There are many definitions of the word luxury but the one that I like the most is "a refinement of living". While other definitions center on money and indulgence this speaks more to the heart of luxury, it has nothing to do with the cost and everything to do with what it feels like.
No matter how tight money is there are many little things you can do to give your life luxury. It can be as simple as having a different attitude while doing a regular thing, like having your coffee using your good china instead of a chipped mug.
Here are 25 suggestions on how to live a more luxurious life.
1.Gather up everything you
need for a good foot soak and a pedicure. A basin, fluffy towel,
nail trimmer, skin scrapper and moisturizer are a must. For a natural
soothing soak use Epsom salts available at pharmacy's for only a few
dollars. Epsom salts claim to remove toxins, soften skin and remove
odors naturally.
2. Put a beautiful picture in you wallet that you will see every time you open it. It might be a photo of your children, of yourself at a special moment, or your pet. It doesn't matter what other people think of it, this is to make you feel great every time you see it.
3.Buy a single rose for your bedside table or some other place that you will see it first thing in the morning. A Sweetheart Rose is the right size for a bud vase and will only cost $1.25 and if you trim the end on an angle and put it in a clean vase with fresh water it will last about a week (remember to top up the water daily).
4.Use your good china and crystal, if not for a full meal then why not for drinking your orange juice or use your china for a weekend lunch or dinner. You bought your good china and crystal because you loved it so start using it.
5.Eat your meal to soothing background music. If your in a family it has to be something everyone will enjoy. There is a reason that high end restaurant play classical music, it soothes the patrons and makes them believe that they are in a more refined atmosphere.
6.Plan a warm up kit. Something warm to drink, like hot chocolate, apple cider or hot lemon and honey, have clean and comfortable lounge wear clothes ready and a favourite book. Find a nice snuggly place to read or go to bed early and read in bed.
7.A closet of completely organized clothes- this costs nothing but your time and effort but can make you feel like you have a personal lady's maid looking after you. Group your clothes in like items (all shirts, all skirts, all pants) and hang them back in your closet darkest to lightest, so all your dark shirts to all you light shirts, all your dark pants to all your light pants.
8.Place candles around the bathtub and have a luxurious soak. Candles often go on sale after Christmas and Valentine's day. The 50 tea lights that were placed in this bathroom were only $1.22 on sale after Christmas. The great thing about this is that the candles will be reused several times over again so the experience will only end up cost about 30 cents each time.
9.Have a special cup that only you will ever use to sip your tea or hot chocolate. Antique tea cups can be picked up at thrift stores and garage sales for as little as $2..
10.Start a favorite book list- libraries have on line catalogs and will even order in books from other areas for free. If you are a library member go online and see what books they have that you were thinking of buying anyway. The latest hot new books from this year might have a waiting list but if there were a few that you missed last year you will probably be able to get them right away. The only down side to this is late fees, but if you note it on your computer calendar when they are due then this shouldn't be a problem. If you borrow a book you fall in love with look to buy it second hand on the internet.
11. Make you bed in the morning. Your mom was probably always telling you to do that but coming home and getting into a made bed is much more luxurious than wrestling with wrinkled sheets and rumpled blankets. A clean, dust free bedroom with clean sheets on a beautifully made bed will also help you sleep better.
12. Buy a silk scarf to wear around your neck on chilly days. There is nothing like the feeling of silk against the skin and silk scarves can be bought at thrift stores for a dollar or two. They were incredible popular for several decades and have been coming in and out of fashion the last decade or so. You can look for them in hundreds of different patterns, from vintage formal to 60's fab. Hand wash them in cold water and wrap them in a towel and place in a refrigerator for 20 minutes to dry (yes this is really how you are suppose to do it). Then iron them gently on the correct iron setting.
13. While brunch is easily recognized as a meal between breakfast and lunch most people, if they are not use to it, have never had an afternoon tea. While in some countries it is a substitute for dinner you could have it as a late afternoon feast. Set up a traditional English tea with sandwiches and sweets and take you time over it. It can be filling enough for you to skip your dinner and just have a light snack before you go to bed (another lost art form).
14. What could possible be better than to have your coffee ready for you in the morning. If you have an automatic coffee maker then set it up the night before and wake up to the smell of coffee ready in the morning.
