If you're rich

[PoliticalBiscuit]

What will always feel like a luxury?

I'm lucky enough to be able to afford a few things that I know other people view as treats and luxury items (on a small scale, so occasional splurges on make up and meals out)

But I'm car shopping with my Mum today and I don't know anyone who doesn't get a little excited getting a new car or a new phone etc.

Just curious, when times are good what will you always be grateful for?

Private health care. Oh my goodness. That would be amazing. I have so many things wrong with me. And have been let down by so many doctors. I would pay whatever money I could for the luxury of having a doctor listen and actually help me.

I must admit private Health care here In Uk makes me feel bloody lucky.

Interesting question.

We are in the top 5% of earners and are relatively frugal.

We've decided to splash out on a very nice AI 1 week holiday next year (as well as our usual cheap self-catering cottage) to treat ourselves after a difficult year (health problems for me and DS). That will feel like a real luxury.

A taxi always feels like a luxury too, as we usually use public transport.

Also in the top 5% of earners here. We are fairly frugal . Our children want for nothing but it doesn’t mean they get everything. My luxury would staying in a very nice hotel but we don’t do it very often. Phones,cars, houses, handbags don’t mean a lot to me. Things like health are a priority. We have private health & dental insurance & I consider that a luxury. Good coats, shoes, bedding are important to me & are a luxury. Not having to worry about food bills or heating bills is a luxury. Being able to have most things makes you want less in my opinion...

Not looking at the pump when filling the car.

Never checking my bank balance before a day to day purchase and choosing whatever I want in supermarkets without thinking about it. I consider all those things pretty luxurious.

Holidays and homes where you have to pinch yourself as they are so nice.

A car is just a means to get from a-b, no excitement for me whatever it costs.

Interesting post. I've had a very frugal but extremely happy childhood, the usual struggle to establish yourself through 20s , a very affluent 30s and 40s- no men harmed in the purchase of my house/car. Would think nothing of champagne on a Monday night and designer shopping at the weekend. Now, with a son, I'm not bothered about anything really in material terms, but love travel and hat remains a real anticipated pleasure which we both enjoy. And better food and wine.

As others have said, we earn in top 5% so very comfortable but not rich

We live well below our means. If you looked at our lifestyle you’d probably think our income was about £60-70k. We eat out once or twice each weekend, but places like pizza express or Nando’s, do not flash. We do spend a lot on holidays, but are low key about it, so people probably don’t realise quite how much we spend on them.

I hugely appreciate being able to put the heating on whenever I want, throw whatever in the trolley when shopping, not having to worry if something breaks - that feels incredibly fortunate to me as we’ve not always been in that position.

So I had to google. £70,000 puts you in the top 5%.

The entry point for the top 0.1% is £351,137

Oh no I'd written out a long reply which was deleted.

Really enjoying reading these responses thank you. Sorry I have been dipping in and out all day but no time to respond.to answer a few questions--

I was shopping for a car for my Mum. I suppose I understand now why it doesn't feel like a treat. But even so, thousands of pounds to spend on transportation does feel like luxury to me!

What does rich mean to me? It doesn't really matter, I j...

Sorry my MN keeps crashing, I'll reply tomorrow

Clarins skin care. Lunch out. Decent coat for winter.

Fantastic hotels and business class flights - I've only flown first twice, and didn't pay for it myself.

No interest in new phones, although I do enjoy plugging in a new game console for the first time.

I spend several thousand on a new coat every winter, and get the luxury thrill when I first wear them.

Grew up in a nice council estate where there was no sense of lack ( which was good) but no idea of the wealth that was out there.
Now im very comfortable certainly not Rick in the widest sense of the word but for me it’s about giving a donation to charity and not missing the money.
Giving my children a nice gift of cash because I can. Treating grandchildren to a meal out and their parents too
Having three foreign holidays a year and several fortnights in the uk and living most of the week in our second home . ( static caravan...)
Having no debt. Paying barclaycard as soon as it comes in.

Having said all of that we live quite frugally.
Dinner tonight was home made shepherds pie and steamed veg
My car is 17 years old, dh p’s is 10

I’m extremely fortunate .
However, I’m not in the best of health...and I would prefer that .

