Are you JEALOUS OF YOUR FRIENDS?
WOMAN - UK|August 14, 2023
A third of us are, and when envy strikes, the pressure to keep up can feel overwhelming
MISHAAL KHAN, AMY NICKELL
Are you JEALOUS OF YOUR FRIENDS?

We’ve all been there. Seen a neighbour’s shiny new car or a friend’s expensive handbag and felt a hint of jealousy. But why do some feel the need to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ even if they can’t?

A recent survey found that one in five of us would be tempted to buy a new car if our neighbours had, while another study found nearly a third of us wish we had the same lifestyle and material things as our friends.

Here, one writer opens up about how her jealousy ended up costing her a fortune…

'I LONGED TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION I WAS KEEPING UP WITH THE OTHER MUMS'

Amy Nickell-Turner, 33, is a writer and lives in Berkhamsted with her husband Jonathan, 43, and her eightyear-old son Freddy.

It pains me to admit I have lived the bulk of my adult life jealous. Jealousy, envy – one of the seven deadly sins, for crying out loud. I’m a newly married mum-of-one earning a decent living – I bought my first house last year – so why do I feel this way so often?

Things ramped up when my son started nursery a few years ago. Arranging play dates for him opened a new world of what felt like house viewings. At the time, I rented a small cottage, just the two of us, and I was generally about 10 years younger than the other mums. As a single mother, my life felt a million miles away from those of the other parents, but I longed to give the impression I was keeping up. Our understairs cupboard became known as ‘the cemetery’ where we’d throw clutter if anyone came over – often the clothes horse full of drying clothes!

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