9.Have a special cup that only you will ever use to sip your tea or hot chocolate. Antique tea cups can be picked up at thrift stores and garage sales for as little as $2..
10.Start a favorite book list- libraries have on line catalogs and will even order in books from other areas for free. If you are a library member go online and see what books they have that you were thinking of buying anyway. The latest hot new books from this year might have a waiting list but if there were a few that you missed last year you will probably be able to get them right away. The only down side to this is late fees, but if you note it on your computer calendar when they are due then this shouldn't be a problem. If you borrow a book you fall in love with look to buy it second hand on the internet.
11. Make you bed in the morning. Your mom was probably always telling you to do that but coming home and getting into a made bed is much more luxurious than wrestling with wrinkled sheets and rumpled blankets. A clean, dust free bedroom with clean sheets on a beautifully made bed will also help you sleep better.
12. Buy a silk scarf to wear around your neck on chilly days. There is nothing like the feeling of silk against the skin and silk scarves can be bought at thrift stores for a dollar or two. They were incredible popular for several decades and have been coming in and out of fashion the last decade or so. You can look for them in hundreds of different patterns, from vintage formal to 60's fab. Hand wash them in cold water and wrap them in a towel and place in a refrigerator for 20 minutes to dry (yes this is really how you are suppose to do it). Then iron them gently on the correct iron setting.
13. While brunch is easily recognized as a meal between breakfast and lunch most people, if they are not use to it, have never had an afternoon tea. While in some countries it is a substitute for dinner you could have it as a late afternoon feast. Set up a traditional English tea with sandwiches and sweets and take you time over it. It can be filling enough for you to skip your dinner and just have a light snack before you go to bed (another lost art form).
14. What could possible be better than to have your coffee ready for you in the morning. If you have an automatic coffee maker then set it up the night before and wake up to the smell of coffee ready in the morning.
15. Set your weekend breakfast up the night before. Come down in the morning to a beautifully laid out breakfast table and you will feel as if you are in a fine hotel.It doesn't take much, table cloth, napkin, plate, cutlery, juice glass and coffee cup. You could even serve your orange juice in a large goblet instead of a juice glass.
16. Your own vanity table. While the idea of a vanity table sounds pricey it doesn't have to be. All it basically is, is any type of table that has a mirror above it and a chair to sit in front of it. That being said you might have an old desk around that you could configure to use as a vanity table. You can throw a gorgeous cloth over it to dress it up. It's a luxury for any woman to have her own private space where she can lay out her things and take her time to get ready.
17. Potpourri in linen cupboards and sock drawers. It's always lovely to open a cupboard and be greeted by a delicious scent. In the centuries before central heating and good ventilation every home would have it's own potpourri that they would use to keep items smelling fresh and to keep mustiness at bay. Often it was just a bag of dried lavender but they might have a signature scent that they would use.
18. Treat yourself to some out of season fruit or berries such as strawberries. If you are on an excruciatingly tight budget then make this a special winter treat on Ground Hog day or some other day of your choosing. You only have to do this once in the season to make it special. Really savor them.
19. Claim a special fountain pen as your own. Fountain pens can run into the thousands of dollars and be sought after by collectors. They also come up fairly regularly at garage sales, auctions and thrift shops. You have to handle a pen to see if it will suit your grip and once you start using it you shouldn't let anyone else use it as it will change the nib of the pen. The world of Fountain Pens is an interesting and exotic one that most people don't even know exists. You might find that using a fountain pen will improve your handwriting considerably.
20. Buy a gel mask for the eyes. You can often find these in dollar stores and they work wonderfully when you want to give your eyes a little pick up. You keep the gel mask in your refrigerator so when you need it, it is deliciously cool. Put it on your eyes and lay down for a few minutes, you will feel like a different person.
21. Read a Sunday paper like The New York Sunday Times. With the newspaper industry being in crisis these days you can get a really good deal on Sunday papers as they are trying to boost their readership. While the internet is a fun and fascinating place to look for all matter of subjects a quality paper like the New York Sunday Times will offer you articles that you might not have looked for otherwise.
