“Never scrimp on the luxuries; the necessities will take care of themselves.” – Elaine Fried (wife of Willem de Kooning)
I think a better piece of advice for us might be to scrimp for the luxuries. Luxuries transcend the ordinary, and for most of us, a luxury is just that, a luxury. A little indulgence from time to time makes all of our hard work worthwhile. It’s a special invitation we extend to ourselves to enjoy the unique and the nonessential, and it doesn’t have to be extravagant.
Here are some ideas:
- Treat yourself to a food luxury such as caviar, truffles, foie gras, Wagyu beef, or saffron.
- Delight yourself with a small bouquet of flowers for the bathroom, a great bottle of wine, or that desired ticket to a special event
- When purchasing luxury clothing items, avoid ostentation, and embrace quality.
- Occasionally ride in style. Instead of a cab ride from your airport to your hotel, reserve a limousine. It’s not that much more.
- When vacationing it costs about the same to stay six nights at a 2-3 star hotel or three nights at a 4-5 star hotel (and order room service at least once). Which do you think will be more memorable?
- And sometimes, when you think luxury, think decadence. Involve your body, mind, and spirit. And let your mind roam free when considering your purchase.
So I think we really do owe it to ourselves to seek and enjoy something beyond necessity. You know, Elaine Fried might be right; luxuries are indeed a need after all . . . but don’t forget to pay the electricity bill.