How To Live A Luxurious Lifestyle Without Being Rich

Did you ever wonder how some people just seem to live an exquisite lifestyle full of luxury and glamour....but as it turns out they don't have much more money on their hands than you?
Well, some people just know the deal. There are ways to make the absolute most out of your income and live like the upper class without breaking the bank and we will dive right into them. One hint though: less was, is and always will be more.

1. Change your mindset

First you need to forget about the mental concept of anyone being out of anyone’s league or being better because of money. Class, glamour and luxury are a state of mind. That means that no one is better than you regardless of their paycheck, possessions or status. If you feel classy, glamorous and luxurious you will most likely also act that way and surprise…come off as that.

Take a look into the mirror, nonjudgmentally. Forgot for one second whether you have financial issues, are not where you want to be in life, are not happy with yourself in any shape or form. Just look at you with no knowledge who you even are. Now ask yourself: Why would she not be a wealthy person? She totally could. She could be a millionaire, a model, an actress or successful business woman. She could be anything as I don’t know her. Look at you as a stranger and imagine yourself exactly how you want to be. You want to be luxurious, successful, classy, and fashionable? Well, guess what…you already are.

2. Adjust your attitude and have good manners

After all good reputation is everything and it costs nothing to be decent person. You can still have crazy and fun times with your friends and be your loud self, but be respectful and friendly to strangers. There is nothing that comes off as poor as being rude. Always smile at people, listen to them and stay humble. Even if you are in a rush try to not bump into people and if you do by mistake apologize sincerely. Another thing that I learned from my boyfriend is that nowadays holding the door open for someone is really rare. Whenever he does it people are surprised and give him an appreciating look and smile.
Also have good posture, sit straight and eat in a way that is not embarrassing for others to watch. When you have good posture and know how to eat you immediately seem confident and higher in status.

3. Treat Your Body

Beauty comes from the inside and one of the biggest luxuries is being able to eat quality and healthy foods. Your diet should nourish you and contain precious nutritions and a ton of hydration. You are what you eat and I tell you one thing: even if you still think that your weekly McDonalds and daily Starbucks visits won't show, be sure they will. Fatty junk food will make you age sooner than later and your great metabolism won't stay loyal to you forever and will betray you eventually.
Apart from drinking tons of water keep your caffeine, alcohol and sugar intake as small as possible. A good diet also makes your skin glow from within. You will most likely feel more energized and sleep much better. But be gracious to yourself and indulge from time to time as it will make you feel as if you don't need to miss anything. And that is abundance right?  the luxury of not missing anything.

Bundled with frequent exercise your body will be on top of the game and staying in good shape is not as hard as people like to make it. 10 - 15 minutes of your daily routine for a quick run or a 30 minute walk several times a week are usually enough. You can also take the stairs whenever possible, skip your car or public transport ride multiple times a week to walk, go to the store instead of online shopping, clean your apartment (and dance while doing so, like me), do toe raises while standing in line or stretch for 5 to 10 minutes in the morning. Or maybe home workouts are your thing. There are plenty of free sources online. You literally don't even need to leave your house so there's no excuses.

4. Set Up Your Beauty Regimen And Create A Routine

First impressions are based on outside appearance, so the first thing to upgrade. We'll start from scratch:

• Personal Hygiene: Except for showering everyday you should exfoliate your body once a week and always make sure your skin is super soft and moisturized. One thing that's often neglected is oral hygiene. Don't worry, I trust that you brush your teeth, but what is with your tongue? A tongue scraper is a must and I tell you why: the majority of the bacteria in your mouth sits on your tongue. And here we have the biggest reason why people have bad breaths. Also the white film that can lay on your tongue after a meal? Gross. I personally always carry a mini mouthwash bottle, gums or mints, hand-sanitizer and lotion in my everday handbag.

• Skincare: A good skincare routine does not have to be time consuming and consist of dozens of products. In fact using too many products can damage your skin. So keep it short and sweet but efficient. Wash your face, put on moisturizer, serum, SPF, lipbalm and eyecream at least once a day. Remove your makeup thoroughly, exfoliate your face 1 - 2 times a week and try cooperating moisturizing undereye pads, nose strips and face masks into your weekly routine. Make sure you use products that are suitable for your skintype and pay attention to the ingedients avoiding harsh chemicals and irritants.

• Makeup: For an everyday basis natural makeup is key. If you ever noticed wealthy people tend to wear minimal makeup that makes them look put together but still classy. There is nothing worse than overdone makeup with a caked on base, creased eyeshadow and splotchy bronzer. Keep it to a minimum and put on some concealer to cover redness or tired undereyes,  brush and fill in your brows, put on some neutral eyeshadow and mascara, dab on a little bronzer, blush or highlighter and finish off with some refreshing tinted lipbalm or nude colored lipstick. For going out a champaign or bronzey eyelid and a red or fuchsia lip are divine choices.

• Nails: If you have a hard time growing them, keep them short. If they are short but moisturized they at least always look neat if you file them, push back the cuticles and put on a natural polish (you can use coconut oil as cuticle oil, it works wonders). Too vibrant colors can sometimes look cheap but as a general rule nude tones, a sheer pink, white and wine red are always winners.

• Scent: I personally think that all you need are two signature scents: a feminine lighter (maybe fruity or flowery) day scent and a deeper more seductive one for night time.

