Are you JEALOUS OF YOUR FRIENDS?

A third of us are, and when envy strikes, the pressure to keep up can feel overwhelming

-  MISHAAL KHAN, AMY NICKELL

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!