Oh we are soul sisters on so many scores, @dswigle. Ha ha!

But, I have watched people that can't afford them go into hock to make their child feel loved or part of a bigger crowd.

I know, right?! It's insane. Now, that said, I do remember one of my daughters pressuring me to buy certain things she wanted, and I was powerless against her wishes. Thank goodness none of it ever had to do with designer labels. My kids (like me) all seemed a little aghast at what some people spent and did to look fabulous. (So proud!) But those pressures to be "in" and to have the right look and the right stuff and be like the cool kids (a song comes to mind) really are intense!

Yes, my house is quite the money pit. We call it an expensive savings account. We will get most or all we have invested back out of it, because the value keeps going up. But there never seems to be an end to the projects!

Wow, I would love to see your 19th century home sometime. That must be quite a handful to keep nice, but also an amazing treasure!