A life of luxury.

What does that mean for you?

I think that it is interesting to consider, because for most people I have asked, while there are a lot of different answers, most come back to having enough money. Things like a bigger house, travelling more, being able to have spare time for hobbies, upgrade or get a car, go back to school - pretty much everything requires having the resources to have the opportunity.

It is the same for me, as while the list of "wants" isn't ludicrous, they pretty much all take some level of wealth to achieve. Even the ones like having a strong relationship, is affected by money, because when there isn't enough money, it creates various kinds of stresses, as well as affects the amount and quality of time spent together.

Whether it is around the dinner table or some other time and place, familiar topics that couples end up focusing on include the kids, household responsibilities, family matters, money and work.

It is probably the same in families that have financial availability, but I wonder if the type of discussions change. For instance, when talking about family matters, at what level is it spoken about? Is it the cost of piano lessons or sports equipment, or is it about the skill sides of it instead?

Luxury for me is about having the opportunity to make choices, without having to compromise on the choice due to money concerns. I am not talking about which jet to buy, but just in a normal kind of life situation. For instance, all of the decisions we made whilst renovating our house, were dictated by the price. So, while we are happy with it, if we had an extra 20 or 30 percent to spend, we would have made different decisions on fittings and furniture. No extreme differences, but being able to see a tap, shower or kitchen top we liked, and just making the decision, without looking at the price tag.

As I have never been in that position, in my head, it makes things much easier in many parts of life. I believe there is quite a difference in experience between having to go to work, and choosing to go to work. When there isn't the "need" to be there, it is much easier to deal with all of the crap, knowing that it is easy to just walk away.

That is luxury.

When my wife chose to be with me, it was a bit of a worry. While she doesn't come from a wealthy family, she also hasn't had to struggle that much financially in her life. She has never really had to go without basics. And, agreeing to be with me, pretty much meant that she was going to learn pretty quickly what it is like to have money issues, as I was struggling myself. So, a few years later when we finally got married, we eloped, because we couldn't afford a wedding that included enough of our friends (would have been small still), her dress was altered by me, and I took our wedding photos.

It was special in its own way, but it was a heavy compromise.

And, while in the grand scheme these things don't matter at all, it still weighs on me sometimes that perhaps we should have done something more to mark the occasion. And I think that this is something that stands out in my life, where I haven't really celebrated successes and milestones much, usually because of the costs involved. And, this is something I think I am going to start doing, not because "I deserve it", but because it provides a marker in the road, rather than it passing by unnoticed.

It forces reflection.

The celebration doesn't have to be expensive, nor does it have to involve many people, but i should be something luxurious. Like, a bottle of wine and some nice dark chocolate. And, if we do something significant to the house in the future, rather than just enjoying it ourselves, invite some friends around for a barbecue, or more wine and chocolate. Make it an excuse to socialize and spend time together, celebrating, rather than just passing the time.

As I have said before, relationships are important to me, yet I don't think I am doing a good enough job at celebrating their successes either. Perhaps that is where I should start.

A life of luxury doesn't really include much stuff for me, though it would be great to finish the house and garden nicely, and be able to choose when and where I work, as well as travel a bit. However, a lot of the luxury I want isn't in the stuff, but in the sharing of quality time with the people I care about. And yes, that can be done with no money at all, but it is also hard to do it when the pressures of life are constantly bearing down.

Yachts, fancy cars, and mansions....

It sounds like more complication, not luxury.

What about for you?

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]