True luxury is cheap. Fake luxury is expensive.
I often have people ask but how can you afford to live like that
Not working much
Hanging around
Leisurely
Eating organic fruits, living in ‘paradise’ in the soft top car, eating feasts with family and friends
This life is ‘cheap’
My house in the hills cost me £15k
My soft top Suzuki was £3k
The organic produce comes in bags from my local farmer
The trees give me fruit
Our family olive grove gives us oil
Lunch out is always under 10 euros
Coffee is 1 euro
Home made red wine comes for free
The fresh fish hasn’t travelled far
Luxury is living off the land as much as possible
The ocean is free
The sunsets too
The valley hikes don’t come with a fee
Child care comes in the form of family or neighbourhood watch
My handy man is my neighbour
For living costs less than 2000 euros a month … luxury is cheap.
Love this reframing of luxury - it's so true.
Mainstream definitions of luxury keep us consumed, whereas this understanding keeps us engaged and present.
I’m so grateful to have been recommended your writing by Naomi, it feels so wholesome to read that someone else lives similarly to me and that we’re on a similar life path just hundreds of kms away.