Hi kellied,

There have been quite a few "budget friendly" makeovers on this site. In fact only recently someone revealed her $425 makeover.

While some kitchens may look like the owners have unlimited funds, many of those people have been saving for a long time. That's why there are so many posts about people being disappointed that when their reno starts, life gets in the way and their budget is suddenly reduced. They come here to ask for advice on how to compensate for the lost part of their budget, ie, what to cut what not to cut.

My reno wasn't done on a shoestring, however, I was a very savvy shopper, using scratch and dent stores, we were a DIY reno, painted our existing cabinets, dh did all the addition of crown moulding to those builder grade cabinets,the lighting that was added was DIY, installation of the couple of new cabinets, all DIY. Everything except my counters were DIY. I think my kitchen looks like it cost a lot more than it actually did. That is one of the secrets you can get from this site. I have champagne tastes, but certainly not a champagne budget.

As I said above, many many kitchen remodels have been done for less than $1,000 on here. Perhaps you could do a post and ask for people to reveal their kitchen renos that cost less than "$x"

I hope you are not discouraged, but you can always post and ask questions and make sure to include what your budget is. Everyone here always keeps those things in mind when told in the original post.

Hang in there, show us your kitchen. Is it done already or are you just starting your project? Being that there are so many TKO people on here, we really love to look at ALL kitchens!

-Bee

My experience with this forum has not been at all what you are saying. We re-did a tiny kitchen, did all of it DIY except for the counters, and kept our cheap Maytag range and GE fridge. I received so much wonderful advice on this forum about where to buy things for less money, and less-expensive alternative solutions. The warmth and encouragement of this forum kept me going through the stress of the reno. I'm trying not to be overly sensitive, but I am feeling offended by your post, especially since it's your first post, and introducing yourself to this forum. Things like the forum "should be renamed", and your ast paragraph. On behalf of all the wonderful helpful people here without whose advice I wouldn't have the kitchen I have now, I am saying your impressions are incorrect. There are both expensive kitchens and low-budget kitchens on this forum. I think if you keep reading this forum, and post your own specific questions, you will get back the response and help I did. You kinda receive what you give out.

I am on a budget. It's more than my husband wants to spend, but it is WAY less than we could spend on a kitchen, that is for sure. There is so much to gain here for any budget. The best thing is layout advice. Swapping things around to make the most of your space doesn't cost a thing... and sometimes it saves you money.

Design advice, help finding great deals on unique or higher priced items can help turn your kitchen into something special that you love, and I think that is better than "just better than you have now"

For example, you can get Ikea butcherblock countertops cheaper than Average Joe's laminate. It is very unique and gorgeous. That is something I didn't know until I found this site! Also the advice here is FREE. No one is trying to sell you anything, the people here truly love kitchens and genuinely want to help.

alwaysfixin-I apologize if my post offended you, that was not my intent with anyone. I am remodel savvy having been at this for over thirty years, not by my choice, believe me!! My ONLY intent was for the newbies thinking that kitchens couldn't be had without spending bucks. Breezygirl can tell you that I am not a confrontational person and my husband has given her help with her remodel.

beekeeperswife-I have the before pictures and we are almost to the tearing down of walls point. In progress pictures will be taken when I'm not hauling sheetrock out to the trash. Oh, please let this be behind us soon!!

Having lived aboard when we were first married I do know that gourmet meals can be made in a little tiny kitchen. 23' sailboats don't have a lot of room!

PLEASE,please,please let no one read more into this post than I intended. I left the garden forums years ago because of that. I just wanted to provide encouragement.

Kellied - no problem. As I said, I can be overly sensitive. Really, you will find lots of help here and lots of company. Many posts about low-budget solutions, and many gorgeous kitchens for not a lot of money. In particular, check out all the threads about Ikea kitchens, they're amazing.

