Tips for a luxurious feeling lifestyle on a modest budget

[pengwig]

After reading a few threads on the cost of living I wondered if we could share tips for living a like that feels luxury on a bit of a budget?

My tips are home baking, even simple easy to make cakes are much nicer than even expensive store bought and served with a nice pot of tea or a coffee at home is more affordable and enjoyable than paying for a dried out, bought in cake sold in most cafes for 4 times the price.

Also instead of expensive candles I either use a little portable essential oil diffuser with essential oils or wax melts. I burn them in the hall and they seem to fragrance he whole house really nicely without being too strong.

Any other tips?

Great idea for a thread! For me, I think stuff like making dinner a proper occasion. Set the table, candles, napkins, music etc (appreciate this isn’t going too happen often if you have littles to feed, too!). I also love my garden, so growing flowers from seed and cutting them for inside. Making focaccia at the weekend, etc.

The more I think about it, the more I think (for me at least) it’s about slowing down and doing ordinary things with thought and care. Having the time to do that mindfully is a luxury in itself!

Going for a really long walk in the countryside through some pretty sumptuous grounds etc and taking a nice sandwich and flask of coffee. At the end having a pint in a really pretty old pub ideally next to a river or in a lovely Cotswold town.

Use the nice stuff.

Drink your orange juice in a fancy wine glass, or use the nicest perfume and face cream that you have for everyday. I got sick of keeping things 'for best' and now I buy the nicest or comfiest things I can afford and just use them.

I like to mark the seasons and events of the year. We have small people in the house, so I try to mark, eg autumn by getting them to collect twigs, cones leaves and making a little display on the dresser in the dining room, changing the tablecloth and cushions, making something for dinner that reflects an event, anything will do - Burns night, pancake day, or even international Taco Day. I can find something most weeks. I’m nanna and sometimes I make them something I ate as a child, or I research the culture of a dish we chat about that country and how it’s different from ours. Stuff like that.

OP I agree about essential oils. A couple of drops in a bath, or on a cotton wool ball to scent the vacuum cleaner, or on a radiator to scent the whole house. And they never smell cheap or fake.

Fresh coffee. Never buy coffee in cafes. A bag of fresh coffee costs £4, same price as a single latte in lots of places. It will give you delicious fresh cafetiere coffee every day for a couple of weeks. And you can heat milk in the microwave and froth it with a whisk if you want cappuchinos or lattes. A freshly brewed coffee every morning is one of my favourite moments of the day and it makes the house smell so good.

When DH and I were first married, he liked to take me out for dinner locally once a week. I suggested instead we go out once a month to somewhere much nicer. We still do this. Really good restaurants once in a while, rather than weekly takeaways or local pub lunches.

Get onto ticketing websites. DH and I often get offers for West End shows for as little as £25 for major shows, and £10-15 or free with booking fee for less well known shows. We use them often so they keep us on their mail lists.

I love this. Really agree about the power of celebrating whenever you can and marking the seasons.

This may sound mercenary, although we are a pretty unmaterialistic family, but we always swap Christmas and birthday lists. That way, people get things they truly want, not near miss guesses. And in our family we always ask for luxury versions of everyday things. Gorgeous soaps and hand creams, merino or cashmere socks, beautiful notebooks, beeswax candles. That way we have a good supply of luxury things through the year and no unwanted presents to regift.

DS told me his (wealthy) friends at uni were horrified by his Christmas lists. But maybe they can afford the lovely stuff anyway. He loves knowing he'll get really luxurious shaving soap every Christmas, fine wool socks and abook he really wants to read.

Use up all leftovers. Or freeze them. Don't waste food, its too expensive.

Great thread @pengwig

Can you recommend any good essential oils please? Like the idea of adding them to the hoover. Think I have lavender somewhere

It might just be me but I've got far too many candles, notebooks and things that I've bought when I was a bit more flush so it's worth seeing what you've got hanging around that you might have forgotten about. I'm going to have a bath tonight with all the random bubbles, facemasks etc that I can find lurking!

Also yellow stickers - this is not a new tip but it's a great way to eat nice food from places like M&S and Waitrose that you wouldn't normally justify buying.

