What Living a Luxury Lifestyle Means to Me

Lately, I’ve been finding myself struggling to say, “2020 sucks!” I know exactly what you’re thinking.

Before you drop your jaw, hear me out. As difficult and heartbreaking this year has been, it’s definitely been a year of reflection and realignment.

And as much as I want to say, “2020, please, for the love of God, give us all a break,” I can’t.

I can’t because I’m the kind who prefers to hear the bad news before I hear about the good news.

To say that 2020 has taught us all a lot is an understatement. You see, without struggle and difficulty, how can we appreciate the beautiful things life has to offer?

Think about it. Kobe’s passing taught us to leave a lasting legacy of what it means to work hard at your craft. Companies closing and people put on furlough/losing their jobs taught us two-fold lessons. The outcomes from the fall of companies have taught us to truly appreciate our jobs, no matter how much we’ve hated it in the past. And secondly, it’s taught us the importance of having a somewhat of a hefty savings account for future emergencies.

The time we’ve spent at home has taught us that none of us are meant to be alone and that we were meant for fellowship and camaraderie. Being away from our loved ones has made us yearn for time with them. Now, more than ever, we’ve also realized just how important hugs and smiles are to us. And recently, Chadwick Boseman’s passing has taught us to live more humbly while serving others, to persevere no matter what our hardships are, and focus on living our lives doing what means the most to us.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what living a luxury lifestyle means. 

When I was younger, my family had cable television while other families didn’t. As time passed, it became the opposite. Other families had cable and internet while my family financially struggled to keep it turned on for us to do homework.

My brother and I also had to share a lot so when I was a little girl, I dreamed big. I dreamed about having my own room so I could have a space to call my own. I also dreamed about having my own car so I could go anywhere without asking my parents to give me a ride. As I grew older, I dreamed about having my own apartment and someday, my own house.

Eventually, this led me to being so independent, I didn’t know how to ask for help when I needed it.

Why is it okay to dream as a child living the good life, but when you actually “arrive” as an adult, living the high life is seen as a negative thing? And sometimes, so much so that you hold back from living your best life because you feel a sense of guilt?

Answer: Living a luxury life is seen negatively because others have been “showy” and have not been so humble about it. Some hold back from living a luxe life they deserve because they feel guilty that their family and friends won’t experience the same life.

As of late, I’ve been thinking about how I’d like to live a rich and fulfilling life.

LIVING A LUXURY LIFESTYLE IS DEFINED BY YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Everyone has a different definition of success. To some, it’s as basic as being able to pay rent and put food on the table. To others, it’s not having to worry about the balance of your bank account when you swipe your card while shopping.

For me personally, success is having all my bills paid, with leftover money to help my family, add to my savings/retirement, and some money for fun, frivolous spending.

IF YOU’VE WORKED HARD TO EARN YOUR MONEY, WHY NOT BE PROUD TO SPEND IT?

Why should you feel guilty for spending your money you’ve earned? One person I know who enjoys spending her money is my best friend, Sarah. She doesn’t spend much on anything except for workout clothes, travel, and a luxury car. And there’s nothing wrong with that because she sets aside her earnings first before spending it on fun things.

LIVING A RESPONSIBLE YET LUXURY LIFESTYLE

Another one who enjoys spending their money is my favorite UK influencer, Lydia. If you watch her vlogs, you know that she thoroughly enjoys spending her money. However, she’s responsible. She has repeatedly emphasized with her audience that she puts money away first.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

The only time spending money should be frowned upon is buying everything in sight. What I mean by that is making purchases you don’t need to impress people you don’t know. Who needs ten handbags in the same exact style in various colors? What I also mean is making purchases without care or thought and research.

Buying something on sale just because it’s on sale? Polluting our planet by consuming ungodly amounts of fast fashion? Supporting child labor by buying fake designer items? No thanks. To me, that is not living a life of luxury.

WANTING A LIFE OF COMFORT IS NOT A BAD THING

We’ve all came from somewhere. Some have rags to riches stories as a result of their hard work. If you’re one of those people who clawed your way to the top (with integrity, of course), don’t ever feel bad for living a life of comfort. Work hard, play hard is my motto!

Buy your dream home/car, go on your much-needed vacation, celebrate with an expensive bottle of wine. Why wait for a special occasion? Life is already a blessing!

MONEY GIVES YOU OPTIONS

Have you ever heard the “Money is evil.” phrase? Often times, people get the topic of money switched. Newsflash, money is not evil. The love of money is. Years ago, I learned at a business conference I attended that money is not a bad thing. Money gives you options to live your life however you want. If you want to spend it on things, you can. If you want to spend it on experiences, you can. And if you want to do both and give some of your money away, you can too!

Having money gives you a lot of options in terms of how you want to help others.

AGING IS A BLESSING

I used to be scared of growing old. Now that my hair has begun to turn white, I’ve realized how much of a blessing aging truly is because my hair is a physical recording of days I get to live.

I can see the older me now: still stylish, bank accounts are full and constantly flowing with income flowing in, charitable giving and “fun spending” going out. She’s traveling whenever and wherever she wants, ordering a glass of champagne at lunch during a weekday shopping trip, and ends each day with a little bit of self-care. Her wardrobe is full of beautiful yet meaningful pieces that can be passed down to her children/great grandchildren.

White hair and wrinkles will be inevitable, but to me, that means I’ve truly lived. However, that doesn’t mean that I’ll stop plucking out random strands of white hair any time soon, ha!

HUMILITY WILL VOID IT OUT

To me, anyone who is rich while remaining humble are the ones I want to build relationships with for the rest of my life. These people don’t feel the need to show off their wealth. Instead, they drive a regular car, live in a modest house (like Warren Buffet), or may wear the same thing over and over again (Kate Middleton is major example). It’s okay to enjoy nice things and experiences as long as you aren’t a show-off.

I hope today’s article helps you to see that living a luxury lifestyle is not a bad thing. I’ll be updating this post as I think more in depth about this topic.

What does living a luxury lifestyle mean to you?