Luxury has its cost, of course. The Living the Life of Luxury poll asked, "What one thing do you find yourself saving up money for, to splurge on, more than anything else?"
The Life of Luxury poll is closed, and the results have been tabulated. Let's see what voters like most to blow their budget on.
In first place, with a resounding 54% of the votes, is "I like to save up, and splurge on nice vacations."
In second place, with 16.50% of the votes, is "I'm a gearhead, and save up to buy new consumer electronics."
Third and fourth place are virtually tied, with 14.00% and 13.50% each for "I like to pamper myself with day spa or home bath treatments" and "I usually splurge on expensive meals in fancy restaurants."
And in last place, thankfully, is "Does paying my monthly electric bill count as a 'splurge?'" This choice received 2% of the votes.
A quick analysis of the Life of Luxury poll tells us a few interesting things. One, obviously, is that readers of this Luxury Travel column enjoy their upscale vacations. From luxury ski towns in North America to the tropical beaches of Maui, voters agree that vacations provide not just pampering and relaxation, but experiences that enrich our lives. I agree. No matter how much of our lives we spend in front of the TV, nothing's the same as real, impactful life experiences.
Not that there's anything wrong with television! Especially if it's a 64" plasma, hi-def TV. The first runner up in this poll reflects many voters' consumer electronics fandom. One good thing about gadgets and gizmos, is that there's always a newer, faster, better looking one around the corner. For gadget lovers, this means that there's always something worth saving up and splurging on.
Fourth place, expensive meals in fancy restaurants, received basically the same amount of votes as did the third place contender, luxury day spas and home bath treatments. Interesting, because the former is predominantly a social event, whereas a soak in a home spa is typically a solo experience. The complementary ideas of a night spent socializing with friends, and a night of pampering and aromatherapy, seem to have split the votes.
And, of course, there's last place. No, paying monthly electric bills most assuredly does not count as a splurge. I know that some readers voted for this to be funny. But even when money's tight, you can still try to budget in a vacation when time and work allows. My co-writer, Michelle, has some good money-saving tips in her section, Budget Travel.
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