What do you think of as luxuries?

I remember the first fridge my mother acquired, in the mid-50s. She worked full-time, and not having to shop every day was a huge boon. She could buy meat on Thursday for the weekend, milk didn't go off, and we moved on to frozen vegetables, not tinned. I should add that we weren't particularly poor.

We didn't have a fridge at home until I was 15 or a phone until I was in my 20s. I saw them as luxuries then but definitely essentials now.

I consider my dishwasher a luxury, paying a tradesman to decorate, buying items online - and having them delivered, doing a grocery shop online, having my own computer, being able to watch an amazing range of films, TV programmes etc in my own home, my kindle, having various fresh foods in the shops all year round, the chance to have holidays, living in a detached house after growing up in a terrace then a thin walled semi with noisy neighbours, having my own en suite, my own garden with roses and veges and the time to sit in it and read or knit. Having someone else cook a meal, These, to me, are all luxuries which I appreciate.

I would count a car and a phone as necessities. I couldn’t get to work without the car and there are no phone boxes in the vicinity.
TV is a luxury, I grew up without one, my parents never had one and I am used to listening to the radio for news etc.
I also regard my mobile as essential, my journey to work is cross country and should I break down or have an accident there would be no way of calling for help without a mobile.

Totally agree with Cornish Clio, especially concerning the holidays. Holidays I would consider a luxury especially foreign ones. Depending on our individual standards and what we have become used to, luxury and non-luxury items would differ from one person to anther.
In these times, a computer and mobile (therefore internet) is necessary but then you wouldn't need television or a land line - so it should be a case of one or the other. Frankly its cheaper to have internet connection then to have to pay for a separate landline and a television when you can watch TV on your computer (as long as you've got a TV license).
Access to transport - not necessary a car - should be something every council should provide to everyone everywhere.
Here are a few others (in my opinion):
A Washing machine is a necessity but not a dryer.
A fridge is a necessity but not a separate freezer.
An oven and hob is necessary not a microwave.
A vacuum cleaner but not a carpet shampooer
A roof over your head but not necessarily a garden
A simple mobile phone but not a camera or sound system

Here are some 100% luxuries (great if you can afford it):
a cleaner ( daily or part-time doesn't matter. Then you get your fresh sheets too )
a gardener (as above)
a meal out
weekly hairdresser appointment
Beauty treatments (manicures etc...)
chiropractic appointments
masseuse appointments
Gym membership
foreign holidays
Going to fetes, fairs etc... and actually buying things you don't need just to show support (applaud you and wish I could do this more ).

There's my list and opinions for all it matters. Sorry its so long.
Have a super day ahead.

As a child eating chicken was a luxury. We only had it about twice a year. It must have been more expensive than other meats.

A car for us is a necessity we live in a rural location , with buses running every two hours and nothing after six in the evening . We don't use our car for jollys but we need it for doctor's visits and hospital appointments . Without the car we would be stuffed .

When we were young CH would have been a luxury,I remember cold bedrooms, ice on the inside of the window in bedroom, and cold bathroom.Now I think everyone had cantral heating and takes it for granted,when used properly ie. having it on all the time letting the thermostat control it.

A car, heating, telephone and washing machine I don't consider a luxury. We are a 2 car household so I could say two cars are a luxury that I wouldn't do without. Mr B has gone out somewhere to the back of beyond for a long run, car ended to get there and I have just been for blood tests and a chat with the Dr, took the 2nd car as it was so cold and I didn't want to be hanging around waiting for a bus.

Dishwashaser I would consider a luxury, mine is 72 years old and a bit slow.

what interesting comments

I cannot see that anyone considers a dishwasher a luxury, praps like me we see it as completely unnecessary?

I was born in 1936, Birmingham, quite a new council house, coal house was indoors, just off the kitchen, toilet was outside, but attached to the house! work that one out!

so I remember helping my mom with washing clothes,, and the progress to a washing machine,
dad moving the coal storage outside, and making that area into the cooker area...ie. part of the kitchen,

the outside toilet came inside by dad building a small extension.

luxury now? well I remember newspaper for the WC! so thankyou for toilet paper tissue

what I would love now? like so many said, someone to give me clean, white, cotton sheets every day! hmmm! hmm! wonderful

all of this thread is part of the "Gratitude" prayer that so many tell us to practice every day!

For me the luxury is time. I worked full time until I was 72. I brought up three children, and then there were grandchildren, not to mention a husband. Now I live alone and have time.......to read a book/the papers or go out and visit friends, go to art classes, the choir, aqua aerobics, Pilates. Or not.

A luxury is having help with cleaning and help with gardening.

I'd like to add to what I wrote up-thread: security.
The security of knowing my home is my own, that I can't be made homeless at the whim of a landlord. Far too many people don't have that luxury and I am grateful every day for my good fortune.

