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?

French soap, not expensive but feels it
www.frenchsoaps.co.uk/collections/savon-de-marseille-fragranced-standard-sized-bars-uk

please tell me you don't freeze wine out of glasses people have drunk from?

I have a favourite little breakfast treat that feels a bit luxurious: I slice a croissant in half and put cheese and ham in it like a sandwich then stick it on the oven to crisp up. Because it’s the sort of thing you would usually buy from a cafe for breakfast it feels a bit special, but it takes seconds to prepare and a pack of 4 croissants is cheap (stick the others in the freezer until you want one), as are ham and cheese. Pair with a homemade coffee.

This is your tip for people on a budget? Ok, I'll just get rid of one of my SUVs to pay for luxury coffee.

Give things, plant cuttings for garden or house plants, gluts of fruit or veg from the garden, jam when you have made lots. People will give to you in turn.

The memorable occasion when we had apple crumble instead of apple sauce with a roast pork dinner. It was actually very nice 😁

Some cheaper things that feel luxurious:

Aldi lip oil - feels really good quality
Lidl - shower mousse - smells similar to rituals but £2.50 a can. They also have a rose jam shower gel that is similar to Lush. Home bargains also do shower whips that are good too.
fluffy socks
comfy PJs
Blankets - TK Maxx do lovely throws/blankets for £15
Candles - Ikea candles have a good scent that lasts for the money.
perfume - I used to spend a huge amount on perfumes but Oliver Bonas and Zara have some good ones that are way cheaper - and Jo Malone has designed a bunch of these.
Hand cream and lip balm for winter.
Nice bedding and pillows.
A nice coat and good shoes, the rest of my clothes can be cheap and cheerful, also found a good few bargains on vinted.

Love this x

Yes, the rose jam shower gel is lovely. There’s also one, which I believe is called Sleepy. That’s another Lush dupe.

Thank you I really appreciate all these tips, I'll certainly have a look and try of some of them!

I'm not a great gardener although I'd like to be able to do more but I am a very good baker and I do give some homemade treats as gifts to the people I know will appreciate them.

I don't have cats myself (although I do love them) but I do think to be safe it's better to avoid using the oils if you have them. Cuddles from a cute cat probably trump nice smells anyway!

I love chai so I buy a really nice tin of it and make my own and I never feel I am missing out on coffee shop chai! Also I make really nice home made snacks I take to work etc and feels much nicer than shop bought for 4 times the price. I don’t feel I am mussing out then.

also I set up Revolut pockets for all sorts of little luxuries and it never feels expensive then to buy as it’s all budgeted for.

Wear your nice clothes, don’t save them for best. Wake up every day and put something beautiful on, you will feel good all day. If you save it for best, it barely gets worn and fhen you fall out of love with it or it becomes dated.

I buy five litre tubs of magnesium flakes or Epsom salts. I then decant some into a large glass jar that I keep in the bathroom and add some essential oils to them. My bath smells amazing and works out much more cost effective than buying them ready made. I've made them for friends who have all now started doing it themselves..

That's one person's idea of luxury.

Mine would be Assam loose leaf (£2.50 - 3) and Taylor's of Harrogate ground coffee (£5.75) which would last me a month as it's just me at home and I work full time so it's a cup of each per day

I’m intrigued to know what happens on a Tuesday.

my freezer is exactly the same. I feel we’d be friends!

I use ziploc bags (not great being plastic but I haven’t figured an alternative)
I use old chinese takeaway boxes, which stack nicely. They are plastic, too, but re-purposed / re-used (many, many times) so I don't feel too bad.

Lovely thread op 🙂

Soap is my thing! I try to buy cold process soap from small business when possible. Quite often small manufacturers sell off soap seconds, scraps or soap ends at a discounted price.

Charity shop shopping for clothes and books.

Adding essential oils to plain almond oil feels like a pamper session for pennies.

Some days just appreciating what we have and what we can do with our time and energy helps keep me happy, with a walk in nature and home to clean bed sheets being top of the list for me.

@OPTIMUMMY any recommendations for scents in particular? Thanks for your lovely list. In fact, thanks to all for so many nice ideas.

For the pp who wanted suggestions about non- fragrant things, Dishoom has a new lunch deal for £16 or £20 pp.

I do this, but am getting to the point where the ones i use are not quite big enough for my growing family and two would be too much!

My luxury is finding enough time to sit in the garden in the mornings for 15 minutes with a cup of tea and a book.

I always look in the Clearance section in Boots & Superdrug. I've picked up some really expensive brands for a fraction of the normal cost over the years

I do [chinese takeway boxes] but am getting to the point where the ones i use are not quite big enough for my growing family and two would be too much!
The rice boxes are useful. They are same footprint - so they still stack - but the volume is about 50% more.