Thousands on a new coat 😱
I just couldn’t ..even though I could

It would be completely meaningless to me.

I’ve got diamond rings, I rarely wear...so no point buying any more...or necklaces, bracelets...
No interest in expansive bags, louboutins , whatever
Bit of a bugger innit ?😂

'I don't know anyone who doesn't get a little excited getting a new car or a new phone etc.'

Me. I HATE it when we need to bu a new car. I always feel that I'm being ripped off. I feel out of my comfort zone and I also hate all the hassle of re-insuring, selling your old one, sorting the documents etc.
Same with a new phone. Every now and then - when I can't download an app usually - I think I should upgrade, but, once again, I feel out of my comfort zone, have no idea what I'm after, and am really too tight to pay what "quality" phones cost, so I just keep my old one that dh gave me when he got a new one with his contract.

Like someone else said, I still think it is a real luxury to go an have a coffee out..

Maybe, as a none 'rich' person, I shouldn't be on the thread

Comfy slippers, Big soft dressing gown and a hot chocolate on a cold winter's evening. You can't beat that, can you?

actually you probably can, but it's lovely anyway

Comfy slippers, Big soft dressing gown and a hot chocolate on a cold winter's evening. You can't beat that, can you?

On a cold winter evening, a kotatsu is the best thing in the world.

It's a Japanese coffee table, with a blanket around it, held in place by the top of the table, and has a heater under it.

It means sitting on the carpet rather than a sofa, but it's bliss.

I echo what others, the real luxury is the ability to buy what you want without worrying about cost. Not that we always do, but it's a feeling of having a safety net. We both grew up in quite poor environments so having savings and knowing that even if we lost our jobs tomorrow we'd be "ok" means a huge amount and I know how lucky we are to have that!
Having said that, we've had some bloody incredible holidays too ....

Our holiday cottage.
Luxury holidays.
Having the heating on (no central heating as a child so always feels a luxury)
Afternoon tea at a posh hotel near us.

Going out for a meal.

Its always a luxury not to have to cook/wash up ourselves.

of course if we were really rich we could pay someone to do it for us but then it wouldnt be a treat and we wouldn't appreciate/enjoy it as much

Being able to say yes, and we too live relatively modestly compared to income. When DS came home with a rugby tour letter for a south africa trip and the words I know it's a lot and just being able to say of course you can.

I also always remember dd wistfully looking at a Barbie aged about 5 after I'd said no. No pleading or tears - she never did - we were buying a party present for a friend. And I stood at the counter and thought why is it a no, she's hardly spoilt, and said go on go and get one. I can still see the joy.

Luxury is the freedom to chose whether or not to have or to give.

Not rich at all but secure. Feel it is a luxury that we can afford to have the car fixed with out having to worry. Being able to have a weeks holiday most years ( UK based). Picking up the odd treat (chocolate a little toy) for the kids now and again.
Being able to afford NationalTrust membership.

We are very comfortably off, we might be rich, depending on who you ask. We live pretty modestly, and I have made a conscious effort not to become materialistic, and the same for my children. I really do believe that the happiest childhoods are unspectacular, rooted and filled with love and good relationships. Beyond a baseline level of material comfort, stuff matters not a jot. We do love travelling, museums, festivals and concerts so spend freely on these, but they feel no more 'luxurious' than happy childhood holidays spent in Shropshire. Buying a Range Rover or a coat for a grand would not occur to me. Although I have just commissioned a luthier to make a guitar for DH's 40th. That's a rare luxury and I think cheaper than the watches some people like.

Like, ohtheroses the luxury in financial wealth for me comes from the freedom it buys. Money means you can make a far wider range of choices about work, childcare, housing, education, health, investments, charitable giving, retirement. We have needed to make some of these choices already ( especially for my son, who has additional needs). That is a real luxury and one I feel very grateful for.

That’s a good way to express it Boogle
Rich/ comfortably off = choice

Yes I like that.

I remember when my son and Dil came in as I was finalising some household insurance.. and as I was reading out the the cc number... I heard dil gasp, oh she’s paying it all in one go.

I could’ve wept.