"No fancy wall ovens, no prep sink, no granite."

many here don't have those things either. i sure wouldn't. won't if i ever manage to redo my kitchen.

the good thing about the more expensive ones is that you get the ideas from them. and the 'wow' factor - lol! and those people go thru the same (or more) struggle finding the right things, parts, gc etc as those doing less to their kitchen (with much less money).
They are just as helpful too. they love a challenge.

we love seeing the much less money, basic fixer-ups too!

"Take from it what you can use for your own situation and make the best of what you've got to work with."

This is good advice and I think what a lot people do here, even if it's not explicitly stated. I started out here 2 years ago. I'm an average Joe, in an average middle class neighborhood, in an average middle class suburb. I am a stay at home mom of 3 kids. We're on a single income so it I definitely have a shoestring budget. I am trying to be frugal (read cheap) with every dollar. We are also paying cash. My husband and I have taught Financial Peace University, so this is major. My house is 20 years old has A LOT of other needs, but we've chosen the kitchen as the priority.

Our "plan" has changed several times in that timeframe. I first visited and posted with the intention of painting my oak cabinets, swapping out my downdraft electric cooktop for a gas range, installing an over the range microwave, removing my built-in microwave and oven, turning the old oven/microwave cabinet into a pantry, and opening up the old pantry to the family room.

Here it is in all it's 20 year old middle class glory...

That all changed when I was cruising craigslist. I was looking for builder oak cabinets like mine that I could swap out and add in my space. What I found was an amazing deal. A once-in-my-lifetime deal. A kitchen display, maple cabinets and granite for $1500. So, the "plan" changed, and changed, and changed.

In some ways, I'm glad that we've taken this long. Yes, it's been a major PITA (pain in the a**) having open walls with open wiring, extension cords, gaps in the tile floor, no overhead lighting, a hollow core door and scrap plywood for a counter, cooking on a single induction burner, a utility sink and no dishwasher since May 2010.

The pantry wall removed. It still looks like this.

The new pantry/fridge/oven wall. (BTW this oven cost $200!)

Regarding this board, I LOVE hearing how people have been creative problem solvers and made something amazing in spite of their lack of cash. It's inspiring and I've learned so much. Although I may never make my own copper countertops, watching the process is amazing.

On the flip side, I kind of enjoy seeing how the other half lives. It's a peek into homes and neighborhoods I will probably never get to see IRL. It's interesting to see their choices. I'm not envious, well, not THAT envious. It's kind of like seeing a kitchen in a magazine, but you get to hear about how it all came together rather than the sugar coated author's version.

Or like driving by peaking into windows, but this time the homeowner is holding the curtains open for you to see in...

Ok, enough with the metaphors!

Beekeeperswife didn't mention that she is pretty handy at winning tile, too -- she won her beautiful backsplash tile in a contest, and just won some more for her laundry room. This is a very creative and determined bunch here!

And joyjoyjoy just posted the other day about her "Major $ setback" to lots of support.

We are going to be a budget project too, because the new kitchen will be in our new house, and we farm, which means we have more land than money, and we can use only so much of our farm land for a new house : ). My husband is also a builder, and we'll building the house and doing the kitchen ourselves, with our three home schooled kids, which means few outside paying jobs until we're done. But we've been planning, and saving, for 17 years now, and have been figuring where we can scrimp in some places, such as the Ikea butcherblock joyjoyjoy mentioned and basic Sears Kenmore appliances for the most part, so we can "splurge" in others (two Ikea sinks, one for prep). This is complicated a bit by the fact that we're in rural western Canada, which means we don't have a lot of the resources others have, such as Craigslist and even Ebay (shipping here is high).

Recently I was rather taken to task in another thread for mentioning that our plans include two sinks and two dishwashers (the latter is my husband's idea), which ended up making me feel rather reluctant to post our plans as we head toward finalizing them.

