Want to drive a luxury brand automobile but can't afford it? You might be surprised to find that many luxury brands (like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and Lincoln) offer vehicles that start in the low 30s. Just by foregoing a few extras like a bigger engine and built-in GPS you could be driving a new luxury car for about the same as you'd expect to pay for a nice Toyota or Honda. It really comes down to deciding if the term "fully loaded" is really that important to you -- do you have to have that gas-guzzling V8? If the answer is 'no' then you suddenly have a lot more options.
...Or, shall we say "fake jewelry with which you can get away?" One must be mindful of crossing their i's and dotting their t's when donning a faux anything.
The bling is expensive stuff. With the state of our economy, keeping up with the latest trends in jewelry is something few of us can actually do--but anyone can replicate it!
The thing to remember with fake jewelry is that it shouldn't look too costumey, and definitely shouldn't be so over-the-top that no one will ever believe it was within your means.
Five easy rules: 1. Less is more. Stick with smaller pieces of sparkle and you'll almost always get away with it. 2. When incorporating color, think about what stone the glass or plastic is supposed to look like, and make sure it looks like it. 3. Invest in two good neck chains, gold and silver, upon which to dangle fake charms in the latest necklace fashions. (In this season: Lockets, owls, and filigree.) 4. If the metal starts to lose its luster and you can't shine it up? Throw it out. 5. If anyone asks, just say it was a gift.
See the gallery below for some excellent inexpensive finds from Girl Props.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
These days the cost of flying first class has gone so high it's gotten too expensive for all the but the richest of travelers. Coach fares, which by definition offer less comfort and amenities, are at the point where even the most basic of comforts like a warm blanket or little bag of peanuts cost extra money or aren't offered at all. It's getting downright ridiculous how uncomfortable flying can be!
The good news, though, is that with just a little bit of forethought it's pretty easy to make your coach ticket feel like a first class one -- without the first class hit to your bank account. Take a look at the tips in the gallery below and then share any tips and tricks you have for making flying coach easier in the comments
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Gallery: Tips to Make Flying Coach Feel Like First Class
A simple way to brighten your living room is to clean up the look of your bookshelves.
First, have a look at where in the room they are. If you have valuable books, you want to avoid direct exposure to sunlight. Also, look at the lines the shelves create. Would the room look wider if the shelves were opposite the entrance instead of along the side walls? Could you arrange them around a corner with a chair to create a reading nook?
Once you're sure they're in the best possible place, dust them. Dust them like crazy. Dust them for real; take the books off the shelves and rag-dust.
Look at the books on the table or floor, wherever you've put them. Do you need all those? There's probably a stack you haven't touched in years. Is it an attractive stack of books? Unattractive books you don't ever use should go into storage.
Once you've got clean shelves and only the books you need, try arranging them by color. You can create all kinds of patterns; a rainbow, alternating chunks of reds and blues, lights and darks. Play around with stacking, as well. Lay some books horizontally in stacks to create bookends, or in the middle of a shelf, top a stack with a trinket.
You have nothing to lose; this is one of those rare decorating choices which is completely reversible. Why not try it?
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
As any sophisticate knows, every layer of what you're wearing contributes to how you feel. Many people love the comfort of a cashmere sweater or a silk camisole, and many people also like to have a secret under their clothes.
Wearing an unusually fancy or sexy article of underwear will instantly give you a confidence boost. All day long, you'll smile as you remember what nobody knows you're wearing. And you don't have to pay La Perla prices to get this feeling (though if you can, you should; La Perla is exquisite).
One great source for sexy underthings at a bargain price? H&M. H&M has underwear for men and women. The materials may be cheaper, but the styles are lovely, and mostly under $10. Keep an eye on their sleepwear, as well; occasionally a sweet-dream-inducing nightie makes it to the rack for a guilt-free price.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
If you want to spice up a room that looks a little bland, little accents can make a big difference.
One thing I recommend is to add luxurious, elegant details. A personal favorite would be the doorknobs and drawer pulls available from Anthropologie. A doorknob or drawer pull is such an easy thing to switch out, and the designs available can really change the whole look of a room. Think about adding drawer pulls like this one to an all-white kitchen.
