experiences over physical items. Always. Unless it's a necessity (like the sink doesn't work and the oven is broken and not usable).
NYC! |
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Nightowl scrapper
Intl Assoc of Epic Length Posters - USA Chapter
PeaNut 103,889
August 2003
Posts: 24,760
Layouts: 0
Loc: Colorado
| Posted: 3/9/2012 2:12:51 PM
If that's the logic I would also say no kitchen and no fence either!
But supposed you have the money for one of the three, not all of them (very responsible), then I would pick one. For me it would always be the trip first.
Obviously you shouldn't go into debt for any of those things. That's a given. At least for me. And I was expressing MY opinion. However, in the first part of that quoted paragraph I was thinking about this post
And yes, they are so important in our family that some members have incurred debt to take them, because they are that important. It doesn't matter if we have to pay them off later, the experience and the memories are so important to our family.
And to be honest, I've seen similar sentiments posted in the past. I understand that people have different views on this, but for a typical normal healthy family, I don't think even a vacation is worth debt, and I think there are an awful lot of people out there who do.
The second part of that quote was my opinion that if your neighbors have to suffer from your wandering dog or the eyesore exposed by your disaster of a fence, then if you can only pay for one (and yes, I DID see that she has money saved up for one, good for her) then I think it's irresponsible to go on a trip. Likewise, if your kitchen is a health or safety hazard, or you are in a constant state of irritation and aggravation over it, then again, the trip would have to wait. If I'm doing the choosing, which she asked.
IOW, I don't comprehend the mindset stated numerous times on this thread, so I'm really not picking on you, that a trip always, always, always takes priority. Because I can think of a dozen scenarios where that would be, IMO, a very irresponsible choice. YMMV.
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"Until you put a thought into words, clearly and precisely, it is not a thought at all. It is a kind of fog rolling around inside the skull."
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2peafaithful
People not perfection
PeaNut 35,457
April 2002
Posts: 27,831
Layouts: 0
Loc: Right where I should be
 | Posted: 3/9/2012 2:15:48 PM
I would choose what would improve my families quality of life the most. If we really needed a break and time away than I would choose NY. We spend a lot of time at home so if a fence would make outside time (and safety) more enjoyable than I would do that. I love being in the kitchen and spend a lot of time there so if improving it makes life better than I wouldn't have a problem being practical at all.
Whatever you decide to do enjoy it!!! | |
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peasful1
Needs a New Pea Title
PeaNut 44,870
August 2002
Posts: 14,166
Layouts: 1
Loc: Valley of the Sun
 | Posted: 3/9/2012 2:23:20 PM
trip.
Obviously the kitchen is pretty much a functioning room if it's a choice between a long weekend and a kitchen. I mean, they are not equivalent purchases. I'm guessing you are opting for small cosmetic changes. In that case, I would definitely choose a trip.
I love IKEA as much as the next guy. We stock up on all kinds of products that make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I have IKEA stuff all over my house. BUT I would not choose an IKEA kitchen over a trip that really tickles my fancy. Someone said the kitchen will last longer than the weekend...well the memories of the trip will last longer than an IKEA kitchen.
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"When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself." -- Wayne Dyer
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triplejscrapper
BucketHead
PeaNut 412,345
February 2009
Posts: 612
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 3/9/2012 2:31:03 PM
First let me say I didn't read anyone else's posts before I posted so if I'm saying something that's been said a bunch in two pages, I apologize.
If it were me, I would take the trip. The way I see it (rationalize it )  is this way: Home prices are in the trash right now anyway so your improvements aren't going to do that much as far as increasing the value of your home AND I'll take an experience over "stuff" most any day of the week. You only live once.
Of course, if my kitchen needed to be upgraded because things were broken or in need of repair then I would do that first. That would be my second choice.
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jjjulee
Stuck In The Bucket
PeaNut 522,402
October 2011
Posts: 700
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 3/9/2012 2:46:03 PM
If you have to choose one of the three, I'd choose the one you're going to get the most enjoyment/use out of.
Faced with that, I personally would choose the fencing (but we live on almost 4 acres; I'll never have a wooden fence for all of it!) I would personally get the most use out of a new kitchen, and if I could pay for a new kitchen for the price of a 4 day vacation, we'd be getting the kitchen, hands down.
