Spending money isn’t the only way to live a luxurious and glamorous lifestyle.

You can have a lavish life without the extra funds by taking advantage of the little things that can make you feel a little more put together and high status.

By doing things, from at-home beauty maintenance to wearing the nice clothes you’ve been saving, you can subtly feel more extravagant in your day-to-day.

Feeling expensive doesn’t always have to do with how much money you splurge. It’s a feeling, and it has everything to do with how you choose to show up for yourself in the little ways.

You can choose to wine and dine yourself at home with inexpensive ingredients, or you can choose to fix up old clothes and possessions that you’re thinking about throwing away.

Here are several ways to make your life feel more luxurious without spending the money you think you have to.

ways to feel more luxurious

at-home beauty maintenance

Getting your hair styled, nails done, body hair waxed, etc. are all a part of girl maintenance. It can be fun (or simply routine) to take care of the things that make you feel more beautiful and put together.

But it’s definitely not cheap. The beauty world is expensive, and it can be unrealistic for a lot of people who want to look good too.

To still feel luxurious in an expensive society focused on beauty, do some of the maintenance at home.

Wear press-ons or paint your nails instead of a biweekly trip to the nail salon.
Shave or use other hair removal options instead of paying hundreds on laser hair removal, waxing, etc.
Learn how to style your hair at home; get the deep conditioner and other hair treatments to do yourself.
Give yourself homemade facial masks, exfoliation treatments, foot massages and other spa specialities.

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little upgrades to outdated possessions

We own so many things that feel old and mundane because we don’t treat them as luxurious or something to take care of.

When a button pops off a shirt, I’ll just throw the shirt away instead of sewing another button on. But that means I’m out of a shirt in my closet, and may even have to spend money on another one.

When I’m running out of time and only have wrinkled pants, I’ll just go out in clothes that make me feel messy. Or I’ll wear a different pair of pants that may not go with my outfit.

When I have loose strings on my bag or belt, I’ll continue wearing it like that for months instead of mending them properly.

These are all small upgrades you can make to old possessions that can make you feel more put together and luxurious without spending a ton of money on new things.

cook meals you love, recreate favorite restaurant dishes

A night out at a fancy restaurant makes all of us feel fancy, but we also know how wining and dining adds up massively.

Instead of going out to eat at nice restaurants to feel luxurious, romanticize cooking a nice meal at home. Have some of your favorite wine, and turn on some music to set the mood. It’s all about how you feel versus how expensive the meal may be.

Try recreating your favorite dish that you would eat out. It could be a creamy cacio e pepe pasta, a steak and potatoes dinner, or even going all out to make your favorite sub order.

Cooking at home can feel luxurious if you make it feel that way.

do curated events with your friends

I love going out with my friends, and I love finding new things we can do. But it adds up so much when you’re hanging out with people every week.

My friends and I also tend to like fancy, new things that make us feel luxurious, whether it’s trying a new rooftop bar, going out to get massages or going shopping.

To save money and still feel lavish, try creating curated events with your friends. My friends and I love hosting different events and having each other over.

We may do a party for different holidays (galentine’s potluck, halloween party, new year’s vision board making event, thanksgiving gratefulness gathering, etc.)

You could also do a wine and cheese night, brunch and mimosas at home, or whatever sounds like a good time with you and your friends.

wear the nice pjs and clothes you own

Stop waiting for a special evening to wear the silk pajamas you’re saving for a romantic night. Finally put on that dress you’ve had for a couple years that you haven’t found anything to wear it to.

Wear the nice heels you’ve been scared to scratch up. Put on makeup and perfume that cost a little more than it should have.

To feel luxurious, you may have to get rid of the scarcity or unworthy mindset. You deserve to use and wear the things you’ve spent your hard earned money on.

It’s material things at the end of the day, and you won’t die if something breaks, tears or is used up. But you are doing yourself a disservice by letting your possessions sit in a closet or drawer.

keep your home, car, bags, etc. clean

Having a tidy environment really does make a difference on how luxurious you feel. Think about the nicest hotel you’ve ever been in. Or the most lavish car you’ve ever ridden in.

Chances are they were nice and clean, and you felt like you could breathe and live better in them.

Messy or unkept possessions can make you feel dragged down and not as “classy.” It’s all about the feeling and has nothing to do with reality.

If it makes a difference for you to have a clean home, car, purses and other possessions, then definitely be intentional about having regular cleanings.

You deserve to own things that make you feel of the highest status, so make sure you take care of them.

making life feel more luxurious without spending a lot