19 Daily Habits That Were Once Considered Luxuries
The things we take for granted today would have seemed like impossible dreams to people just a few generations ago. Your morning routine alone includes luxuries once unavailable even to royalty.
From the moment you wake up to when you fall asleep, you’re surrounded by conveniences that were once reserved for the wealthy elite or simply didn’t exist at all. The transformation of these luxuries into everyday habits happened gradually, often so slowly that we barely noticed.
Here is a list of 19 daily habits that were once considered the height of luxury.
Daily Showers
Taking a hot shower every day was unthinkable for most people throughout history. Indoor plumbing didn’t become common until the late 1800s, and even then, it was mainly available to the wealthy.
Most people bathed once a week at best, often sharing the same bathwater with their entire family.
Eating Fresh Fruit Year-Round
Having strawberries in December or oranges in Montana used to be a fantasy reserved for the ultrarich. Before modern transportation and refrigeration, people ate what grew locally and in season.
Fresh tropical fruits in northern climates were so rare that a single orange was often given as a Christmas gift.
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Air Conditioning
Staying cool during summer heat was once a privilege of the wealthy who could afford ice deliveries or elaborate cooling systems. The first modern air conditioning systems were installed in theaters and department stores in the early 1900s to attract customers.
Home air conditioning didn’t become widespread until the 1950s and 60s.
Drinking Clean Water on Demand
Turning a handle and getting clean, drinkable water seems basic now, but it’s actually a modern miracle. Throughout most of history, people had to walk miles to fetch water from wells or rivers, and the water quality was often questionable.
Municipal water treatment systems only became common in the 20th century.
Reading by Electric Light
Being able to read comfortably after sunset was once a luxury that required expensive candles or oil lamps. Electric lighting transformed evening activities, making it possible to extend productive hours well into the night.
Before electricity, most people went to bed shortly after sunset because artificial light was too costly for regular use.
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Listening to Music Anytime
Having access to any song you wanted to hear was impossible before recording technology. Live music required hiring musicians or attending performances, which were expensive and rare events.
Even early phonographs and radios were luxury items that only wealthy families could afford.
Eating Meat Regularly
For most of human history, meat was a special occasion food that appeared on tables maybe once a week if people were fortunate. The ability to eat meat daily was a clear sign of wealth and status.
Refrigeration and modern farming methods made regular meat consumption possible for the average person.
Wearing Clean Clothes Daily
Having enough clothes to wear something clean every day was a luxury that required either wealth or servants. Most people owned just a few outfits and wore them repeatedly between washings.
The combination of affordable clothing manufacturing and home washing machines changed this completely.
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Brushing Teeth with Toothpaste
Dental hygiene as we know it was virtually non-existent for most people throughout history. Toothbrushes and toothpaste were luxury items, and many people cleaned their teeth with twigs or rough cloth if they cleaned them at all.
Modern dental care was reserved for the wealthy until mass production made supplies affordable.
Sleeping on Soft Mattresses
A comfortable bed was once a major status symbol that separated the rich from everyone else. Most people slept on straw mattresses or simply piles of fabric on hard surfaces.
Spring mattresses and soft bedding were expensive luxuries that required significant investment.
Using Soap Daily
Regular soap use was once a sign of wealth because soap was expensive and time-consuming to make. Many people went without soap entirely or used it sparingly for special occasions.
The mass production of affordable soap revolutionized personal hygiene for ordinary families.
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Drinking Coffee or Tea
These beverages were exotic luxury imports that cost more per serving than many people earned in a day. Coffee houses were exclusive gathering places for merchants and intellectuals who could afford the expensive drinks.
Tea was so valuable that it was sometimes locked away like jewelry.
Eating Sugar
Sugar was once called ‘white gold’ because it was so expensive and rare. Most people never tasted refined sugar in their entire lives, relying on honey or fruit for sweetness when they could get it.
Sugar was literally worth more than its weight in silver for centuries.
Having Multiple Pairs of Shoes
Owning more than one pair of shoes was a clear indicator of wealth and social status. Most people had a single pair that they wore until it fell apart, then went barefoot or wrapped their feet in cloth.
Multiple shoes for different occasions was purely a rich person’s luxury.
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Eating Vegetables Out of Season
Fresh vegetables in winter required expensive greenhouse cultivation or preservation methods that only the wealthy could afford. Most people ate preserved or dried vegetables during cold months, if they had vegetables at all.
Fresh produce year-round was an impossible dream for ordinary families.
Taking Hot Baths
Heating enough water for a full bath required significant fuel and time, making hot baths a luxury for special occasions. Public bathhouses existed in some areas, but they charged fees that many couldn’t afford.
Private hot baths at home were definitely a rich person’s privilege.
Eating Spices and Seasonings
Spices were so valuable they were used as currency and sparked entire wars over trade routes. A pinch of black pepper was worth its weight in gold, and exotic spices like cinnamon or nutmeg were completely out of reach for common people.
Most food was bland and unseasoned by necessity.
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Having Glass Windows
Windows made of actual glass were luxury features that only wealthy homes could afford. Most people covered window openings with cloth, wood shutters, or animal skins.
Clear glass windows were so expensive that people sometimes took them when they moved to a new house.
Eating White Bread
White flour required expensive processing and refining that made white bread a luxury food for the upper classes. Common people ate dark, coarse bread made from whatever grains they could afford.
White bread was so associated with wealth that it became a status symbol on dining tables.
The Luxury Revolution Lives On
These everyday habits show how dramatically our standard of living has improved through innovation and mass production. What seems ordinary to us would appear miraculous to our ancestors, who could never have imagined such widespread abundance.
The luxuries of today will likely become the necessities of tomorrow, continuing humanity’s remarkable journey toward greater comfort and convenience. Understanding this progression helps us appreciate both how far we’ve come and how much potential still lies ahead.
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