Which of these would you consider a luxury?

[randomfemthinker]

Curious question for discussion.

Which of these would you consider a luxury? Why or why not?

1. Having a gym membership
2. Owning your own home
3. Going on an overseas holiday
4. Having a pet with out goings such as a dog or a cat
5. Eating out at a sit down restaurant with full course and alcohol
6. Paying for internet access at home
7. Having children
8. Having a wedding
9. A night out drinking with friends
10. Being married
11. Ordering a takeaway
12. Owning a car
13. Having a cleaner
14. Having Netflix or some other extra extra TV channels beyond the basic
15. Buying tickets to go to a concert

Thoughts?

In general I agree with this, though I think a cleaner is probably a luxury.

However, I also think that for most of them the answer is "it depends". For example I wouldn't call a week camping trip to Brittany a luxury. A three week trip to the Maldives would be a different matter.

Similarly, a 15 year old Ford Fiesta isn't a luxury whereas a brand new Porsche would be.

For me a cleaner possibly nice holidays would be a luxury all other things are just if you want to /can afford it I'd say

Cleaner
Concert Tickets
Holiday

1. Having a gym membership...yes
2. Owning your own home...no
3. Going on an overseas holiday..yes
4. Having a pet with out goings such as a dog or a cat...no
5. Eating out at a sit down restaurant with full course and alcohol...yes
6. Paying for internet access at home..no
7. Having children...no
8. Having a wedding...yes
9. A night out drinking with friends...no
10. Being married...no
11. Ordering a takeaway...yes
12. Owning a car...no
13. Having a cleaner...yes
14. Having Netflix or some other extra extra TV channels beyond the basic...yes
15. Buying tickets to go to a concert...yes

None at the moment, but I know I'm lucky.

I think most are but

1. Not necessarily - you have to live somewhere and in the long term owning is cheaper than renting.

1. Basic utility.

1. No, unless you have 3+.

1. Yes unless it's the bare bones legal bit only.

10. See 8.

I also think a (non fancy) car isn't a luxury but an essential in many parts of the country.

All bar 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15

2 luxury but at the same time it's almost essential luxury

As most others 2, 6 and 10 aren't luxuries, they are pretty much basic human rights - or should be. Owning one house that you and your immediate family live in full time is not a luxury.

Having children is an odd one as it's sort of a luxury (if using luxury as synonymous with privilege) to make the decision to have them or not - not everyone can make that choice. Also it's clearly not an essential, should only be done if you can afford it, cut your cloth etc. Once they are here they are people in their own right and deserve resources and support to succeed in their own right so they're not a "luxury"...

The only ones I really might think is a luxury is having a cleaner and a gym membership. I think the rest are just things people work hard for.

Having a cleaner is a luxury. The rest are pretty normal.

Gym, Netflix and cleaner.

I think having kids and being married are a right.
I'd regard the rest as luxuries, although I do take the point that lack of internet access now gives significant disadvantages. (Having said that, neither of my sisters, both in their '70s have internet access and they manage without it)

It's a weird list. If you pay mortgages long enough you do tend to pay it off eventually, I wouldn't call owning-outright automatically a luxury. Netflix is pretty cheap nowadays (£5-£15/month), people on strict incomes can still afford it. Pets can be small & cheap to feed & never have flea or vet treatment much less insurance. The state provides support to make having kids affordable. Weddings can be at registry office & at home reception with minimal gifts. Takeaways can be cheap, cars are often cheap to run if legacy items, or essential. Concert tickets could be £4/head or £400/head. I think my threshold is something like > £40/month or >£20 per head for a one-off experience.

My picks are:
Having a cleaner, many course meal at nice restaurant, overseas holiday, gym membership, long night out drinking with friends, concert tickets (probably).

I think they're all luxuries, except for marriage, which I consider a lifestyle choice.

We live quite frugal me and 18 year old d s but I do justify a monthly McDonald's just eat home delivery and no way would I regard it as a luxury.

I think most fall between "necessity" (I would class internet access as this), and "luxury" (I would count a few as a luxury including an overseas holiday and a cleaner).

I don't think having a wedding is a luxury - we had a wedding for a few hundred pounds. But I would say a big traditional expensive wedding is a luxury.
I wouldn't call Netflix, a takeaway, or a night out "luxuries". They are unaffordable for many people, and they aren't necessary for life, but I don't think that makes them luxuries.

I don't consider having a no frills gym membership a luxury. Exercise is key to good health. If it's a ludicrously expensive one with spa access sure.

@C152 why do you consider the Internet a luxury instead of a necessity?

1. Having a gym membership - yes
2. Owning your own home
3. Going on an overseas holiday -yes
4. Having a pet with out goings such as a dog or a cat - yes
5. Eating out at a sit down restaurant with full course and alcohol - yes
6. Paying for internet access at home
7. Having children
8. Having a wedding
9. A night out drinking with friends - yes
10. Being married
11. Ordering a takeaway - yes
12. Owning a car
13. Having a cleaner - yes
14. Having Netflix or some other extra extra TV channels beyond the basic - yes
15. Buying tickets to go to a concert - yes

1. Having a gym membership - depends on the gym. My expensive city gym is, I don’t consider my local council gym to be.
2. Owning your own home - no
3. Going on an overseas holiday - depends on the holiday. First class to the Caribbean yes. Driving to France to go camping no.
4. Having a pet with out goings such as a dog or a cat - no
5. Eating out at a sit down restaurant with full course and alcohol - depends on the restaurant.
6. Paying for internet access at home - no
7. Having children - no
8. Having a wedding - depends how much you spend.
9. A night out drinking with friends - no
10. Being married - no. Odd question.
11. Ordering a takeaway - no. Opposite of luxury in my view (although I often do)
12. Owning a car - not in itself no, but depends on the car.
13. Having a cleaner - no
14. Having Netflix or some other extra extra TV channels beyond the basic - no
15. Buying tickets to go to a concert - no, although definitely a treat I don’t get often.

A lot of people are saying gym membership is a luxury, but you can't get a basic gym membership for around twenty pounds a month and you get access to weights, cardio equipment and helpful staff.

Does price affect whether something is considered a luxury?

Depends on your income level. For some people having all of that would be considered quite standard. Others not so much.