If I think back to when we were first married in '71 every single thing we have today would have been considered a luxury. We didn't have a TV, central heating (or any heating!) to start with, a washing machine or a telephone - I had to run to the nearest phone box 8 months pregnant when my son drank some bleach! No car until my eldest son was 7. My husband once walked from his mother's to our house which was about 2 miles carrying a sewing machine! Although we aspired to many things back then we were happy enough and appreciated everything we have managed to achieve over the years.

Luxury today would probably be a first class long haul flight but as we don't holiday it's not something we need.

I must say that I don't see a mobile phone as a luxury any more. Once you've bought the phone you can have unlimited calls and texts for only £5 a month with Smarty (no contract). The basic package is £7.50 but I never use it for the internet and the cost of calls and texts is only £5. Back in the day phone calls were very expensive and a phone was a luxury (we didn't have one until the 1960s).

MamaCaz asks us what we consider a luxury today / something we didn't have or occasionally have when younger.

So whilst I could say a luxurious car or a helicopter, it would have to be a home that is warm throughout the day. I remember waking up with ice on the inside of the windows.

Second would be an inside toilet. I stayed at my grans a lot and she only had an outside toilet but there was a 'potty' under the bed.

Being able to have the disposable income to treat our DGCs when they are somewhat "stretched" taking my family out for Christmas Day lunch so I don't have to spend the day in the kitchen.
Having a car has never been a luxury for us but we did struggle having two to maintain yrs ago when we both needed one for work and school runs,now we have downsized over the past 20 odd years we are so much better off financially.
EV How easy is it having a shop on our doorstep which can supply white goods on the day they break down my washing machine broke down at 10am one day and they had a new one fitted in by 3pm,that is a luxury I think.

Reading this thread has made me realise how far, in my lifetime, we have come in terms of creature comforts.
My childhood home had an outside toilet, no hot water on tap, one room for a whole family and there was no such thing as white goods.
My luxury would also be fresh crisp bed linen daily provided by the housekeeping fairies.

My life could be improved if I could go back and make sure I didn't accumulate clutter and junk along the way. It's those overfull attics and basements that make life depressing. It's not something that can't be remedied though.

Otherwise I consider a nice hot shower a luxury, but thats about it.

So I'm switching off this tablet now and getting on with today's clearout job!

Having enough money to pay for all these things mentioned is a luxury----without worrying !

We can now all go out and purchase a 'fridge, washing machine, cooker should they break down, instead of either putting so much away from wages or waiting for pay day.

These things really are taken for granted, without thinking.

When we were young ice cream was a great treat. My mother would send us to the shops for a block of Walls raspberry ripple.

Now we have it in the freezer when we fancy it.

Business class travel, 5* hotels (haven’t stayed in many), good champagne, a Louis Vuitton handbag.

As I was thinking this through, I was reminded of my lovely mother’s cooking. She died more than 40 years ago.
This is not strictly in the spirit of the thread, but the loveliest, happiest, most self indulgent thing I can think of would be my mother’s delicious Sunday lunch, with my parents and sister (all passed away many years ago) all sitting around the table.

I would trade a Louis Vuitton handbag for that ... any day of the week !

If you define luxury as 'something non-essential' then anything which makes life easier isn't a luxury.

Even a holiday could be classed as a necessity if you are exhausted.

I have lots of luxuries if some of the above ideas are really luxuries.

For instance I can have a shower every day and in summer, in 30+º heat, often 2 or 3.

And I have an automatic washing machine these days.

But I was 33 with two children, one a baby in cloth nappies before I had any sort of washing machine at all.
For 12 years, I'd trodden all my laundry in the bath. Mum bought me a twin tub.

I don't have central heating; I live alone but don't have TV; I don't have my car any longer and I miss that very much as it means I am often housebound and stir crazy .

Luxuries when I was a child? I don't really know.

Going to the Pantomime at Christmas?

We only had play clothes and a set for best but so did everyone else, not whole wardrobes of stuff like now.

I remember the neighbours going to Butlins which I thought a great luxury - a holiday with someone to cook and clean for you - magic. At least for my Mum.

Mum said she wouldn't be seen dead in such a common place (and implied, with common people) as Butlins but I still see the holiday camp idea as a godsend for hard-working Mums to get a week of rest.

Anything that isn't a necessity is a luxury-

Most Americans live beyond their means partially because wages have remained low for decades while the cost of living has consistently risen -

Overall household debt has risen for 20 straight quarters- Mortgage debt is also on the rise- Americans are currently carrying more debt than they did in 2008-

Delinquency is also on the rise with student loans at the top of the list and mortgages second -

message sharon103 Wed 30-Oct-19 00:02:47
You're making me laugh MawB
lol
Why? I was quoting Pauline53