What do you think of as luxuries?

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.

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!

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.

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 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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Luxuries then - first overseas summer holiday (with mum and dad booked with Horizon Holidays in the late 50’s) which included catching a plane and the. a local ferry to get to the hotel!

Luxuries now - I agree that fresh beautiful white sheets (Egyptian 500+ thread cotton) changed daily by someone other than me, always travelling Club class on flights, and always a fresh flower arrangement in the living room,

Glam, that shop is great and so handy as you say. All my large goods are from there, plus they take away the old item too which can be a pain if you have to find alternate ways.

When we lived abroad and had household help I did have the luxury of clean bed linen and towels every day. However, guilt at the amount of water and washing powder being used for all that laundering made me put a stop to that little luxury.

Grew up without a car, central heating, washing machine,fridge freezers, or fitted carpets. We would get up for breakfast to an open fire which my mother would make. How did we survive? lol.
What I consider a luxury now is my lovely warm apartment and cruising.

Lots of things that would have been considered luxuries when I was a child I confess to now taking for granted.
Luxury for me would be a large bathroom - I don't know why I feel like that, I just do. With soft, fluffy towels, of course, and warm, so that when you come out of the bath or shower you don't stand there shivering.

To me holidays are luxuries as are dishwashers and expensive sound systems. For most a car is a necessity but things like washers, dryers I would consider as essentials.

No, I certainly do not class a washing machine, dryer, vacuum, deep freeze or fridge as luxuries, and I would never dream of living anywhere that did not have central heating.

We manage quite well without a car, so I suppose we do consider that one would be if not a luxury certainly an unnecessary expense.

To me luxury would be being able to say, "Let's take a short trip to Vienna, Milan, etc. etc. and go to the opera, or to Copenhagen to see the ballet" and to be able to afford the trip and a hotel.

It's not going to happen though, unless we win the lottery, which won't happen either, as we never buy tickets!

Oh, and I would simply love to be able to afford a gardener, but I am quite happy doing my own cleaning.

It’s all relative to the times we live in and advancing technology. A car, mobile phone, central heating, tv and broadband are all necessities now. I would consider a holiday a luxury though, especially abroad. Even more so now we are aware of the environmental impact of flying.

miele white goods

a car with suportive leather seats and sat nav

making cakes with any number of eggs, it was one egg in the 50s

Buying anything I want, not need, in waitrose

A shower would be a luxury to me....I have been dreaming of one for years, but money always needs to go elsewhere, and the shower that was put in years ago has no pressure, so, I could use it, but only if I like my showers ice-cold, no heat manages to get pumped up...I just don't have anything spare to sort it, or, if I do, something more important goes wrong!

A cook/chef would be my ultimate luxury. I get fed up of cooking sometimes.

I do have a cleaner, (though she isn't very good) and also someone to keep the garden in order. We're on a sloping site and dh's arthritis means he can't manage it himself any more.

For myself finding a tasty sweet tomato would be a luxury.
No doubt if I did would be one of those that has not spent days in a warehouse waiting their journey into the UK.

I grew up without a fridge , car, phone, central heating. We changed bedding once a week - on bath night. Each of the ‘gadgets’ is a luxury, as is changing the bed because it’s not dirty (daily showers), just because we fancy fresh bedding!