If you had to choose a hotel between one and five stars and the price was not a factor, how many stars would choose? Duh! Five-Star, baby, all the way. Right? Most people would pick the five-star hotel, especially if they weren’t picking up the tab. Why? Because a true five-star hotel offers comfort, ease and all kinds of amenities. It provides visitors a level of quality above its competitors. Simply put, a five-star hotel is the best.
So what would happen if you could take the five-star concept and turn it into a Five-Star Lifestyle? What if you could take some of the things you learned from the temporary lap of luxury and bring them into your daily life? Is it possible to permanently experience a Five-Star Lifestyle? We think so!
True Five-Star Living brings joy. Not the ecstatic, “Look-at-me-I-just-got-a-new-Coach-bag!” kind of momentary glow or the “I-just-spent-the-day-at-the-spa” kind of temporary relaxation, but a deep-seated peace and satisfaction that lasts a lifetime. Five-Star Living isn’t about the fancy resort you booked on Expedia or the Tiffany bracelet you found at half-price last year. Five-Star Living is about elevating your living standard within your means to the highest quality, not just materially, but also spiritually, physically, and emotionally. True Five-Star Living won’t drive you into debt; it will drive you out of debt. It won’t leave you with so many things that you can’t open your front door; it will leave you surrounded by high-quality items you appreciate and enjoy. It won’t leave you frazzled on an endless search for more; it will give you a sense of contentment at having just the right amount.
And it doesn’t just feel good, it also involves doing good. Real Five-Star Living is a life well-lived, not just for yourself but for others, too.
You don’t need a Donald Trump-sized income to live a full and generous life. You can discover ways to become a savvy shopper and find out how a little time and research online and in your own community can save you big bucks—money that you can use to benefit those around you and still enable you to live a better-quality of life.
Those who experience true “Five-Star Living” operate under what we have dubbed the “Live It!” “Give It!” principles. Live It! Give It!s are very simple: God gave you everything you have, so it really belongs to him. You honor him when you manage well what he has given you (Live It!). He blesses you when you share what he has given you with others in need (Give It!).
The premise is pretty simple: If you spend less money to achieve the same or an even higher standard of living, then you will enjoy life more and can afford to save and give more. If you choose to apply the Live It! Give It! principles to your life, you will find them to be more fulfilling and satisfying than chasing down this season’s Fendi or trying out the trendiest restaurants. The key to real Five-Star Living is being wise with what you have been given, multiplying it and then sharing everything you can with others. That is the way to unleash the formula for experiencing joy.
Five Great Deals for Five-Star Living
1. Trip Advisor contains more than 3 million hotel reviews posted by travelers who have stayed there. Go to www.tripadvisor.com to get the real scoop on the hotel you are considering.
2. For a five-star travel experience, find out how old the hotel is before you stay. New hotels are often a better value because of the updated décor and amenities.
3. Get an Entertainment coupon book for your city or any big city you will visit this year. You can save tons on dining, rental cars, hotels, and more. Visit www.entertainment.com.
4. Godiva offers some of the finest chocolate products in the world, and you can get them online at half-price following most major holidays. Check out www.godiva.com and look for specials. Sign up for the email list to receive a heads-up before the next sale.
5. For Juicy or DKNY bags at a fraction of the price, join the club at Bag, Borrow or Steal. For a monthly subscriber fee, you can receive a bag to “borrow” for a month. Return it in good shape, and pick your next bag to try. Visit www.bagborroworsteal.com.
Adapted from Five-Star Living on a Two-Star Budget by Margaret Feinberg, www.margaretfeinberg.com, and Natalie Nichols Gillespie, www.natalienicholsgillespie.com, © 2006 Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon. Used by permission.
