## #LuxuryThenVsNow: What Was Normal 30-35 Years Ago But is Considered a Luxury Now?
Remember the times when a simple phone was just a device meant for making calls? 📞 Or when dining out was reserved for special occasions?
Things have changed drastically over the last few decades. What was once considered normal is now seen as a luxury. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and explore some of the things that have undergone a transformation in the past 30-35 years.
### Technological Advancements
1. **Mobile Phones**:
– **Then**: Basic models with limited features such as calling and texting.
– **Now**: Smartphones with advanced functionalities like internet access, social media integration, and high-quality cameras.
2. **Personal Computers**:
– **Then**: Bulky desktop computers with limited processing power.
– **Now**: Sleek laptops and tablets for on-the-go computing.
3. **Television**:
– **Then**: CRT televisions with limited channels.
– **Now**: Smart TVs with high-definition displays and streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.
### Lifestyle Changes
1. **Dining Out**:
– **Then**: Eating out was reserved for special occasions.
– **Now**: Regular dining out has become a common practice with a wide range of options available.
2. **Travel**:
– **Then**: Traveling was a luxury reserved for the affluent.
– **Now**: Affordable airfares and accommodation options have made travel more accessible to the masses.
3. **Entertainment**:
– **Then**: Going to the movies or a live concert was a special treat.
– **Now**: Streaming services like Netflix and Spotify provide unlimited entertainment options at home.
### Fashion Evolution
1. **Branded Clothing**:
– **Then**: Designer labels were reserved for the rich.
– **Now**: Fast fashion brands make trendy clothes accessible to everyone.
2. **Accessories**:
– **Then**: Luxury watches and handbags were status symbols.
– **Now**: Affordable alternatives and knock-offs are widely available.
3. **Footwear**:
– **Then**: High-quality leather shoes were considered a luxury.
– **Now**: Sneakers and athletic shoes have become a fashion statement.
### Health and Wellness
1. **Gym Memberships**:
– **Then**: Working out at the gym was a luxury few could afford.
– **Now**: Gym memberships are commonplace, with a variety of options available for every budget.
2. **Organic Food**:
– **Then**: Organic produce was hard to find and expensive.
– **Now**: Health food stores and farmers’ markets offer a wide selection of organic products.
3. **Spa Treatments**:
– **Then**: Spas were exclusive retreats for the wealthy.
– **Now**: Day spas and wellness centers offer affordable treatments for everyone.
### Conclusion
In conclusion, the definition of luxury has evolved significantly over the past few decades. What was once considered out of reach for the average person is now widely accessible. Technological advancements, lifestyle changes, fashion evolution, and a focus on health and wellness have contributed to this shift.
As we continue to embrace these changes, it’s essential to appreciate how far we’ve come and the opportunities that are now within reach for everyone. So, go ahead and indulge yourself in the luxuries of today that were once only a dream 30-35 years ago. #LuxuryGoals 💫
For more insights on how lifestyle trends have shifted over time, visit our website to stay updated on the latest trends and developments. #LuxuryThenVsNow #EvolutionofLuxury #LuxuryLifestyle.
stay at home moms
Owning your games, movies, and home.
owning a house
Having a whole family live off of one salary
Happiness
Indoor hot tubs
You used to be able to get so many items for a dollar at fast food restaurants. Dollar menus were the ish! They’ve been eliminated. Best McDonald’s can do now is $0.60 for a sweet and sour sauce packet.
2 car household
Cigarettes given the price increase.
Critical thinking
Legroom on flights
Vacations that were actual vacations- not a chance to get caught up on housework since your last time off.
Disposable income
French perspective : being able to travel more or less at whim, without making plans.
Rental car, hotel and train prices where flat. How could you print them if they weren’t ? In other words, you could go to your local railway station, buy a ticket for whatever city or town you wanted, and you knew the price before the guy told you. And then once arrived to your destination, you just went to the hotel in front of the station and book your room. Next, you go to the rental car place that is within walking range, and have a car if you wanted to go out of town. Of course, you could book all that in advance, and not doing so there was the risk that the train/hotel was full or the car rental company had no car to rent, but outside of the most touristic places in the highest season, the risk was low, and anyway, the price was the same.
Today, you can of course do that, but you will pay twice as much than if you book everything several weeks in advance. This, combined with all the spying software in cell phones and all the video and electronic surveillance makes me feel much, much less free than at the time. You were geographically free. You could move at a whim for a fixed price. The only people who knew about it were your friends and family.
More generally, stuff (say, informatics, clothing, kitchenware) is less expensive today than before, and service (plumber, travel, catering, etc) is more expensive.
It was not possible to have a good TV below 700€ or a computer below 2000 €. And, that is 1000 and 3000 2024-euros. And we are speaking of 1994 TVs and computers. (edit: and also one hour of music in the form of a compact disk did cost you 17 ’94 fucking euros)
I have a punctual memory of booking a hotel in boulevard Saint Michel in Paris. The price was 230 FF per night, i.e. 34.5 €. With the inflation factor (1.51) this makes it at 52 € per night. It was a two stars hotel, so on a french range not luxury but quite correct (US equivalent is probably 3 stars). The price stuck me as being expensive, but, hey, it’s Paris. I just looked at Paris Hotel prices for a room tonight. Not a b&b, not a luxury thing, just a two stars hotel for the night. here is nothing below 100€, and not at all on the Boulevard Saint Michel.
Real solid wood furniture
The right to be unavailable. Before email, texts, and mobiles there wasn’t the obligation to respond to everything immediately or to be reachable 24/7. No “urgent” emails from a boss at 7pm. Nobody having a meltdown because you left them on read for an hour. Nobody mad you didn’t see or like their post. If someone called and you weren’t home? Tough luck, leave a message and I’ll get back to you when I get back to you.
Pagers were something doctors had, since they were some of the only people who were expected to be reachable at all times.
a family getting by on only one parent working only 40 hours a week
Cash in your wallet/purse
Being able to afford both food and rent
Roquefort Cheese salad dressing. The good stuff. Classy restaurants used to apologize if they ran out and were a bit ashamed when they had to offer blue cheese dressing as a cheap substitute. Now you can’t even find the stuff.
A pension
A 10 year mortgage.
Pensions, social security, a functional government, democracy
Privacy
Manual transmissions used to be for the budget conscious. Now, I can hardly find them anywhere but in high-optioned cars and expensive sports cars.
Smooth riding cars. It wasn’t limited to Cadillacs, Lincolns and such either. Just about everything above the basic hatchback econoboxes had a decently comfy floaty ride. I haven’t ridden in anything comparable that’s built today but imagine only the most luxurious cars well outside of my reach have that quality.
Idk, probably having kids?
TIL 30-35 years ago was the early 1990s
Competitive elections.
My redder than red Congressional district was represented by a Democrat. My red state had one senator from each party.
Food grown from a garden
A brand new car.
Home ownership