Live the Life of Luxury (If Only for a Day)

Living “the life of luxury” isn’t just hard to do for most people these days—it’s also unsustainable. Personal jets, million-dollar mansions and Vegas vacations are all costly on both the pocketbook as well as the environment. Not living such a life, whether you can afford to or not, is probably one of the best things you can do to help the planet.

That said, if you want to live like a millionaire and have it listed in your Living To-Do, you can still live like the rich and famous without the huge expense and environmental footprint. Even if only for a day—or even a few hours!—you can live your own life of luxury. Try some of the following ideas.

• Go to a spa. For a sliver of the amount of money the rich and famous spend on their health and beauty regimens, you can get a massage or a hot stone treatment and still feel like a million bucks.
• Have papered girlfriend days. Take turns pampering each other with your best friend(s). During that day (or even hour!), you can wait on each other, prepare a meal, give a massage or a foot rub, and do one another’s nails for a relaxing and free day of bonding. Alternatively, this can be done with a lover.
• Accept offers for help. If you have a friend who wants to help you clean out the garage, take care of the yard or watch your kids for a night out, why say no? You don’t have to have “hired help” to get loving, compassionate aid from someone who cares about you. When your kids want to give you breakfast in bed for Mother’s Day, let them do it. See if they’ll give you a bell to ring and ask them to do favors for you, if they’re old enough.
• Take a break. Whether it’s soaking in a tub full of bubbles with some wine and music, fluffing your comforter in the dryer before snuggling beneath it with a loved one, or doing yoga in the morning, you can have a few luxurious moments any day.
• Indulge in a small luxury. Buy a bottle of perfume you’ve always wanted, or some delicious champagne for no reason. Purchase a few luxurious food items to have on a quiet picnic, or save up for that concert you’ve always wanted to see.
• Redefine luxury. When all is said and done, if you look at your life and you find clothing, food, shelter, clean water, loved ones, and generally good health, it’s already pretty luxurious, isn’t it? Compared with many people, it is a very rich life. In that light, I think that most of us able to read this post can write this item on our Living To-Do—and check it off.