And that's from someone who loves and LIVES to travel. | |
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*Delphinium Twinkle*
I'm just a pea:)
PeaNut 163,613
August 2004
Posts: 68,139
Layouts: 236
Loc: *Sunny Southern California*
| Posted: 3/9/2012 2:49:12 PM
Kitchen. |
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Dalai Mama
La Pea Boheme
PeaNut 49,641
September 2002
Posts: 24,144
Layouts: 85
Loc: Drunk on the lawn in a nuclear dawn
| Posted: 3/9/2012 2:50:40 PM
Someone said the kitchen will last longer than the weekend...well the memories of the trip will last longer than an IKEA kitchen.
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Jo Mama
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Gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight. - Bruce Cockburn
The knack of flying is learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. - Douglas Adams
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Miss Lerins Momma
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 151,660
June 2004
Posts: 13,084
Layouts: 38
Loc: KY
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singlewitch
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 155,670
July 2004
Posts: 2,703
Layouts: 56
Loc: Central NJ
| Posted: 3/9/2012 3:39:23 PM
Our choice would be the kitchen. But then we haven't taken a vacation in years and always go for the practical. |
Rosie
Single Witch Designs
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Single-Witch-Designs
My Etsy Store: www.etsy.com/SingleWitchDesigns | |
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Mewcat
AncestralPea
PeaNut 465,849
April 2010
Posts: 4,735
Layouts: 0
Loc: Southern, CA
 | Posted: 3/10/2012 12:51:06 AM
NYC or fence. I already have a new kitchen. But it depends on your personal situation. Does the fence need repair? Do you need one for various reasons? NYC would be fun. |
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NieNie
PeaNut
PeaNut 497,203
January 2011
Posts: 165
Layouts: 2
Loc: in the Bahamas a lot of the time
 | Posted: 3/10/2012 1:47:09 AM
I lived in NYC for 20 years, actually Staten Island, which is one of the 5 boroughs. Go for the fence or kitchen. |
| I have heard humans procrastinate because of fears of imperfection. Trying to keep scrapbooking a hobby to pursue with wild abandon instead of usual self doubt! | |
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Darkangel090260
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 308,882
April 2007
Posts: 2,795
Layouts: 15
 | Posted: 3/10/2012 2:02:00 AM
NYC would have to pay me to go back to that state. Never will I go again. i would do the kitchen and the fence. I don't like our kitchen and our fences need to be repaired and painted. |
| I have quite a few learing disabilitys that effect my spelling a grammer. I do know my grammer and spelling suck. I have been working on this problem all my adult life. | |
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lisabb
PeaAddict
PeaNut 526,561
November 2011
Posts: 1,200
Layouts: 0
Loc: Bonnie Scotland
| Posted: 3/10/2012 3:08:43 AM
Holiday wins hands down every time for me, but would be sorely tempted by the kitchen as well 
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~NovaPeA~
*Sassy Latin Pea*
PeaNut 52,360
October 2002
Posts: 19,991
Layouts: 257
Loc: America
| Posted: 3/10/2012 6:57:01 AM
ETA: We have no debt aside from our mortgage...cars paid off...no cc debt...etc...
We never go into debt for vacations...like I said...my dh and I have saved up...
We have a chain link fence...I want a wooden one because of privacy...our kitchen is like 80's old....but functions...I want a newer one...the NYC trip is one we have always wanted to take with our ds....
So again...which one to choose...dh says...its up to me...? He isn't any help..lol! |
| ~~Sandy~~ SAHM to my son, full time student and wife. | |
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katybee8
AncestralPea
PeaNut 421,136
April 2009
Posts: 4,931
Layouts: 8
Loc: Chicago NW burbs
| Posted: 3/10/2012 7:07:25 AM
No question --NYC! DH and I love to travel and I figure while we're young enough to still be able to go and enjoy it, why not? | |
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scrappitypea
Executive Director of The Madhouse
PeaNut 195,675
March 2005
Posts: 10,192
Layouts: 38
Loc: Cloud 9
| Posted: 3/10/2012 7:08:05 AM
I would choose to renovate the kitchen if it meant a gutting, with really nice new appliances, cabinetry and countertops but not an Ikea kitchen.
Next I would choose the fence. Our yard is not fenced and I would really love a pretty white picket fence. Unfortunately that would go against the subdivision bylaws.
