09-08-2025
Seven easy ways to live a millionaire lifestyle on a budget – from FREE first-class travel to hotel room upgrades
DO you want to live a champagne lifestyle but only have a beer budget?
Here, The Sun's money team reveal the tricks that could get you a free first-class upgrade, half-price designer clothes and three-course meals at expensive restaurants for as little as £25 - including booze.
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Almost a third of people who earn £100k or more don't have enough to pay for essential bills and groceries because they're overspending on luxuries, according to Starling Bank.
Footwear, flashy gadgets, household appliances, furniture and eating out are the most common luxuries that Brits love to splash out on, YouGov data shows.
But you can get posh goodies without breaking the bank and we can show you how.
We spoke to top money experts to get their habits, tips and tricks to help you live like the super wealthy on a budget.
Book during 'shoulder season' for room upgrades
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There is no better feeling than getting to a hotel and being told that you've been upgraded to a bigger or better room.
But there's a way of boosting your chances of getting bumped up to the penthouse suite.
Book your holiday during the off-season, which is called the "shoulder season".
This is the period before or after the summer holidays, from April-May and September-October.
Hotels are less likely to be fully booked, unlike peak times (during the school holiday periods) when they'll usually be at full capacity.
Booking during the busy holiday periods means it is unlikely that there will be any spare rooms left for upgrades.
Also, staff are normally rushed off their feet, and less likely to take the time to offer complimentary upgrades.
It's usually much cheaper to travel during the shoulder season too.
This means you can afford a fancier hotel than if you travelled at another point in the year.
For example, a twin room at the five-star Hyatt Regency Kotor Bay Resort in Montenegro costs around £400 a night in August.
But the same hotel room is available for nearly half the price in May - and costs around £212.
Meanwhile, a classic room at the InterContinental hotel in Barcelona would set you back £259 a night in August.
But the same room would cost £203 in September - saving you £56.
You should also join hotel loyalty programmes to increase your chances of an upgrade.
Many big hotel chains, including Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton, have a free loyalty programme which can give you discounts or free upgrades on your stay.
If you often go back to a favourite hotel, then the staff will know that you are a regular customer and are also more likely to upgrade you.
How to get FREE first-class train tickets
We've seen the nightmare social media posts of passengers sitting on floors for hours because they couldn't get a seat in standard class.
But there's a little-known way of getting first-class tickets at a big discount, or even for free, so you can escape the pile on.
Simply join the rewards programmes offered by train companies.
Customers who sign up for Avanti West Coast's Club Avanti rewards programme can get a free First Class ticket when they make a certain number of journeys.
Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, shares her top tips to help you manage your money like a millionaire.
"It's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on what feels like the most pressing priority at any one time.
"It means we can go for years just trying to make ends meet and keep a lid on debt. They're great things to aim for, but they won't make you rich.
"Wealthy people always have an eye on the future. They'll aim to make ends meet, but on top of that they'll have a number of pots they pay into each month – for repaying debt, saving, investing and retirement.
"You may need to prioritise things like debt repayment for now, but it doesn't mean neglecting the other pots.
"By keeping up these monthly payments, your wealth automatically grows every month.
"You can also boost payments into each pot, every time you get a pay rise, so growth accelerates without you having to make any sacrifices in your usual spending."
The ticket also gives you access to First Class lounges, where you can get complementary drinks and food, including a full English breakfast, bacon bap, pint of lager or a glass of prosecco.
To get the free first-class ticket, you need to sign up to the reward programme by visiting
To join, you need to create an account and share your address, email address and mobile number.
You will then be sent a discount code via email, and you'll need to type this code in when booking your ticket.
Book your journey at least seven days in advance of your trip.
You can also get free first-class travel on EVERY journey you make with Thameslink trains.
There's a secret first-class section at the back of the trains that you don't have to pay for as they are declassified.
This means you can get bigger seats and access to power sockets and tables without needing to pay for it.
Just make sure you are in the correct carriage before you sit down.
Always check your specific route before travelling to avoid being caught out.
The whole train is counted as standard class on journeys from London Blackfriars to Sevenoaks, Luton to Rainham and Sutton to St Albans (via Wimbledon or Hackbridge).
Dine like royalty for as little as £25
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You can still enjoy a fancy meal at a posh restaurant even if you're on a budget.
Set menus tend to offer the best value for money, especially at lunchtime or during early 'pre-theatre' dinner slots.
A set menu gives you the chance to try two or three courses with a drink at a set price.
For example, at Balthazar in Covent Garden, you can get two courses for £24.50 or three for £27.50, including a complimentary non-alcoholic cocktail or glass of red or white wine.
Two courses and a glass of wine would usually set you back around £47.20.
Meanwhile, at British brasserie The Alice in Oxford, you can tuck into two courses for £29 or three courses for £35.
A two-course meal with a side would normally cost you £43.50.
'I used my reward points to fly first class and saved £4,000'
MUM-OF-ONE Maggie Hellicar used reward points to pay for a £6,117 luxury holiday with her young family.
The 39-year-old, from London, used her Virgin credit card points to pay for upper class Virgin Atlantic flights to Disney World in Florida for her family of three, including husband Carl and two year old son.
The admin team assistant said that by paying with her reward points she was able to save £4,000 on the cost of the trip, which cost £6,117 in total.
Maggie said: 'We redeemed our Virgin Points for the most over-the-top Christmas family getaway to Disney World in Florida.
