7 Luxury Items Middle Class People Can Afford

As you build up your savings account and focus on your financial goals, you’ll likely try to find ways to indulge a little to stay motivated. Luckily, there are plenty of luxury items that middle-class people can afford to feel a little bit richer.

It can be enjoyable to treat yourself occasionally so that you feel like you’re on the right path. What are seven luxury items that middle-class people can afford despite not being wealthy? 

Travel isn’t just reserved for the rich. While in the past, people in the middle class may have only looked at photos of luxurious destinations in magazines, the average person can treat themselves these days.

Through a combination of travel hacking and using credit card points, almost anyone can afford to splurge on an occasional stay at a resort or a first-class flight.

“I can speak to a recent trend that many people still aren’t aware of — diamond engagement rings have gotten much more affordable over the past five years,” said Ty Wilson, co-founder of CustomMade.

“Spending three months’ worth of salary has always been a crazy rule, but with the rise of lab diamonds, it is long gone,” continued Wilson.

“You can now get an amazing diamond engagement for $2,000 to $5,000. The average natural diamond engagement ring costs $6,500, the average lab diamond engagement ring costs $3,500, and the average colored gemstone engagement ring costs $2,700.”

If you’re planning on getting engaged in the near future, you can indulge in a diamond ring that you may have thought was out of your price range originally.

By making certain home upgrades, such as installing high-tech appliances or buying fancy furniture, you can make your home feel more luxurious.

You can also renovate your basement or add a hot tub to your property to feel like you’re living in luxury without breaking the bank. 

Here are a few additional examples of home upgrades to make your place more luxurious:

• Paint a feature wall in your living room
• Install large art.
• Fix up your lighting and install new fixtures
• Refresh windows with specialist paint
• Set up a walk-in closet

There are many other DIY projects that you can complete around your home that will make it feel more luxurious without blowing your budget. 

Luxury services are available to people in the middle class since you can treat yourself to a spa day or pamper yourself without being a millionaire.

And you don’t have to be a millionaire to have your own personal chef with customized meals. As a regular person, you can sign up for a food delivery service and have gourmet quality meals delivered to your doorstep.

These luxury services will make you feel richer as you work towards your financial goals. 

You can fill your home with quality electronics that would make your place feel like a futuristic setting.

With a smart television, a tool like Alexa and a few other electronics, you can fill your home with high-tech gadgets that would make your lifestyle more luxurious and convenient.

As someone in the middle class, you can have a fresh wardrobe updated frequently due to clothing subscription rental boxes.

Services like Rent the Runway and Armorie will constantly send you new clothing items to refresh your wardrobe. With clothing subscription boxes, you can have a wardrobe filled with luxury items you likely thought you couldn’t afford.

These services even rely on professional stylists and algorithms to ensure you have a curated wardrobe based on your preferences. You can feel more confident and appear to have an expensive wardrobe by spending less than $100 monthly on a subscription plan. 

Regular people can have fitness equipment that was once reserved for the rich.

Companies like Peloton will help you set up your own home gym without you needs to spend a small fortune on doing so. You can turn your living room into your own personal gym where you have tools and equipment that make it feel like a boutique fitness center. 

“The key to affording luxury items when middle-class is to not expect to have it all,” said Erika Kullberg, attorney, personal finance and debt expert as well as the founder of Erika.com.

“Chances are you can’t afford designer clothes, luxury cars, a custom-built home, exotic vacations and fine dining experiences all at the same time. You can likely, however, afford one or two of those things.”

It’s important to remember that even though you can’t treat yourself to unlimited luxuries, you can still find a few items that you spoil yourself with. 

“Choose what areas of your life you are most eager to make feel luxurious and focus your discretionary spending there,” suggested Kullberg.

“Once you narrow your focus, you can also spend more time learning how to find great deals on things like travel bookings or designer furniture. Don’t be afraid to shop secondhand, wait for sales or maximize credit card rewards.”

Just because you’re not wealthy doesn’t mean that you can’t have a taste of the lifestyle. Some splurges and expenses once reserved for the ultra-rich are now available to regular people.

The actual meaning behind middle-class and luxury items can be debated based on where you live and lifestyle expectations, but the good news is that you can live a rich life while on a middle-class income.