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What Luxuries Are Not For You?

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woman relaxes while getting a facial

Here's a somewhat odd question: what luxuries have you tried and now put in the “nope, don't need” column? We had a series of posts many years ago about “next step” products and services — how to elevate your experiences — but the fact, of course, is that the “luxury” experience isn't necessarily the right one for you.

(A related, but different question: what luxuries will you NEVER try because the mere idea of them squicks you out? For example, I love me a good massage — but I can understand that the idea of paying someone to touch you is an automatic “no” for a lot of people.)

For me, a few things come to mind…

Manicures. I love when my nails have that freshly manicured look… but I had the experience of sitting at the nail salon, and I can't stand it when the polish starts to flake off.

Facials. I've only had one or two facials, honestly, but I didn't find them to be a relaxing experience and I didn't really see any benefit for my skin. I found the immediate post-facial redness and uneveness was an unwelcome pain in the butt considering the (for me) minimal payout.

Meal delivery services. Maybe I just haven't tried the right meal delivery service? But I generally feel like for the price there should be a lot less work in the cooking and preparation… I still love the idea of them, though. (Here's our last roundup and discussion on the best meal subscription services!)

I also tend to know that my taste buds aren't refined enough for there to really be a big difference, to me, in the taste of specialty/fancy wines, coffees, even chocolates in a lot of cases. I do love a fantastic restaurant meal, but when truly fancy things like offal or sweetbreads are part of a meal it's something I tolerate more than celebrate.

Readers, over to you — which luxuries have you tried and they're now a “pass”? Which ones will you never try because the mere idea of them is unappetizing to you?

25 Comments

  1. Getting my nails done – toes or fingers
    Meal delivery services – I don’t mind finding recipes or grocery shopping, but I hate cooking
    Coloring my hair – takes far too long; I don’t like getting a haircut, so I’m not adding more.

    Things I do:
    Massages
    Botox
    Lasers for wrinkles and for hair removal
    Frequent hair cuts because I can see a difference when my hair gets longer

    1. +1 on not getting nails done. It’s so expensive and time consuming, and like, not relaxing in the moment?

  2. I agree on your list – we did meal delivery services when my kids were small but I’m a good enough cook that I wasn’t very impressed by any of the ones we tried. I have yet to find a manicure place that doesn’t hurt/ruin my cuticles so I’ve just switched to cutting/filing/buffing at home. Ditto for facials – I have my own products that work for my crabby rosacea/eczema prone skin and I don’t find them relaxing.

  3. Fancy/designer heels. I find expensive shoes generally no more comfortable or better looking than their cheaper counterparts, and in a post-COVID world where I usually wear court shoes/sneakers to work anyway, I don’t see myself buying nicer heels any time soon.
    Similar for designer bags, but more that I have so many in my closet from the first 15+ years of my career and buying more seems silly.
    My husband and I aren’t car people, so while a lot of our peers have “leveled up” into nicer cars (BMW/Mercedes/Maserati/etc.), our Subaru/Toyota/Kia/etc. level of cars work for us.

    1. It seems like there’s a point of diminishing return on a lot of retail items. Leveling up on shoes has been worth it to me when moving from, for example, a Target price point to a Cole Haan price point. But the incremental improvements from there on haven’t been worth it. Same for handbags. I appreciate nicer stitching and better quality leather, but those aspects can only get so much nicer.

      1. +1. I have figured out shoe brands that work for my duck feet, and stick with those brands. They top out at Stuart Weitzman, which is completely indestructible. Above that you get black car shoes that can barely survive a trip from the condo to the front door.

  4. Fancy cars. Too expensive to maintain and not right for my “dog hair and muddy trail run” weekend lifestyle. It’s all going to look grubby soon enough.

    I also don’t get enough enjoyment from mani pedis. I can do just as great at home without fear of picking up a fungal infection.

  5. Mani/pedi, massages, fancy cars, fancy hotels. Random people touching me bothers me, so mani/pedi and massages are out, and I’m good with my mid-range cars and hotels (like I want free breakfast and free wifi instead of having to pay extra for everything).

  6. House cleaners and lawn service. I would love to be able to outsource these chores, but the services do such a terrible job that it’s not worthwhile.

  7. Fancy cars
    Fancy clothes/accessories
    Most beauty stuff (I don’t do my nails or wear make-up and I go to a super cheap hair salon)
    Grocery delivery (pickup is free)
    Meal prep services (I don’t feel like they save that much time)
    First class flights within the US/Caribbean – I love getting free upgrades but I wouldn’t pay for an upgrade on a day time flight under 6 hours

      3. There are definitely fees here, plus tipping, and there is also a price markup on both delivery and pickup items.

      4. It’s only $5 but pickup is free and we live close to the store. If we lived farther away I can see it being worth it.

  8. I’m currently shopping for a car. I just can’t justify the cost of fancy cars, especially if it isn’t a hybrid. I do like cars and I would love to drive something fast and sleek, like a nice BMW, but the price tag quickly dispels those daydreams. My spouse and I have a 20 year old Prius that may not look the prettiest anymore but runs just fine. We’re probably going to splurge for a new 2026 Prius since we haven’t found a used one that meets our age/mileage requirements.

    1. I love my VW Tiguan. Not hybrid, but they have a hybrid that’s the same size.

      The new priuses have way smaller cargo than the old ones, which stinks!

      1. I rented a Tiguan and liked it much more than I wanted to (we are Toyota people for reliability reasons).

  9. Not interested in cars, manis/pedis, massages, facials. I don’t care very much about fancy wines, and I’m just not that excited about jewelry with luxury gemstones.

  10. Can’t think of a thing. Gimme all of it. Diamonds. Pearls, massages. Mani-pedis, help around the house, meals. What is not to love.

  11. I think meal delivery services have their place — I used them for weight loss, after surgeries, during busy times, etc. Same with grocery delivery.

    I don’t enjoy getting my hair highlighted — too much work for upkeep.

    I don’t think fancier gyms are better than the Y.

    I do love pedicures, but not manicures. And I enjoy facials and massages.

    I love fancy desserts but agree that you can get a very good meal at a hole in the wall. Other than preferring prosecco to champagne, I think most alcohol is better at least a middle price. Cheap alcohol is gross. Probably same with chocolate and coffee.

  12. I’m the same on manicures – and I really didn’t do pedicures until my sister and I did a side-by-side one and spent the time catching up/chatting. The pedicure also fixes a weird skin area that came into play after I had ingrown toenails repaired, so I got the tool.

    Cars – I have a hill and 4 seasons, so AWD is needed, so the most recent car replacement was a Prius Hybrid via Carvana (first time user, it was a decent experience) Not a fan of luxury, but do know that options matter (cloth v sturdier upholstery)

    Hair coloring – I’m late 50’s and knew that I did not like the fumes from when my mom colored her hair – she’s full white and looks great now. My gray has come in well, BUT I am looking a job hunting in the near future and am thinking HARD about color.

    Shoes – wide feet and orthotic use has put many brands off the table – classic low heels are how I roll – typically oxford-styles. New Balance has an Avalon line that I’ve had repeat success with.

    I enjoy cooking so have only tried meal delivery once – it was tasty, but pricey for the ingredients involved.

    I do massages for back pain relief, and will likely do less when my PT starts next week.

    Regular hair cuts for my Irish mop of very-straight hair. I gave up perms soon after I had my first kid, they were time consuming with mixed results.

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