So the discouragement aspect can work both ways, and can be very disappointing for those of us who have for a long while been saving, scrimping, and dreaming, and living in far less than dream circumstances. All the more so since we had to postpone our building plans last year after my father died (I spent more time with my mother out of the country sorting things out, than at home). Kellie, you wrote, "Take from it what you can use for your own situation", and I think that's very important, along with remembering that we can never know what others' situations and considerations are here on the board -- budgets, and tastes, are very subjective, very different, and very personal.

Fortunately, the encouragement, support, and great advice here far outweigh the negative comments!

Becky

I want to add a bit here:

It's true that alot of the options explored here in the forum are time/money/labor intensive.

There's a reason for that. If what you need to buy is a standard 30" free standing range there's not all that much that needs to be discussed about it. The knowledge is much easier to find. However, if your not sure how your induction cooktop will work with a wall over underneath and how to get the right sizes to the cabinet guy... well, there is a topic of conversation there!

We don't spend alot of time discussing home depot formica countertops for the same reasons. There's not a lot to discuss in a product that has literally written the book for the past 50 years. But pewter? When was the last time we saw that? Or worked with it? Or sourced it?

Sometimes the forum will appear to be biased simply because people who are only painting their walls and switching out appliances don't need to work things out like some of the others. And even then we love to chose wall colors.

Hi and welcome! You are sure to get loads of great ideas from the helpful people here! :-)

We lived with really, really crappy rooms/stuff for many years until we could afford to do them how we wanted (and are still a few rooms and closets away from being done!). I searched for good deals when I could (when we finally had the opportunity to renovate this house and buy furniture). Don't be put off by the beautiful kitchens you see here. Many are the result of some very savvy shoppers, talented DIY'ers, and of course the aforementioned lucky tile winner beekeeperswife!

Does anyone remember the $10,000 (?) DIY Ikea kitchen done and posted not too long ago with the fireplace in it? My all time favourite kitchen - the budget might be considered average Joe but the final result looks high, high, end.

Oh, my gosh!! There is no way I would consider a $10,000 kitchen Average Joe!! Still, I would love to see that kitchen as it sounds fabulous.

Hi Kellie!

I can see why you might get the impression that this isn't the place for people without big bucks. But I encourage you to look a little deeper. There are TONS of questions about HD tile, less expensive quality faucets, wall color, hardware placement, appliance placement, etc. Those are questions that most people remodeling a kitchen face, no matter what their budget is.

I know what you're saying though. There are TONS of gorgeous, expensive kitchens here. I could never afford Calacatta marble, inset cabs, crystal chandy, paneled fridge/freezer columns, etc. When I first found the forum, I looked in awe but wondered if this was a place for the not-ultra-rich like me. The next day I found so many other threads with questions like the ones I listed in the previous graph. I might not be worried about the placment an expensive European range, but I am worried about where I'll place MY range. You know what I mean.

I envy the people who can walk into a box store, spend an hour with a kitchen design-like person, and have designed their whole kitchen top to bottom. Those aren't the people who obsess about every little detail. They are not TKO (Totally Kitchen Obsessed) and minutiae-oriented (beyond detail oreinted)like all of us here. They wouldn't get much from this site, regardless of their budget.

You are lucky to have a DH who knows about construction, can DIY just about anything, and has reno'd many kitchens. I obviously don't have one of those around so I rely on this site and your DH to help me.

I'm not sure if I've made myself clear. I'm really tired and still haven't had lunch at 3:35 in the afternoon. Bottom line is, I can see why you might, at first glance, be left with your impression above, but there is so much useful information here that is not budget-dependent. Stick around my friend!

P.S. Say hi to your DH for me!

At first I was a little intimidated by this site too. I have laminate countertops now and will replace them with laminate. I don't have a prep sink nor a pot filler. I have an island but not big enough for seating. Seeing all these gorgeous kitchens made me a bit jealous and wishful. But the more I look and read, the more I learn. The people here are very helpful and even though I am not changing my layout, I have learned so much. My DH is not a DIY guy so this site has been invaluable to me.