'It was our son's first Christmas, and we knew we wanted to make it special. We realised we had enough Virgin Points saved up for Upper Class flights with Virgin Atlantic, so we did it!'
Maggie and her husband Carl were able to save up the points by paying for meals out, general shopping and groceries with their Virgin Atlantic Rewards+ Credit Card.
The card gives you 1.5 Virgin Points for every £1 you spend.
Once you have 6,000 you can convert them into a free seat on a flight.
The points never expire, so you can build up your balance over several years and spend them on a big trip, like Maggie did.
The couple also took advantage of bonus point offers on the Virgin Red website when shopping online.
The offers increase the amount of points you can get for every £1 you spend, helping to build up your balance even faster.
Meanwhile, the couple were able to build up even more points by linking their Tesco Clubcard membership to their Virgin Red account.
This allowed them to convert Tesco Clubcard points into Virgin Red ones.
Every £1.50 in vouchers is worth 300 Virgin Points.
Maggie said: 'We were able to spend time as family for our son's first Christmas.
'It was also our son's first long haul flight, so the luxury of Upper Class seats made everything feel really special and 100% worth it."
The Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Credit Card has a yearly £160 fee but the Virgin Atlantic Reward Credit Card is free to use and gives you 0.75 Virgin Points for every £1 you spend.
You may need to book a table to get the deal, so do this online or by calling the restaurant before you visit.
Free or cheap first-class plane ticket trick
If you've ever wanted to sit at the front of the plane but can't afford the hefty price tag, then there are ways to do it for cheap or even free.
One way is with a reward credit card, which gives you points, vouchers or cashback on your spending.
American Express has some of the most generous offers for customers who want to spend their points on flights.
Among them is the free American Express Credit Card, which allows you to collect one Avios point for every £1 you spend.
You can then turn these Avios points into free flights or upgrades on your journey.
If you want free airline lounge passes, then you should apply for the American Express preferred rewards gold credit card, recommends Rob Burgess, editor of frequent flyer website Head for Points.
He said: 'It comes with four free airline lounge passes, which are valid at 1,400 lounges globally.
'If you can spend £3,000 in your first three months, you would also receive 20,000 American Express points, which can be used for £100 of shopping vouchers or transferred to various frequent flyer or hotel loyalty schemes.'
Don't keep the card for more than a year, as the annual fee increases to £195.
Don't spend on the card if you cannot repay your balance in full at the end of the month, as it has a high interest rate.
Sites to bag half-price designer gear
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Love your labels, but can't afford them? Scour reselling sites and charity shops for designer items for half the price.
You can find new and unworn items with tags on secondhand websites, including Vinted and Depop, for a fraction of the price.
At the time of writing, we found a never-used red Aspinal of London heart-shaped keyring on sale for £21.70 on Vinted - £28.30 cheaper than its retail price.
Meanwhile, a new Mark Jacobs tote bag was on offer for £105.70 - down from around £225.
An unused red Lulu Guinness purse was also available for just £42.70 - around £200 less than its normal price of £250.
Plus, a seller had listed a Hugo Boss watch in its original box for £68.95 - £310.05, less than its retail price of £379.
Ask the seller for pictures of any certificates of authentication before you make a purchase to ensure that an item is genuine.
You can also check resale websites such as Vestiaire Collective or The RealReal, which sell pre-loved designer clothes at a discount.
It's also worth scouring charity shops for designer bargains.
We've previously revealed that you can get Vivienne Westwood T-shirts and Yeezy trainers for as little as £20.
Check window displays and glass cabinets for designer goods, as you are likely to find the best items in these parts of the shop.
Plus, don't be afraid to ask if they have any extra items in the back that have just come in.
Find dupes of luxury items at bargain prices
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Luxury products can often set you back hundreds of pounds, but there are ways to get your hands on them at a discount.
Bargain retailer Poundland sells luxury Elizabeth Arden and Clarins products for up to 50% off.
Among the items on offer is the Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Purifying Cream Cleanser, which currently costs just £10, down from £20.
Meanwhile, you can pick up the Clarins Hydrating Toning Lotion for £15, £13 less than its normal price.
It is often a lottery as to what may be available in store or online at a given time, so it is worth stocking up on your favourite product if you spot it in store.
Meanwhile, many supermarkets also offer dupes of designer products.
Among them is Aldi, which offers a range of designer dupes that are made with the same formulas and ingredients as designer brands.
It's Lacura Blusher in coral is a dupe for the Nars orgasm blush but costs just £3.99, almost a tenth of the cost of the Nars version, which will set you back £34.
Meanwhile, its Lacura lip balms cost £3.49, and are a dupe for the Summer Fridays butter balms, which cost £23.
Some brands including Kate Spade and Coach also have their own outlets, where you can shop their discounted range.
How to NEVER pay full price on jewellery
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Luxury watches and jewellery often come with a hefty price tag.
But there are still ways to dress to impress on a budget.
Outlets are a great way to get your hands on designer jewellery at discount prices.
Flannels is currently selling jewellery from a range of designers including Alexander McQueen, Versace and Balenciaga.
You could get your hands on a Thomas Sabo mermaid pendant for just £10, saving you £90.
Meanwhile, a Kate Spade heart embellished bangle costs £43 - down from £85.
You may also be able to find luxury and designer watches at discount prices on Pawnbroker and secondhand websites.
Always check items in person before you make a purchase so you are aware of any scratches or marks on the watch or band.
You should also ask for proof that an item is genuine before you make a purchase to avoid being duped.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@