22. Lemon soap for the kitchen. The French know their luxuries and often in French homes you will find the traditional bar of fine milled lemon soap in the kitchen to rid their hands of any lingering cooking odors and impart a clean smell in the kitchen. This isn't the cheap glycerin soaps that you find in North America that tend to disintegrate when left in moisture, but a good quality hard soap.
16. Your own vanity table. While the idea of a vanity table sounds pricey it doesn't have to be. All it basically is, is any type of table that has a mirror above it and a chair to sit in front of it. That being said you might have an old desk around that you could configure to use as a vanity table. You can throw a gorgeous cloth over it to dress it up. It's a luxury for any woman to have her own private space where she can lay out her things and take her time to get ready.
17. Potpourri in linen cupboards and sock drawers. It's always lovely to open a cupboard and be greeted by a delicious scent. In the centuries before central heating and good ventilation every home would have it's own potpourri that they would use to keep items smelling fresh and to keep mustiness at bay. Often it was just a bag of dried lavender but they might have a signature scent that they would use.
18. Treat yourself to some out of season fruit or berries such as strawberries. If you are on an excruciatingly tight budget then make this a special winter treat on Ground Hog day or some other day of your choosing. You only have to do this once in the season to make it special. Really savor them.
19. Claim a special fountain pen as your own. Fountain pens can run into the thousands of dollars and be sought after by collectors. They also come up fairly regularly at garage sales, auctions and thrift shops. You have to handle a pen to see if it will suit your grip and once you start using it you shouldn't let anyone else use it as it will change the nib of the pen. The world of Fountain Pens is an interesting and exotic one that most people don't even know exists. You might find that using a fountain pen will improve your handwriting considerably.
20. Buy a gel mask for the eyes. You can often find these in dollar stores and they work wonderfully when you want to give your eyes a little pick up. You keep the gel mask in your refrigerator so when you need it, it is deliciously cool. Put it on your eyes and lay down for a few minutes, you will feel like a different person.
21. Read a Sunday paper like The New York Sunday Times. With the newspaper industry being in crisis these days you can get a really good deal on Sunday papers as they are trying to boost their readership. While the internet is a fun and fascinating place to look for all matter of subjects a quality paper like the New York Sunday Times will offer you articles that you might not have looked for otherwise.
22. Lemon soap for the kitchen. The French know their luxuries and often in French homes you will find the traditional bar of fine milled lemon soap in the kitchen to rid their hands of any lingering cooking odors and impart a clean smell in the kitchen. This isn't the cheap glycerin soaps that you find in North America that tend to disintegrate when left in moisture, but a good quality hard soap.
23.Grow a scented flower by your front or back door. You could make this
your signature flower for your home, such a peonies, roses or lilacs that you
would then use in potpourris. You could also extend the flower into your decorating by having the same flowers on your throw cushions in your bedroom
24. Handkerchief . Another fabulous thrift store find. If you are really lucky you might have an inherited a few from your grandmother.Tucked it into your purse so you can use it to pat your brow or wipe a tear, those moments when a paper tissue just won't do.
25. Slippers. Don't think of something practical and boring here, we are talking about luxury. If you just can't bring yourself to buy something really luxurious then consider making yourself a pair. There are countless patterns on the internet for making slippers and you can embellish them with a satin bow.
Luxuries don't take a lot of money but they do take some thought and sometimes a bit of effort. So enjoy the little luxuries in life and try to find them where ever you can.
24. Handkerchief . Another fabulous thrift store find. If you are really lucky you might have an inherited a few from your grandmother.Tucked it into your purse so you can use it to pat your brow or wipe a tear, those moments when a paper tissue just won't do.
25. Slippers. Don't think of something practical and boring here, we are talking about luxury. If you just can't bring yourself to buy something really luxurious then consider making yourself a pair. There are countless patterns on the internet for making slippers and you can embellish them with a satin bow.
Luxuries don't take a lot of money but they do take some thought and sometimes a bit of effort. So enjoy the little luxuries in life and try to find them where ever you can.
Photo from Fashioning.com
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Copyright Ingrid Talpak 2010
Morestylethancash
Morestylethancash
I'm always looking for ways to give myself some luxury! So this post was great, so many great ideas to treat ourselves special. Thanks for giving me some inspiration. Thanks for all your creative post you shared with us at Sunday's Best.