I guess that leaves the trip. |
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*maureen*
Bad Wolf
PeaNut 191,892
February 2005
Posts: 5,302
Layouts: 0
Loc: Wheaton
| Posted: 3/10/2012 7:20:16 AM
If your kitchen is really from the 1980's I'd save what I have and add to it for a total kitchen makeover with some real value. I like Ikea as much as the next gal, but if I'm putting in cabinets and and new countertops, I want it to last. | |
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klh54
Jeepers PEApers
PeaNut 257,883
April 2006
Posts: 2,203
Layouts: 46
Loc: Louisiana
| Posted: 3/10/2012 8:14:41 AM
Hands down a new kitchen!! But then, I'm not drawn to New York so that would not be on my list of wants. Pretty much, no trip would win against a new kitchen (unless it was to Israel!!) |
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recap.pea
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 288,074
December 2006
Posts: 2,974
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 3/10/2012 8:19:26 AM
NYC - you have a fence, you have a kitchen but you don't have memories of NYC (yet) - life is short - enjoy it, do what makes you happy. You can always save for a new fence or kitchen later. | |
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Nightowl scrapper
Intl Assoc of Epic Length Posters - USA Chapter
PeaNut 103,889
August 2003
Posts: 24,760
Layouts: 0
Loc: Colorado
| Posted: 3/10/2012 9:01:24 AM
We have a chain link fence...I want a wooden one because of privacy...our kitchen is like 80's old....but functions...I want a newer one...the NYC trip is one we have always wanted to take with our ds....
Okay, now that we have some real facts about what your situation with the fence and kitchen are - you have a fence, you have a kitchen that functions, then I would consider the trip. It sounds like it's not a "I need a vacation" trip but specifically a place you've always wanted to go. I do hope you are not wanting to spend 4 days in Times Square. Trust me, you'll be wishing you'd done the kitchen.
We spent 4 days in NYC a few years ago. We went to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (make reservations well ahead of time - when we went they limited tickets to go up into the statue). We went to the top of the Empire State Building (although if I had it to do over, we'd probably choose Rockefeller Center), we spent an afternoon walking around Central Park, which we reached by subway. We spent several hours in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, we ate at Angelo's Pizza - excellent pizza and cheapest meal we had in NYC, including Wendy's, we went in the ginormous Toys R Us and Disney Store.
I don't know where you're flying in from, but it didn't cost as much as a kitchen remodel, so you might check the numbers carefully. Maybe you'll have enough left over to do part of that fence (I hate chain link, too, so I understand that dilemma).
Since we stayed in New Jersey and took a bus in to save $$$ on hotels, we did not do the following but COULD have if we'd planned it right and stayed in Times Square - ice skating at Rockefeller Center, a theater show on Broadway, Grand Central Station, and a trip down to Wall Street and Ground Zero.
Depending on how long it took you to save up whatever amount of money you have, you can save up yet again for that fence, then the kitchen. If it's your dream to visit NYC, and your kitchen and fence are serviceable but annoying, then you might be happier to take the trip and have that experience done.
Oh, and unless IKEA is your dream kitchen remodel, I'd save up more and do a less taste-specific remodel which will last longer and probably add more to the value of your house. Nothing WRONG with IKEA, but if it doesn't fit the style of your house then it might be a drawback if you go to sell, and if you are settling for IKEA and you wish for wood cabinets and granite, you might get sick of it sooner than you think. |
"Until you put a thought into words, clearly and precisely, it is not a thought at all. It is a kind of fog rolling around inside the skull."
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pea-squared
PeaAddict
PeaNut 226,973
October 2005
Posts: 1,520
Layouts: 2
Loc: Dillon, Texas :)
| Posted: 3/10/2012 9:22:51 AM
Maybe I missed it, but how old is your DS? If this was possibly the last trip you could make as a family before he goes off to college, I'd definately pick the trip.
If not, then I'd go for the kitchen. It is the heart of the home, as they say, right? | |
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gmcwife1
SamFan
PeaNut 33,625
March 2002
Posts: 7,964
Layouts: 0
Loc: Washington State
| Posted: 3/10/2012 10:12:10 AM
Disney
We just went to NY in November and I can't imagine a new kitchen that costs the same amount as a trip. So if you have that much saved up I haven't been to Disney World and we already have a wooden fence.
~ Dori ~
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haveitall
AncestralPea
PeaNut 120,686
December 2003
Posts: 4,926
Layouts: 10
Loc: Isanti, MN
| Posted: 3/10/2012 10:37:29 AM
We have a brand new kitchen, no need for a fence and I don't want to go to NYC so I would go to Disneyworld instead. I would also go for more days that 4. We usually go for aleast 14 days.
Have fun with whatever you choose.
Sylvia in MN | |
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Domsmom
BucketHead
PeaNut 30,566
February 2002
Posts: 743
Layouts: 62
Loc: Washington
| Posted: 3/10/2012 11:29:34 AM
To me these three don't seem to be equal price wise. I would guesstimate the trip and the fence to be between $2,000 and $3,000.
The AVERAGE kitchen remodel costs $50,000.