One thing that people with modest budgets can do here is monitor the development of wise layouts. If all you see is the high-end, you're missing the free education that's here. Yes, go ahead and get the giggles about discussions of the virtues of various pricey items but don't stop lurking. My DH still thinks many of the "before" kitchens posted here are the "after" ones and in some cases I agree.

Ignore the postings by people with zillion dollar kitchens who never actually cook. Let them be themselves but you can be yourself too. Look harder. It costs money, time, emotion, and energy to put in a lousy laid-out kitchen so why not do a better kitchen? My new kitchen in a working class neighborhood has a couple white Kohler topmount sinks, Formica countertops, Menards DIY oak floor, and lots of stuff bought on sale but DH and I are very proud of how functional it is and how it has improved the workings of the entire house. Although I developed the plan before finding the GW, I'm pleased that the story of my project has apparently helped others to think differently about some options or helped them picture how to plunge in.

Last year I was feeling much as you are feeling so I asked whether there were any modest or quirky kitchen owners. You will note the result.

Have fun stormin' the castle.

Here is a link that might be useful: old modest and quirky thread

If the site shows how to make a $5000 improvement look like a $20,000 kitchen, then everybody looks at the pictures, and feels like they can't afford it with only $5000.

I also like having lots of improvements/options to choose from, since there are always some I can disregard.

It's a nice place to learn and play.

kellied, here is brickmanhouse's Ikea kitchen mentioned by blfenton, definitely a GW favorite!

Becky

Here is a link that might be useful: brickmanhouse's Ikea farmhouse kitchen

I knew what you meant. When I first came here EVERY kitchen had granite counter, island, pendent lights, tile floor, NEW stainless appliances, and a kitchen the size of my whole downstairs! But I didn't let it scare me; I saw real quick what I didn't want. I live on an acreage with lots of animals. I am not interested in "keeping" house. I've done it already and I don't want to do it any more. My whole renovation cost less than the new appliance budget of lots of the kitchens here. And guess what?? A year later it's swinging my way! More Formica, more white appliances, more redos of "smaller" kitchens and/or keeping the original footprint. More remodels In the under $20,000 range and keeping the white appliances. Lately there's even been renewed interest in vinyl floors. You can steal ideas from any kitchen. I've been poor my whole life, I shopped on line, eBay and at the big box store and got the kitchen I wanted. I won't be planning a new kitchen the year after this one is paid off because I didn't borrow any money to do it. It's a very simple kitchen where the drawers don't shed sawdust into the items below. The layout provides some continuous counter space and I LOVE IT! Of course there are minor things I am tweaking but it's all good. It's worth a million dollars to me.

Fortunately all of the decisions about the kitchen have been hashed over and worked out to where both of us will be happy with it. Can't wait to start/finish.

The hickory cabinets have been sitting in my living room for the better part of a year and I like them even more now than I first did. The kitchen sink has been in my sewing room longer than that but when you get a $700 sink for $200, you go for it!

My DH took his kitchen design and had Home Depot bid it. Took the same plan to the local lumber yard which bid the same cabinets $2000 less. Never assume that the box store is always your best deal.

It is going to be so different with skylights and no interior walls!

Soon, Miss Wendy, soon!!

pinch-me I know what you are saying. I want a kitchen that works for me with my lifestyle.

Our home has been a fixer-upper for the last three years. Roof, doors, windows, siding - you name it we've done it or are about to. Great property made the hassle of reno worth it. Groutable vinyl tile on the floor, laminate on the countertops, topmount sink pulled out of a display, lowend faucet which I LOVE!!

Wish I could give you more details about the kitchen but my DH wants to surprise Breezygirl with the changes. She has seen this dump, uh, house, since we first bought it and will be stunned. I did drop a couple of hints but hopefully she'll miss them.

I love seeing budget remodels and makeovers.. I hope you share your finished kitchen and final numbers with us!!

