I applaud you for taking such good care of such a cheap bike
Are you upgrading somewhat the parts that break down? Or replacing with similar quality? By upgrading slowly you may end up with a decent bike without a large one-off investment.

Comparing your bike with what a lot of people around here ride, many of us have the privilege of being able to buy $1000 - $2000 bikes, just isn't fair.

1000 miles is maybe what I'll ride in two weeks or so on tour. I expect any wear and tear in that time to basically be unnoticeable.