Luxury used to mean things you could not have, but today most people have access to things that lift life above the ordinary, and the real question is whether you are using them. This is the case made in the video: luxuries used to be aspirational, always out of reach and reserved for the elite. Those two conditions have fallen away, and the majority of the world can now reach things that raise their lives beyond the ordinary.
They stay underrated because we do not value them enough. To show you value something, you invest time in it, give it attention, look after it, make sacrifices for it and speak well of it. For each of the 15 luxuries below, ask yourself two things: am I taking advantage of the ones I have, and am I working towards the ones I do not?
Watch the full video here, or skip to the breakdown below.
The 15 luxuries at a glance
- You are connected to the richest, most successful people in the world (1:29)
- You have the knowledge to make informed decisions (2:56)
- The worry and guilt that come with excessive spending (4:22)
- Contentment with not flaunting (5:33)
- Connecting your passions with profits (7:00)
- Technology and early investment in health pay future dividends (9:24)
- Reclaiming your time to spend as you choose (10:13)
- Having multiple choices for 99% of your decisions (12:08)
- The peace of mind of automation (13:06)
- The luxury of starting over (14:03)
- A supportive financial community (14:51)
- The luxury of a long-term vision (15:41)
- A quiet mind (16:28)
- Slow mornings (17:12)
- A home that is all yours (18:02)
1. You are connected to the richest, most successful people in the world
According to the data the video cites, 66% of the global population has access to the internet. That means two thirds of the planet can reach a financial education. In the early 20th century, the share with access to education was just 30%, and that figure only counted developing countries.
You are not only getting an education. You have a front-row seat to the advice and books of some of the wealthiest people in history. As long as you have a connection, you have a chance, wherever you are and however tough your circumstances.
So look at your feed. It should be filled with stories of people who faced ups and downs and still reached their goals, not the breakups and makeups of random influencers.
Turn everything you consume into inspiration and education.
2. You have the knowledge to make informed decisions
For most of human history, people decided with very little information, so their wins and losses came down to luck. The few who did well were usually wealthy enough to pour resources into acquiring knowledge. You now have that knowledge within reach.
Access to education is one thing, though, and knowledge is another. Knowledge includes critical thinking, accurate and relevant information, and practical experience. You will not get those skills in a traditional school system.
You build them by talking with people you disagree with and looking for common ground, and by seeking out older people you admire. Every source should be double and triple checked, however trustworthy it seems.
3. The worry and guilt that come with excessive spending
Worry, guilt, stress and anxiety are awful emotions, but they work as warning signs. Address them with a plan and action, and they soften. Ignore them and they get louder and more powerful.
Think of your money guilt as a pair of close friends telling you to be careful because you are being reckless. Nobody sees negative emotions as a luxury, and the idea that they could be a tool for a better life sounds odd.
Once you heed them and give them the attention they are shouting for, you end up grateful for the warning. Lie to yourself about them and they become unmanageable.
4. Contentment with not flaunting
Most of us pass through similar stages. As children we are fairly free and content. As teenagers, confidence is constantly questioned and there is a desperate need to prove yourself, with the nicest clothes and the best jokes.
Some people regain that confidence in their college and working years. They have no need to flaunt success because they know their own value, and it does not have to be thrown in anyone’s face. Others feel more desperate and out of place.
Working hard in silence, sharing your wins with the people closest to you and laughing it off when someone questions your success is a relief worth savouring. Your contentment shows you are free from consumerism and the urge to impress. In a culture that rewards material displays, that peace is often overlooked.
5. Connecting your passions with profits
You no longer have to sacrifice or delay your passions to stay financially stable. Writing, working on cars, playing music, collecting art, taking photos or renovating furniture can all become a way to earn.
Art collecting shows how this has changed. For a long time its profits were reserved for the rich, because the pie was too big and too expensive to share. Now there are tools and resources that let ordinary people turn that interest into profit.
Passion plus profit gives you fulfilment and financial stability together, a combination the video says you cannot let pass you by.
6. Technology and early investment in health pay future dividends
Health is an asset that appreciates. Invest in it early and you raise your productivity, cut healthcare costs and improve your overall satisfaction with life.
We undervalue it because the benefits are not immediately visible. Unlike a material possession, the gains build slowly over time.
They also compound with technology. As medical technology evolves, the people who looked after their health earlier are best placed to benefit from those advances, which can extend lifespan and improve quality of life in old age.
7. Reclaiming your time to spend as you choose
Which is the bigger luxury: time to live the way you want, or the bag, golf clubs or car that signal status? If you answered time, are you actually living that way, and focusing your energy on strategies that give your time back?
If you answered material possessions, at least you are honest. But chasing only things costs more than money. It costs the time and the freedom to live as you want later.
In a work-centric culture, time gets overshadowed by the pursuit of wealth. When you work towards financial independence, think about how to generate wealth without sacrificing your time. Financial independence lets you live on your own terms, and it is underappreciated until it is achieved.
