8 Simple Truths About Luxuries

According to dictionary.com a luxury is

• A refinement of living rather than a necessity
• An indulgence… in addition to those necessary
• A pleasure out of the ordinary
• A foolish or worthless form of self-indulgence

These lead me to these 8 simple truths about luxuries

1. Luxuries are, by definition, not necessary. We can live without them. They are the “extra”.
2. Luxuries can make us feel a little bit special and a little bit pampered.
3. What is a luxury to me may be a necessity to you, and vice versa.
4. Luxuries don’t have to be merchandise that cost a lot of money – you can also count your luxuries in experiences and time. A luxury to me may be spending the afternoon reading in the hammock under the tree, or watching reruns of “Law & Order” on cable (which may be purgatory to you, or at least, not a luxury).
5. The authors of “Your Money or Your Life” considered luxuries as conscious spending. Luxuries are one of three (3) shopping categories in their Conscious Spending graph (the other two are necessities and comfort).
6. Too many luxuries and they lose their specialness, and become necessities or everyday items that we don’t notice so much anymore.
7. It’s all about proportion and balance. If you think of necessities and comfort items as the main ingredients, then luxuries are like the herbs and spices you add to give individual flavor to the dish.
8. If all you focus on are luxuries, you run the risk of missing out on the simple pleasures in life (that cost nothing or very little) and perhaps becoming, and being considered, self-indulgent.

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