Living a Life of Luxury on a Budget

When it comes to living luxuriously, many people assume you need to be dripping in Gucci, flying in a private jet, and kicking back in a Tesla.

But, that isn’t living luxuriously, that is showing off wealth. Luxury isn’t about what you spend, it’s about how you feel. For some people, luxury is their beautiful beach condo and fresh coffee each morning. For others, it’s the smell of their wet dog after a run through the woods in the rain.

Real luxury, in most cases, is the little treats that we can give ourselves that don’t put us in debt. They might not last a lifetime, but they make us feel extraordinary.

Here are a few (many) ways that you can live luxuriously on a budget, while you save the pennies up towards your own beautiful beach condo.

Groceries

We all buy groceries. Sometimes it’s weekly, other times it is as we need them. For millions of us, the grocery shop is dictated mainly by the essentials, plus lunch box bits, the cereal your kids love, and the shampoo that does the job.

But there are a few little changes you can make.

Bulk Buying

When it comes to saving some serious cash, which you can then spend elsewhere, bulk buy. I go to Costco and purchase staples like toilet paper, paper towels, frozen goods, grains and rice. They last a while, and you won’t need to put them on your list again. What is the luxury here? You’re saving time and cash.

Bread

Loaves can come with a pretty steep price, especially for larger families. So skip the cost, and the additive and preservatives and start baking your own. A basic loaf doesn’t take too much time to make, and once you get into the habit of baking, you will adore the smell of freshly baked bread. My husband and I don’t eat a lot of bread, but when we do, it’s usually homemade biscuits.

Cold Brew

If you have been known to indulge in a cold brew, or iced coffee from the larger chains while you’re on the go. Skip that and start making your own. There are plenty of guides to creating your own coffee drinks, so take a look and see what you can make.

Grow

You can either pick them up as smaller plants or grow them from seed. Herbs and vegetables are great things to start growing. The herbs will taste phenomenal, not only because you’ve grown them, but smaller batches just pack more of a punch.

Veggies take a little while to grow, but the soups and snack you can make from small patches you’ve grown are super tasty. And, they all come with the added satisfaction because you’ve grown them by yourself. Every year, I grow Tommy Toe tomatoes and burpless cucumbers. They are delicious! I’ve even shared my cucumbers with my friend, Cindy, at work.

Amazin’ Markets

If you just don’t dig growing your own herbs and veggies, then head to your local farmer’s markets. Farmer’s markets are just as much about the beautiful food as the experience. At most markets, you’ll find fresh fruits and veggies, as well as a range of small batch dairy and meats. And, usually a loaf or two.

Beauty

Although there is no denying how wonderful it can be to purchase that high-end foundation, or the ultra fine, high pigment eye palette you don’t need to blow your budget here.

Hydrate

Of course, drinking water is probably the cheapest and most impactful thing you can do for your skin. So, drink more. It will improve over time allowing your skin to glow without any high priced creams.

Try a range of green teas. A cup a day can give you a super boost for your skin, nails and even digestion.

Keep a refillable water bottle on you at all times too.

Dupe

When it comes to skincare and makeup, there are a lot of companies that specialize in duplicating high-end products. So it is worth spending a bit of time searching for dupes. There are a lot of pins on Pinterest detailing makeup and skincare dupes. If you have never purchased high-end products, drugstore products can be super luxe.

Pamper

While spa treatments are rather lovely, you can replicate a lot of it at home. Coconut oil is excellent for softening skin, deep conditioning hair and even makeup removal. If you think you just don’t have time, then put on a face mask while you do other chores around the house.

Help Beauty School Students

Very often there will be beauty school student hairdressers and masseuses that need to have clocked up a certain amount of hours while they are training. The discounts can be pretty big, and not only are you helping a trainee, but you’ll be getting the luxury treatment too. {On a personal note: if you let a student cut or color hour hair, don’t hesitate to let them know if you are not satisfied.}

Travel

When it comes to taking lovely long holidays, it’s not all fresh fruit platters in Bali. Sometimes it’s cross country on the coach. But, there are a few things that you can do to change that. You can still have a fantastic trip, without the huge price tag.