I happen to post lots of kitchen eye candy. And some of
those images are from high end renovations, cabinet
companies, counter or tile displays. Best of the Best.
Imagine shopping for a new swimsuit and trying them on
next to the Victoria Secret's models. These images are
the top Models of the kitchen world. After seeing
some of those ideas a simple updated or minor reno can feel
daunting, unapproachable and even discouraging.

Truth be told I am budget girl with my own reno. I will be
in the under $20K club but I have been in kitchens and done
renos for under $500. dollars. If you like kitchens you
may find that being on the kitchen forum is not just about
your own reno but the process of sharing your experience or
learning from others. It does not matter if you spend
$100 or $1 million it is about love of kitchens. (For me
anyway)

I find it exciting to live vicariously through others.
Beekeeper trying to win the tile, Lavender-Lass searching
for her dream kitchen, RemodelFL's soapstone adventure,
Worldmom's apple kitchen music, Macybaby's white on white,
Florantha's tips on infrastructure, Johnliu's steel show,
jillsee's cabinet joy, Rockybird's little bird, 5footZero's
counter search, Melaska's kidspot... Gosh there are so many.

I get to enjoy another's fun moment, kitchen adventure
or idea. And while I won't have a Lancanche range, marble
counters or a crystal chandy I get to enjoy someone's
kitchen dreams come true. And be thrilled for them.

Stick around if you have the time you will discover there
are others similar to you with creative ideas to share.
And at this time in their life they may not have the money
to even think about a big reno but hanging out on GW-kitchen
they discover they can find a sink on Overstock or marked
down tile at Lowes or gel stain can be your reno friend.

~boxer

A few fun links...

Advice on the world's cheapest kitchen reno
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg011817327502.html

My $1,400 total rehaul pics done, thank you everyone!!!
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0214273231370.html

Help me with a tide me over reno for $1200 or less
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0112545919868.html

Evolution of a kitchen budget (The reality)
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0815123731212.html

Garden Web kitchens Under $20K
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0810443618847.html

Gardenweb Kitchens Under $20K part 2
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0806593120273.html

Need help putting this tiny kitchen reno together (pics)
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg0219375632179.html

extreme budget kitchen re-do

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg120826183161.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Traded a Car for a new kitchen!!!

Boxer, I loved the makeover done for the car trade!

Kellied- Good luck with your renovation. I too did the whole house of windows, doors,landscaping and new roof this winter. Feels like my budget for the kitchen has been compromised at every turn. Hopefully, my kitchen will be done next week and I can have the floor refinished. I'm not spending a fortune but did splurge on the stone I wanted,as well as my undercounter lighting. I refinished the old sugar pine cabinets and did tumbled marble for the backsplash. (super cheap at the big box stores) Cheap chandy and pendants from Lowe's, cabinet hardware from ebay and small island online. Would have loved high end appliances but bought what I could afford and couldn't be more happier.
With all the kind responses you have received, I hope you've changed your mind about us! This forum can be very helpful and inspiring. I know it has for me.

I am doing a very modest kitchen makeover. Hey, I barely cook but the room is looking so dirty and tired. I have learned so very much from reading this forum. I haven't posted tons of questions, but I have posted several and received well thought out and very usable replys.

I have not read any posts on this site that imply that the folks here are in any way contemptous of those with limited funds, or that they don't admire modest makeovers.

I have no idea why anyone would want a fancy range, but it always makes me happy to see a nice person (most of those on this site) get something they have longed for.

Lots of useful comments there. I agree with the point that no matter what price point of kitchen we are designing as individuals, many of us find the wide range of experiences, backgrounds, and tastes on Gardenweb very helpful. I learn a lot from both high-end and low-end kitchens.

Also, many of us on GW are finally at a stage of life when we have the resources to design our dream, 'forever' kitchens. But we aren't so old that we've forgotten the fun -- and challenge -- of our first $500 dollar or $5,000 kitchen reno!

