LuxTip

Lux Tip: Drive a Luxury Car for Less

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Lux Tips

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.

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Tags: audi, auto, automobile, automobiles, autos, bmw, car, cars, lincoln, lux tip, lux tips, LuxTip, LuxTips, mercedes, mercedes-benz, tip, tips, wheels

Lux Tip: Make Coach Feel Like First Class

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Lux Tips

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

Shut out the world, relieve in-flight headaches, and reduce fatigue

Give yourself an in-flight spa treatment

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Tags: air travel, AirTravel, coach, first class, FirstClass, lux tip, lux tips, LuxTip, LuxTips, tip, tips, travel, traveling

Lux Tip: Free Museums

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Lux Tips

Spoonbridge and Cherry at the Walker Art Center

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.

Tags: art, lux tip, LuxTip, museum, museums, walker art center

Lux Tip: Wall Decor

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art, Lux Tips

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.

Tags: decor, decorating, frame, lux tip, LuxTip, paintings, walls

Lux Tip: Go Running in a Fancy Neighborhood

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Lux Tips

Wouldn't you feel nicer if you ran by this in the morning?

Want to make your morning run feel a little less like drudgery? Try a new route: right into the fanciest neighborhood in town.

A nice neighborhood is likely to be cleaner, and have beautiful features like fountains, gorgeous homes, and exquisite landscaping. Often, the pricier residences are located near a body of water, which is always a nice touch.

It may be out of your way, or you may feel like you're not supposed to be there at first, but if you're just running or walking by, you won't bother anyone. You'll finish your run feeling not only invigorated and healthy, but just a tad more posh.

It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.

Tags: jogging, lux tip, LuxTip, neighborhood, running

Lux Tip: Volunteer Usher!

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Lux Tips

Want to support the arts and see a great show? Volunteer usher. it's a great way to get involved in your arts community without spending a dollar.

Years ago, I went to see Eddie Izzard in Boston on his "Circle" tour, and I loved the show so much, I wanted to see it again! I contacted the theater's house management department and asked if they were looking for volunteer ushers. Result: I got to see Eddie Izzard again, and because he's such a brilliant improvisationalist, the show was totally different! I laughed till I cried all over again.

Since then, I've volunteer ushered for a number of shows. Sure, you have to take a few tickets or pass out a few programs, but the experience of seeing a live show is irreplaceable.

Seattle has its own website, volunteerusher.com, and if you search "volunteer usher" and the name of your own city, you just might be surprised by all the opportunities, especially from smaller, under-the-radar organizations it's always fashionable to support. Often times, you even get to meet the performers or the cast!

If there's a show you want to see, contact the theater's house management department and see if they're looking for volunteers. It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.

Tags: arts, free, lux tip, LuxTip, theater, volunteer