Curtain rods are relatively simple to upgrade, too. A surprising place to find an affordable, chic curtain rod? Home Depot.
Sew a bead or bauble onto a pillow, or even use an old brooch or pin to liven up the look of a curtain. Tiny accents can make a whole room sparkle, and the details will make it feel more like home.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
Oh, the drudgery of the morning commute. You shuffle into the subway or bus station, or are methodically siphoned onto the gridlocked highway by a stoplight you've stared at for more hours of your life than any work of art. You find yourself surrounded by the half asleep, the angry, and the irritable uncaffeinated. You all glare at each other. Your mind fades in and out of your anxieties about the day, your dreams from the night before, and the state of the stock market.
One way to make the commute seem a little nicer? Try classical music. I recommend Vivaldi. Suddenly, listening to "The Four Seasons," your entrance onto the subway platform is grand and significant. The people all look more dignified, everyone moves in a subtle dance, and even the cars on street seem to be engaged in some kind of delightful comedy of manners.
You are in a movie, and this is your soundtrack. You feel more like you are exactly where you should be, and your mood brightens accordingly. Music also wakes up your synapses and makes you more alert. Even if you just zone out and let yourself get lost in the emotion of the music, when you get to wherever you're going, you'll feel refreshed.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
Whether you're a prince or a pauper, there's probably a day (or night) you can get into the best museums in your area for free. For example, The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis offers free admission every Thursday night (sponsored by Target), and the first Saturday of every month. Their sculpture garden, where you find the Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, at right, is always free.
In New York, you can always visit the Guggenheim in Soho for free, as well as The Whitney at Phillip Morris and The Museum of American Folk Art. A number of other museums offer a "suggested donation" admission, and are instructed to treat you the same whether you're donating $1 or the full fare. Here's a pretty good list for New York.
The Art Institute of Chicago is free from 5-8 on Thursdays, Los Angeles free days are listed here, and if you find yourself in Paris, the Louvre is free on the first Sunday of every month and on Bastille Day, July 14th.
Be sure to Google museums in your area, or check the website of any museum you intend to visit to see if there's a free day of which you can take advantage.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
Want to eat like a king? Your cook's on vacation? Make some eggs.
No matter where you live, eggs are inexpensive and a terrific source of protein. Learn to do a few good things with eggs and you will always be well fed.
For a royal breakfast, try scrambled eggs with your favorite spices, as well as shallots or any finely chopped vegetable for texture. You can really throw the kitchen sink into a good scramble, but elegance is in simplicity. Add water or milk to your scramble to make it fluffier.
For a non-breakfast meal, add another inexpensive option, rice, to your eggs in a frying pan. Throw in some soy sauce and a little oil, and you have delicious egg-fried rice. You can throw the kitchen sink in here, too, but it's best to focus on a key vegetable or meat--whatever you have handy.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
Know what? Your local art gallery wants you to come look at the art. It's not all about money. You don't have to be a prospective buyer. Most art is made to be seen and digested by the public.
While an invitation to, say, the Louvre's special exhibition opening party might be hard to procure, your local art gallery is probably advertising their next opening in your newspaper or event magazine, and it is probably free!
Art openings often include free wine and free hors d'oeuvres, and always include mingling with interesting arty people and, best of all, the ART.
So, go to art gallery openings.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
Look at the pens on your desk. Maybe you have an especially nice one, one that means something sentimental to you, and another one you especially like. What on earth are the rest of them doing there? You don't even like those pens! Why do you make yourself use them every day when it would be so easy to have something you like? Pen Intervention Steps: 1. Throw out all pens with names of prescription drugs on them. Seriously. 2. Try to give away away the pens you don't like. Does your yoga studio want pens? Your local school? 3. Give up and throw out the pens you don't like. 4. Look at the pens you have left. Why do you have each pen? "I have to have a red one" is not good enough. You will be getting a red pen you like. 4. Decide how many pens you need and what kind you like. Ballpoint? Felt tip? 5. Go shopping. A good pen lasts a long time. Get good pens. Broke? Start stealing them from hotels. A pen with a story is better than a Bic.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
Feeling out of touch with the finer things in life? Head to the swankiest bar in town--we particularly recommend a hotel bar.