• Hair: Don't only wash your hair frequently. Use a hairoil to keep it moisturized or do hairmasks. Don't overuse heat. Try sleeping in a bun or braided ponytail to protect your hair from breakage. Figure out two to three hairstyles that always work for you and have one bad hair day option you can rely on.

5. Put Together A Glamorous And Versatile Wardrobe Based On Quality Essentials

Chances are that you don't feel very luxurious right now because when you look into the mirror at your outfit...you are not impressed. Well, don't fear, good news are it's never too late to find your own personal style or to evolve it. Fashion means freedom and adventure and this part of the guide is my absolute favourite, because you get to experiement around and get closer to who you are. So let's tackle this!

First off: The goal is not to own a wardrobe with the highest number of items. The goal is to own quality items that equal luxury. Your wardrobe should consist of basic essentials that will last you a long time and you can mix and match to many different outfits taking you from day to night in a heartbeat.

But to start you need to find your own personal style first, if you haven't already. There are so many different fashion styles out there like classy, effortless chic, trendy, boho-chic, sexy, elegant, sophisticated, casual, edgy, preppy, girly or sporty chic. The one style you feel most confident, empowered and yourself in... that's your pick.

Once you have an idea what you are going for with your outfits open up your closet and do a deep cleanout. Dump everything on the floor and go piece by piece questioning if the item speaks to you or not. Everything that does not say your name has to go. 

When looking for new clothes you do not need to spend as much as you may think for good quality. It's just important to look at the material the piece is made of and to make sure it fits perfectly. Sometimes a middle end item is just as good if not better than a high end item but for the high end item you will often have to pay for the brandname.

Many wealthy people tend to avoid a majority of the current trends since trendy clothes are often avaaible in fast-fashion stores and not meant to be long-lasting as the trends are changing so quickly nowadays. You can still be up to date with all the trends but make sure you only follow the ones that truly fit your bodytype and taste to not waste money.

You should also take good care of your clothing to maintain your wardrobe as long as possible. Delicate pieces like blouses, button ups and blazers should be steamed and stored on a hanger. If your clothes miss a button or have a broken zipper get those replaced or fixed. Clean your footwear frequently and store leather or other sensitive materials out of the sunlight to avoid color fading.

6. Stop spending so much and invest in less

This is majorly important. Just because someone owns 10.000 items doesn’t mean they are rich. Clutter is never a sign of wealth. The trend of minimalism is a good thing as it saves resources, time and money. But it also speaks luxury to me. Minimal design has this clean feel and effortless but classy look.

" Rich People Stay Rich By Living Like They're Broke 
Broke People Stay Broke By Living Like They're Rich."

Just think about it: if you spend less you will have more money left. So if you resist buying 10 cheap and not long-lasting pieces you will be able to purchase one investment piece that will last.

Take a look at what you currently own. If you feel like your possessions don’t equal luxury you either don’t have what you need or you have too much of what you don’t need. Because having what you need is the biggest luxury available. Go through your items and declutter (research the KonMari method for deeper information). What you are left with after is only what you need. From then on you’ll realize what you maybe lack. Now you can think of purchasing quality pieces that will serve a necessary purpose and will get your money’s worth out of.

7. Make Your Home Look Like A 5* Hotel

Looking like a 10 does not excuse you from inviting your friends into an untidy, dusty apartment with one apple in the fridge and your clothes scattered all over your table, floor and couch.  You want to invest 10 - 15 minutes at the end of every day to at least throw away garbage, clean up your kitchen counter, put back the pillows and throw-over blankets to where they belong and dirty clothes in the laundry bin.
At least once a week you should deep-clean your apartment, speaking floors, countertops, mirrors, changing the bedding, bringing out the garbage and most importantly: clean your bathroom. In general, make everything blitz. Organize your closet, drawers, vanity, makeup and jewelry storage.

Now about the interior.  An easy way to make an apartment look far more expensive than it actually is is by choosing a neutral color palette and sticking with one color for furniture.  Minimalistic clean design tends to upgrade an apartment by its unity when combined with the right decor such as a bouquet of flowers, candles, matching pillows and throw over blankets and timeless pieces of art. Stay away from too much decoration and don't go crazy on patterns and graphics. Use materials of higher value like metals, steel, glass and quality woods. Try to avoid plastic as much as possible as it tends to look cheap (and is bad for the environment as well).
For small spaces mirrors placed the opposite side of the window or other sources of sunlight can lighten up a room and make it appear much bigger.

8. Budgeting And Planning

Last but certainly not least. In the long run it's only reasonable to have an overview of your finances. It's important to know where your money comes from and goes to. Uncontrolled spending is a common cause for debt. How fast can it happen that you think you still got 200 bucks left on your account forgetting about your last drugstore shopping trip that cost you around 80 bucks. If you now purchase let's say a jacket for 100 bucks thinking you still got 100 left for groceries... well wrong, actually you only have 20 left. Situations like this one are easily prevented by knowing and keeping track of your budget.
If you plan your budget monthly and list down all your income minus your expenses you will realistically know how much you have left to spend. You should note if certain expenses will come up a certain month and if anything needs to be replaced or fixed.
Another thing that is worth considering is having a wishlist with what you want to purchase in the future and need to save up for. Keep it somewhere you can see it frequently, that way it's easier to save up money for those items and you're less likely to be seduced by all these sales and new launches.


Alright my goddesses, that was it for my first post.
I hope you enjoyed it and that it was somewhat helpful and made you see "luxury" in a different light. 

I wish you all an amazing day.
You know I love you
Xoxo,
Nadine Samantha