When you hear the word luxury, many people associate it with having a lot of money or wealth. But luxury can mean a lot of things, and everyone’s view of what luxury is will be different.
Living the good life or how to live a luxury lifestyle might be something you have thought about often. And, you might even ask – do you need a big budget to live that way?
What is luxury?
The word itself is a combination of luxuria and luxus, which mean excess and lust. Over time the words have been pinned onto items that we would consider to be opulent, expensive vacations, gorgeous cars, penthouse apartments, and fine jewelry. And while all of that does fit, the meaning has morphed again in recent years.
Luxury as a term has also been closely associated with things that money can help with – but that can’t be purchased.
What concepts can come under the luxury umbrella?
Looking deeper into the concepts that come under the term luxury, not everything is material value. Although there is nothing wrong with wanting the finer (and more expensive) things in life, luxury can be had by all.
Because what it really comes down to is what luxury means to you.
Here are some of the things that have been recently termed ‘new luxury’:
- Sharing and not owning
- Experiences over things
- Memberships and community
- Access to education, knowledge
- Being able to be authentic
- Well-being
Can you live luxuriously on a budget?
When budget is an issue, you need to really dig into what luxury is for you. It is easy to look at influencers and billionaires and see what they do and have that as the only version of a luxury lifestyle. But, after some thought, you might start to hone in on what would make your life feel luxurious.
And yes, without a doubt, a vintage Fendi or a 5-star hotel stay might be exactly what you need – and you might need to save up for it!
Luxury can be a state of mind; it won’t be material items but more about the experience you have. Looking for free entry and cheap tickets is a great way to stack up on experiences. Finding recipes for 5-star meals online and making them yourself is a treat. Learning how to do your most loved beauty treatments or finding a hack to make your life easier – saves a lot of cash.
Free time might just be the ultimate luxury. The more free time you have, the more you can spend your time doing something you enjoy. If you have a packed schedule, free time is few and far between – making it something that means something to you.
Slow living is a state of mind that impacts how you interact with the world around you, and by doing this, you will start to uncover what brings you joy – and what feels luxurious to you. And, state of mind is free!
Living luxuriously on a budget means looking at what means something to you and how to prioritize it.