Walk

When you don’t know a country, sometimes it is tempting to catch taxis everywhere. This can be a real drain on your purse. Most of the best things about a city can be seen by going there on foot. You can plan your route out before you leave your accommodation, as well as having Google maps on your phone. When I visited New York a few years ago, I took the Metro and downloaded the subway map. I walked over 20,000 steps in one day!

Accommodation

Speaking of accommodation, you can check out places like Blueground and Airbnb to compare prices for the areas that you want to stay in. You’ll often get a better rate than if you book a hotel too. I love Airbnb and often find renting an entire place is cheaper and better, overall, than staying in a hotel.

Pack & Carry

While you really should try some of the local cuisine – both street food and fine dining, try to hold off on repeatedly stopping for coffee and snacks. In the morning before leaving your apartment make a sandwich and pack some extra snacks in your bag. You can often find a couple of Kind protein bars in my purse.

Plus, carry a refillable water bottle. This cuts costs and actually gives you more time to explore because you don’t need to queue for food and drinks.

Seasonality

If you have the ability to travel off-peak, then you might want to take advantage of that. You can save up to 50% off. A couple of years ago, when we were planning a trip to Las Vegas, I found that it was cheaper to visit in November (at Thanksgiving) than it was in the middle of October.

Book in Advance

If you know there are some tourist attractions that you want to see, then book them in advance. The tickets are usually cheaper, and if you can reserve a time slot, then that’s even better. It almost certainly guarantees you a quick pass to the head of the line.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

Sometimes you can get an upgrade by merely asking. If they have the availability, you can often snag a sneaky upgrade on the day for a lot less than average, and occasionally for free.

Luggage

Try to avoid buying multiple cheaper suitcases. They are less expensive for a reason. Invest once in a good, sturdy set of bags and they will see you right for years to come. Quality suitcases don’t always mean big designer ones either.

Home

We spend so much time in our homes, sometimes it can feel like you don’t know where to start with giving your home an ‘upgrade’. Here are a few tips to make your home a little bit of paradise.

Minimize

Get Marie Kondo on your condo. Start throwing out things you don’t use, you don’t wear, or you don’t love. Generally, we accumulate a lot more than we actually need. Follow her method (or any other method) for getting your home back and free from excess. It’s liberating. {Read about my Marie Kondo experience here.}

Lighten Up

Small changes make a big difference. Swapping out bright lights for warmer tones, and adding in uplighting lamps for the evening can make a considerable change. Fairy lights can add a soft and magical glow in almost any room.

Swap out heavy curtains for lighter fabrics during the spring and summer. This will let more natural light in, making the room more welcoming.

Paint It

Give you back and front door a fresh lick of paint. It’s simple but effective. And you can get that beautiful ‘Pinterest’ front door that you’ve been hankering after.

Scent-sational

Have you ever noticed that the upmarket stores and certain designer stores have a specific smell to them? No, it’s not the smell of money. But, it is usually a floral and leather mix scent. If you want to have something a little bit luxe, then think about bergamot, musk and jasmine fragrances.

Cotton and linen smell always work beautifully to lift a mood and make a space smell freshly washed.

Faux Decor

Faux fur rugs, blankets and cushion covers can make a massive impact. Depending on your personal style, blacks, greys and rose gold-tones tend to look much more expensive than they actually are. Throw the blankets across your bed, or sofa to give a little bit of glam.

Fresh Flowers & Plants

While you’re at the farmer’s market (from all the way back in the groceries section), you can grab some fresh flowers. They look beautiful, and this is a little luxury that is always worth the spend.

If you don’t love the idea of buying fresh flowers every week, then invest in a few plants. Orchids are stunning if kept well, and succulents add a touch of green and are easy to maintain.

“Luxury is anything that feels special. I mean, it can be a moment, it can be a walk on the beach, it could be a kiss from your child, or it could be a beautiful picture frame, a special fragrance. I think luxury doesn’t necessarily have to mean expensive.”

– Aerin Lauder

Living a life of luxury isn’t all about splurging a lot of cash on prominent designers. Though, you can if you really want to. But instead, it is about buying the best of what you can to treat yourself and enjoying it.

How do live a life of luxury on a budget? Let me know if you have any other tips by leaving a comment below.

Yours Truly,
Vanessa