Safety first--tell a friend where you're going. If you're not going to a hotel bar, where it's perfectly normal to be alone, take the friend along.
If you're lucky enough to live in a town with a great hotel, enter the stunning foyer day or night with a good book and head for the bar. You can pretend you're a visiting prince or princess from Morocco, or that you're waiting for your European lover to meet you, whatever you like. Order yourself a club soda with lime. It's likely to be cheap and looks just like a gin and tonic. Who knows, your next drink might be free!
You can people watch or just sink into the lush decor, soft light, and meticulously planned ambiance and be transported.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
After a long day, you naturally want to relax in hot water that whirls around you, massaging and loosening your tired muscles, eventually lulling you into a sleep that will enable you to get up and do it all over again tomorrow...
So why not invest in a Conair Body Benefits Bath Jet, like the one here? Just under $40, not the arm and a leg it would cost to have a real jacuzzi put into your bathroom.
Then, get creative. Sprinkle some scented oil and potpourri in your tub, or just your favorite bath or shower gel or milk. The best way to make it feel truly lux? Turn out the lights and bathe by candlelight. Add gentle music. Forget the world.
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
Big empty walls getting you down? If you haven't found the perfect tapestry or can't get your Monet back from the Art Institute of Chicago, you've still got to put something on your wall to make it feel like home.
Get down to the local thrift store. Look through the art they have there. It's not likely to be any good, but you might get lucky; in any case, what you're looking for is the frames. In fact, the more horrendous the art, the better, because it's likely to be cheaper!
Get a couple vintage-looking frames and toss the prints of angels and hippie landscapes. If the frames are looking shoddy, spray paint them! A nice glossy black is very chic on a carved frame, or you can just do a touch up with gold paint or a nice stain. What to put inside? We don't recommend you try your own hand at painting--not for your wall. Why not get some cool paper from Papyrus or your local paperie, or frame an interesting piece of fabric?
It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.
I'm not savvy at all to the nuances in what makes a dinner party a success, but I hear that entertaining in your home is as much about the presentation as it is about the company -- the homes that people feel most relaxed in and want to go back to are usually the ones that have are enjoyable for both the company and the dining experience. And the key to making a dining experience enjoyable is in the details of food and presentation.
A simple way to brighten your living room is to clean up the look of your bookshelves.
As any sophisticate knows, every layer of what you're wearing contributes to how you feel. Many people love the comfort of a cashmere sweater or a silk camisole, and many people also like to have a secret under their clothes.
If you want to spice up a room that looks a little bland, little accents can make a big difference.
Oh, the drudgery of the morning commute. You shuffle into the subway or bus station, or are methodically siphoned onto the gridlocked highway by a stoplight you've stared at for more hours of your life than any work of art. You find yourself surrounded by the half asleep, the angry, and the irritable uncaffeinated. You all glare at each other. Your mind fades in and out of your anxieties about the day, your dreams from the night before, and the state of the stock market.
Whether you're a prince or a pauper, there's probably a day (or night) you can get into the best museums in your area for free. For example, The 
Want to eat like a king? Your cook's on vacation? Make some eggs.
Know what? Your local art gallery wants you to come look at the art. It's not all about money. You don't have to be a prospective buyer. Most art is made to be seen and digested by the public.
Look at the pens on your desk. Maybe you have an especially nice one, one that means something sentimental to you, and another one you especially like. What on earth are the rest of them doing there? You don't even like those pens! Why do you make yourself use them every day when it would be so easy to have something you like?
Feeling out of touch with the finer things in life? Head to the swankiest bar in town--we particularly recommend a hotel bar. 
Got a regular bathtub? We're sorry. How awful.
Big empty walls getting you down? If you haven't found the perfect tapestry or can't get your Monet back from the Art Institute of Chicago, you've still got to put something on your wall to make it feel like home.
