> Hell, my inlaws still have have some 40 year old appliances that aren't dead, and they're not buying.

See for me this is one area I don't skimp in- I don't run out and buy frequently, but with the cost of energy what it is I'm side-eyeing my old boiler, my washer/dryer, etc and crunching numbers on how long it would have to last to break even on a replacement.