I recently found this site, and although I have been a bit intimidated by some of the kitchens I have seen here - ours is a small 11x13 approximately and a very small budget for any changes in the kitchen. There is so much good information here and I have gotten some very helpful responses to the questions I have asked. Although I know that the questions I have asked may seem silly, since this is our first house, and making decisions on even the small things is terribly difficult, I have received very thoughtful responses, I am sure that on some other forums, my questions might be ignored. Reading the various posts and looking at some of the pictures posted on the very fancy kitchens have given me some great ideas and starting points for things that I can do in my own kitchen maybe not a $500 light fixture, but a similar one that costs a bit less that I can keep my eyes open for on Craigslist or a big box store. That being said, thank you guys for all of your help and the various discussions and pictures on here, I love this forum!

Being here learning and watching, will take any average Joe's kitchen to the next level. The sheer mastery of layout advice, function options, and design tips are priceless!

I'm not up for huge $$$ outlay either but this forum is helping me bring my design to life by tying all my loose ends together. In some ways, seeing out-of-this-world major kitchens has helped me solidify what I don't want and modest makeovers has made me realize what is possible.
If anything, I will end up spending less money on my materials and choices than I would have before coming here because I know what is possible now and have a clearer vision.

I think once you get to know this group you will agree the "average Joe's" kitchen is the poor people who never find this site and it's wealth of info, talent, and never ending kindness and patience. $ or $$$$ makes no difference here, it's the details in the design. Welcome aboard! =)

Totally agree with everyone - this site is so valuable for the knowledgeable, generous people who give their time and expertise. Every time we got to a point where we didn't know what to do, my DH would ask: "What do your kitchen people say? You better ask."

Another thing to keep in mind about a lot of the budgets on here is that a lot of the cost is likely labor. Consider yourselves fortunate to be experienced DIYers!

Carrie_eileen, you are so right. I just totally did not think about labor costs as we very rarely have them. Of course, I don't have much of a life lately, but that is a whole different story ;)!!

I am enjoying seeing how different peoples tastes are.

I'll agree that I was a little intimidated at first, there are so many awesome kitchens here, but quickly found out that everyone is more than helpful regardless of how much or how little you pay for your kitchen.

Some of the budget remodels posted are amazing.

I'm about done with my renovation, and I came in just above 6k. I ripped out a wall, replaced cabinets, counters, new faucet, farm sink, etc. and with some savvy shopping was able to get it all in under budget. (minus the pantry that's not in yet, always one last thing to do...)

I LOVE my new kitchen, and I don't think I could love it more if I had spent 40k on it instead. Once I get some good pics I'll be posting them.

The people here have helped me a ton and I wouldn't have known about a lot of the things I bought without their suggestions.

Good luck on your remodel and I can't wait to see your pics!

I think the key difference between the "Average Joe's" kitchen reno and a GW KF-influenced one is poverty. Not poverty in the economic sense, but a poverty of ideas, information, expertise, encouragement and shared collective enthusiasm for all things related to kitchen planning and creating.

Good ideas and well-thought out kitchens cost no more than ordinary "Average Joe" projects, no matter how much was spent (or not!) on fixtures and appliances.

I owe a huge debt to all the people who have posted questions, written answers and shared pictures.

Thank You!

L.

I think this site helped me turn a fairly modest remodel (I think our total is about $8k) from pretty good to amazing (at least to me LOL)!

I would have probably done another over the range microwave, would have been way less informed about granite, tile, etc, wouldn't have known about counter depth fridges. I think my choices didn't cost more, but I took my time and found creative solutions that worked for me (used nicer appliances, my microwave is on a $60 ikea bookcase that looks built in enough for me, some vintage pieces with character).

I first found this site when I was researching how to paint my existing cabinets...it seemed every question I asked google led me to this forum!