8. Having multiple choices for 99% of your decisions
You have a choice about where you work, how much you earn and where you live. Most people do not believe they have that luxury.
Take pay. You might think you have no say over how much you make, but have you put in full effort into learning new skills, applying for jobs and negotiating your salary? The competition is tough, and the choices are still there.
The same goes for location. Where you live is a choice too: have you worked, sacrificed, saved and planned for the move? It will be scary and take real time, but there is no reason not to consider it.
9. The peace of mind of automation
Peace of mind and automation do not sound like they belong in one sentence, yet automation tools act like a private assistant. Set up properly, they save time on bill payments, savings and investments, and they spare you stress and second-guessing.
Handing over those processes can feel like losing control. But manual monitoring and constant adjustments can lead to missed opportunities and mistakes. You also never fully let go, since the decision is at your fingertips whenever you want it.
If this luxury is available to you, learn more about it and use it. Who would not want their own financial assistant?
10. The luxury of starting over
You live in a time when a mistake or an unhappy situation is not final. You can start over at a new job, or leave a relationship that is not working and move on.
These changes take financial and emotional resources, and those resources are available if you make the right decision.
Reinventing and rediscovering yourself is a chance to break free from past mistakes and unfulfilling career paths. You are an adult, you have worked hard and you live in a connected world, so you have earned the right to turn your back on something that is not serving you.
11. A supportive financial community
If your parents taught you even a little about earning, saving and investing, you hit the jackpot. They do not have to be rich. Those lessons can save you from mistakes and bad decisions.
It is not common. Even supportive, present parents overlook or forget to teach their children how to manage money.
As you get older, you can build this community for yourself. The benefits show up when you aim for high financial goals or hit a really difficult time, and the resources and support make a huge difference to how your money grows.
12. The luxury of a long-term vision
We hear constantly about investing, budgeting and extra income streams, yet in daily life living by those values is often looked down on. You may be called boring because you go out less than everyone else, or be left out of certain circles because you are not up to date on trends and styles.
Your ability to hold that line comes from a clear long-term vision, and not everyone has one. Those who do understand which sacrifices to make now to meet their goals later.
Over time, people with that vision can do things that give them financial security and stability.
13. A quiet mind
A quiet mind does not mean nothing is happening in there. It means you can tone down the chatter and direct your focus where you want it. You might feel it while doing something you enjoy, working, or planning how to improve your life.
Not everyone has it. Overthinking and racing thoughts can taint the thoughts that would actually move you forward.
Use a quiet mind to your full advantage when you have one. When you do not, it is something to work on, especially because it can be worked on.
14. Slow mornings
A morning where the day does not start in a rush is a privilege not everyone has, especially with a demanding job or family responsibilities. If you are reading this on a calm weekend morning and have no children yet, treasure it.
Starting calmly, in the way you want to start, sets a good tone for the rest of the day. You get to plan thoughtfully and work through your anxieties, which makes for a more productive day.
It is such a small thing that you do not notice it until it is gone. A slow morning with children is still possible, but it takes more work and planning.
15. A home that is all yours
Owning a home is a dream and a reality for many. Having it to yourself, paid off, with your name on the deeds, is a huge weight off your shoulders. You feel unstoppable because there is always a safety net beneath you.
Do not take the stability and comfort of a permanent place for granted. The peace of knowing the place is entirely yours is easy to overlook until it is missing.
The long-term benefits, such as property appreciation and building equity, are undervalued because they do not pay off immediately. It is a luxury worth putting time and work into.
Use the luxuries you already have
Some of these sit within your grasp but you are not quite there yet. Others are harder to reach. All of them can be taken for granted until they are gone, and many are hard to count in a world that values what can be seen and measured.
You already have the tools to take your life to the top level. The next step is to pick the luxuries you have been underusing and put real time and attention into them.
FAQ
What are examples of underrated luxuries in life?
The video lists 15, including access to financial education online, the ability to make informed decisions, the freedom to start over, a quiet mind, slow mornings and a home that is entirely yours.
Why are these luxuries underrated?
We do not value them enough or use them to their full potential. Many are hard to measure, build up slowly, or are only noticed once they are gone.
How do you show that you value a luxury?
Invest your time in it, give it your attention, maintain and care for it, make sacrifices for it and speak positively about it.
Is time a bigger luxury than material possessions?
The video argues it is. Chasing only possessions costs you your time and the freedom to live as you want later, so it recommends building wealth without sacrificing your time.
How can health count as an investment?
It appreciates over time. Investing early raises productivity and cuts healthcare costs, and as medical technology advances, people who looked after their health can benefit more.
Keep reading
- 15 Luxuries To Strive For in Life
- 15 Signs You’re Wasting Your Life Away (and How to Fix Them)
- 15 Unfair Things in Life & How to Overcome Them