We just did a pretty small kitchen remodel (no new appliances, no new floors, no new paint) which was $15,000.
I think if you choose a $3,000 kitchen remodel you'll end up being pretty disappointed with what you get (and don't get!) for that amount of money and regret that choice.
Since the fence sounds fully functional, I'd pick the trip!
Michelle | |
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Maryland
Ancient Ancestor of Pea
PeaNut 87,597
May 2003
Posts: 8,800
Layouts: 0
| Posted: 3/10/2012 11:33:07 AM
Kitchen | |
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Gia LuPeaA
StuckOnPeas
PeaNut 416,889
March 2009
Posts: 2,595
Layouts: 0
Loc: The right place, at the right time.
| Posted: 3/10/2012 11:59:13 AM
As much as I love NYC and can not WAIT to go back. (finally got to go for the first time in Oct.'09 for a week and even that was not enough time) I would choose the kitchen. Waking up every morning and loving my kitchen again - cause we know you're not digging that 80s kitchen. LOL
And just so you know how much I love NYC - I'd move there if I could. |
| Princess of Procrasti Nation. | |
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Lexica
Cervixless Pea
PeaNut 77,792
March 2003
Posts: 9,306
Layouts: 0
Loc: Orange County, California
| Posted: 3/10/2012 12:56:04 PM
I would be the most content with a newer kitchen. I just got new pots and pans and I'm offering to cook for everyone because I love new tools, and a new kitchen would be the ultimate new thing for me.
Right now, i am talking with my son about moving in and basically taking over my house to begin upgrading it for sale. He wants to do it at a reasonable pace since he will still be working full time. Of all the upgrades he has planned, the kitchen will be the one I am most looking forward to. I half think that when he is done, I will change my mind about selling it. | |
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stace3
nothing to see here
PeaNut 60,064
January 2003
Posts: 10,765
Layouts: 71
Loc: Ontario
| Posted: 3/10/2012 1:04:29 PM
There are so many variables here, one can't just be arbitrarily chosen.
1) Have you really investigated how much these options cost versus how much you have saved? Unless your lot is tiny you may be shocked at how much a wooden fence costs.
2) Are you going to be selling your home between now and the amount of time it will take you to save up for a kitchen improvement project? Is your current kitchen so dated that you'll need to do these small improvements just to make it marketable?
3) Does the kitchen or lack of privacy in the backyard make you miserable versus something you'd "like to have"?
Here are some examples of how we set priorities on things like this over the years:
Our backyard was unusable without some sort of deck project going in there. It was a huge project, we only wanted to use cedar, so that became a priority in the first 5 years or so we were here. We don't regret that for a minute, we use the space constantly from spring until fall.
I'd always dreamed of spending my 40th birthday in Paris, so that became the priority during that time period. Experience of a lifetime.
Our HVAC was on its last legs and were low efficiency. We could have still gotten at least a couple more years out of them. However the government was offering fantastic incentives for energy upgrades (we ended up paying 40% of retail when all was said and done) so the priority became the HVAC that year.
We celebrate three milestone anniversaries this year, so if at all possible we will get back to Hawaii this year. While we are making it the priority, our house is at the age where it may need some emergency repairs that may put a damper on our plans. We're purposely planning the trip for the end of the year instead of the anniversary dates in case we need to change priorities.
Our kitchen is almost 15 years old. It's looking dated, lacks storage despite its size and we want to have it remodelled. However, it is still functional and could sell if need be. That is on our 3-7 year priority list.
You really need to write out a list of everything and weigh all the options before choosing. They are not necessarily going to be the options I have mentioned but consider all sorts of things before making your decision. | |
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*Erin
triathlon pea
PeaNut 80,864
April 2003
Posts: 10,470
Layouts: 13
Loc: Gone to chemo with BethAnne
| Posted: 3/10/2012 1:31:10 PM
All things being equal, I'd take the vacation with my family. |
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BergdorfBlonde
Getting blonder every day
PeaNut 162,956
August 2004
Posts: 10,054
Layouts: 0
Loc: LI girl, livin' in the gulf
| Posted: 3/10/2012 2:18:17 PM
In my past life, I would have chosen the kitchen, and then the fence as 2nd place. Traveling was reserved for when we could REALLY afford it. Looking back, I think I'd travel instead. My house looked great and I enjoyed it thoroughly, but I think I missed out on traveling! |
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VexedAngel
Cold Pea on a Cracked Plate
PeaNut 156,343
July 2004
Posts: 5,092
Layouts: 46
| Posted: 3/10/2012 2:22:55 PM
I was going to say kitchen, but I've never been to NY, so that's what I vote. |
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