Is anyone else with me that some home improvements are just a waste of time and money? Getting new stuff for the sake of being new, not necessarily better, is rather pointless to me and it's also pretty wasteful. Sure it looks nice, but so did the old stuff. If it improves the house for efficiency (energy, water, waste, etc) then I'm all for it. If it fixes something, definitely a plus. For the sake of cosmetic appeal though it escapes me. Anyone else feel like this, and more so have a spouse or roommate that feels the opposite?

Depends on the improvement. For example, I'm in the process of refinishing the hardwood floor that was under the carpet in my living room and dining room. The carpet was pretty beat up when I bought the house 3 years ago and I've been meaning to do it for a while. It is definitely a cosmetic improvement, however it will look great when I'm done and will add value to the house when it's time to move on. And by doing it myself, I'm saving a lot of money.