@Sunshineandrainbow I love orange, grapefruit and clary sage (all very uplifting) are favourites. I think places like Neals yard usually have ones out you can sniff to see what scents you like but they are much cheaper online! Rose is lovely as well very relaxing I find.

Nice bath products (don’t have to be expensive just mix it up from the usual)

Fluffy dressing down and slippers, fluffy throws

Mood lighting to create ambience

It is the little things that combined make the biggest difference. I know it may sound silly but have you thought of increasing your toilet roll ply? Sainsbury's now do triple quilted which in old money is 6 ply.

I prefer to buy items that are good quality as they last far longer and therefore more cost effective in the long run. E.g. clothers made from 100% cotton, wool, cashmere. Before Karen Millen was sold I used to love their clothes and I still have them and wesr them and they look just as good even 6yr+.

Same with he'd sheets, switched to White company and they still look and feel great 8yrs later.

I find alot of food in M&S is not much more than other supermarkets but the quality is far better, they sell microwaveable brown rice for 70p and it has less rubbish added to it compared to other brands so its actually better to eat.

Get a silk pillowcase to sleep on and buy the best bedding you can.

You spend so much time in bed, invest in making it a good experience.

You only need one set of decent bedding if you are on a budget, you can just wash it and have it back on the bed the same day so it doesn't have to cost the earth.
Good quality stuff will last years, so you can add a second set a year or two later.

You can get cheaper silk pillowcases which only have one side with silk and the other with some other fabric, but if you sleep on it, you will wake up with a fresher face and less tangled hair.
That starts your day off on a good note.

Use your nice things. Don't save them for later. Wear the nice cashmere. Use the good handbag. Put flowers in the good vase. Use the beautiful glasses. Don't have a separate category of life called “for best.”

Make a plain breakfast feel like a hotel breakfast: Put coffee in a pretty mug or cup; Take fresh berries or fruit and arrange nicely. Good yoghurt, granola or pastries. Use a cloth napkin rather than using paper napkins. Put everything on a tray. On occasion, make pancakes or eggs and smoked salmon at home.

Candlelit date-night dinner: Set the table beautifully with good china, candles and nice glasses, get dressed up, put nice music on and make it a rule that there are no phones at the table.

This one nails it

Wear perfume everyday. Even if it is a low priced one.

Choose natural fibres for your clothing. Can often be found on the high street , ( more so in the menswear section, sadly)

Use a waterproofing treatment on footwear and outdoor clothing.

Polish shoes . It elevates them and looks more classy.

Wow everyone so many great ideas already thank you and keep sharing!

Love this thread.
I buy nice artisan soaps for the shower, as they are cheapish for how long they last. I cut them in two so they don't go gooey and I alternate halves so I have different ones every few weeks. Supporting small soap makers just feels great as well.
I also have a nice L'occitane shower oil for "best" - usually Tuesdays!

I buy expensive hot chocolate and have a Dualit maker so we have that as a family once a week or so. Delicious!
I also buy nice chocolate from M&S and have a row of squares when I fancy it, not too much but feels more special than a kitkat.

I'm going to have a think about what fancy bits and pieces I have around that are waiting for a special occasion and try and get those out and use them.

Agree !!it's why I decorate for Easter and Halloween and Xmas . It markes the seasons and dresses up the house gives us all a change.

Serve afternoon tea in a proper tea set with home made scones in the garden.

Agree - I am just wading through some stir fry from the expensive butchers that was bought for others in the house who have not eaten it. I do fear it has gone off though as it has a tang to it!

Recycle packaging from beauty products at boots (5 items = £5 points if you spend £10) and save the points for luxury makeup. Boots price match the supermarkets on stuff like toothpaste and shampoo. The list of packaging you can recycle is extensive, even things like wet wipes packets are accepted.

Agree with all those saying don't save things 'for best'. Sometimes 'best' never comes. My mum had saved so many talcs and soaps that when she died there were loads to offload and I felt so sad that she never got to use her lovely things!

Just some nice shower gel can lift a day. I was given some really expensive stuff a few Christmases ago and I just kept moving it from place to place until I decided to open it and was surprised by how great it felt to smell nice!

You are right about soap. Really expensive soap can last for months, so it works out much cheaper than cheap shower gel, and it smells fantastic.