I have 3 young children and at first I was overwhelmed by some of the kitchens. But like a pp said, some of these remodels are in a different place in their life where they've been saving and planning years for this....I can see myself being similar to that in 20 or so years, but I'm also thrilled with where I am now in my fairly small condo kitchen.

I've been lurking here for months now, and the amount of information, inspiration and interesting links to be found is astounding. I'm now getting the kitchen I want, as opposed to getting what's available where we live, even though it's now become very much a DIY project and is taking a whole lot longer than originally planned.

As to the high end examples both from posters and from magazine shots, well, they're beautiful to look at. At the end of the day, even if I do sometimes wish for more space/a deeper purse, I'm happy with my little kitchen-to-be.

Florantha - thanks for posting that link to the wonderful Modest and Quirky thread! I couldn't find it through the search engine. Wasn't there a second, active one? I'd love to see it continued!

I think what GW does for alot of us is give us hope! Lol!
Right now, my daughter and her dh are doing a kitchen remodel like the "car trade" kitchen. They are selling a pick-up truck to finance their remodel! She and her dh work so much and have very little time to devote to the remodel so me and Dad (retired) are stepping up to take on the challenge! We have done the "tear down" and now "Dad" is getting ready to do the electrical. I keep looking for good deals, sinks, faucets, knobs, etc. I'm sure when it is done it will seem like a " million dollar kitchen"!!!

DW of Slush1422 here:

Kathec-You are ME! I am a SAHM of 3 kids, on one income, and also have taught FPU for about 6 years now.

I agree with the others that you take from this forum what is helpful to you. I love seeing pictures and inspiration from all the different size/budget kitchens here. Boxer - you are amazing with all the photos you post. They are so helpful! We've found things on here that have totally changed the way we are designing our kitchen and so many ways to save money.

We pay cash for everything and do not have a single credit card, and do not take loans, - so we've been waiting for YEARS to update our kitchen (house built in 1952). We are definitely going to be on a tight budget and will probably have to do the remodel in stages and keep a few of our old appliances until we save up to buy new ones. We think at this point our only option is Ikea cabinets and after reading about the great quality of them, I'm okay with that. We never would have even considered Ikea without reading about them on GW.

There have even been a few times already (just started lurking here about a month) that DH and I disagree about appliance placement, flooring option, etc. but then we take the time to read threads on GW and we end up coming to an agreement after having our eyes opened by others experiences here. GW is good for your marriage and for settling disagreements :)

Encourage yourself since this forum deals with many things. (Most are more than you can or want to do, financially or otherwise). Take from it what you can use for your own situation, making the best of what you've got to work with.

In remodeling my kitchen I did not have room to expand, and had a limited budget. No fancy thingamabobs, just one sink, etc. The kitchen is a million percent better than what there was before.

To those people who have the same eagerness as I do, to save money (and also to find ways to do things, elegant new ways that eliminate unnecessary twirls), please keep on contributing.

An ambitious shoemaker sent two people to study the market in the developing world: one wrote back, this is great, nobody wears shoes, and the other wrote back, this is no good, nobody here wears shoes. Different ways to view reality. One mental model is to say Huh, this forum is discouraging. I draw the exact opposite conclusion. This forum is ENcouraging. I've posted many ideas to do things well with just a little money, and never once has anyone posted anything that would imply it was not the right thing to say. Quite the opposite.

If you want to post an idea that solves a problem without spending much money, go ahead. You can feel you should! Normally thu shalt not should on thyself but this time it's ok to should.

Hth

I'm another person that considers myself an "average joe", and I'm not spending all that much $$$ on my kitchen. But I also forget about the mine and DH's labor. The other thing is I pay as I go, and I have not been good about keeping track of what I've spent on the kitchen during the remodel.

I think I need a drink - I did a rough estimate and came up with $15,000 !!!! and that includes no labor, which I'm sure would more than double the price tag (mostly because we built our cabinets). So much for my "I'm not spending all that much on my kitchen" self righteousness!