Glass Knee Productions

The Top 10 Luxuries Under $50

You may not be able to get the yacht of your dreams, but you can have more of a posh life than you may think.

From white truffles to Broadway to crystal wine glasses to a Euro-light vacation, you can jump feet-first into a life of luxury, one $5o bill at a time.

We here at Glass Knee spent far too much time "researching" this article. Hope you enjoy it as much as we had writing it!

1. White Truffle Oil

The secret of many professional chefs across the world. White truffles are the most rare and expensive of foods. It imparts an intensely earthy flavor to any food it is added to.

Truffles themselves can go for hundred of dollars an ounce, but a truffle oils are much less expensive and impart the same flavors. Drizzle a tablespoon of white truffle oil on your next cheese pizza or bowl of pasta. A single bottle will last months. Cost: $15-$30 per bottle.

2. Wagyu Flat Iron Steak

Most people know Wagyu by the Japanese port it was originally exported from: Kobe. Named after the breed of cows it comes from, Wagyu is the most flavorful and tender of all beef. It is also incredibly expensive, costing upwards of $250 for a single fillet mignon in restaurants.

However, purchasing a Flat Iron cut will cost less than a better-known cut and is much more flavorful! One suggestion: marinate it overnight before grilling it up. You can either pick it up at a local butcher or online. Total cost: $45-$50 for two people.

3. Broadway Theater Tickets

No matter what major city you are in, theater tickets are going to be exorbitant. Per ticket prices of $100 are common. However, if you don't mind a last minute run-and-wrestle you can get into critically-acclaimed shows not in New York, but any major city in Europe or the Americas.

The day of a show, theaters offer any remaining unsold tickets as "Rush Tickets". These tickets are first-come-first-served and are often discounted by 50%. A quick search online should give you the scoop for the metropolis of your choice. Total cost: $48-50

4. A World-Famous Luxury Wine

While many wine enthusiasts will spend hundreds of dollars for a single bottle of wine, you can have a very similar experience for under $50.

Since vintages and types of wine that are available will change depending on where you live, we are going to give you a sommelier-level guide. Purchase a bottle of Shiraz from the Heathcote region of Victoria, Australia. No matter what, do not spend less than $30, and you will have an ultimate bottle of wine.

Why Heathcote? This wine region is one of the smallest, most well-respected wine regions in the world. Nearly everything produced in the $30-$50 price point is considered to be some of very best in the world. Total cost: $30-50

5. Lead Crystal Wine Glasses

If you are going to have a glass of wine, then you are going to need the best wine glasses available. The famous wine glass producers --such as Riedel-- charge upwards of $90 per glass for their best glasses.

However, we know an Italian glass designer who is creating a custom line of wine glasses for a small wine school in the United States. These are not just as good as Riedel (the designer used to work for Riedel) but they also use a better quality of crystal and are dishwasher safe!

The school charges $50 for a gift set of these wine glasses. Check them out!

6. Signed Artworks from Well-Known Artists

I have a few pieces of art, one of which I bought online for $30 and is now worth upwards of $1K. I know nothing about art, I promise you.

One of the hottest areas of art right now is Pop Surrealist Art (aka "Lowbrow Art"), and one of the most accessible to a non-art-school-graduate. Many of the well know artists in this movement --including Frank Kozik and Tara McPherson-- issue limited run signed & numbered art prints. These prints are often very inexpensive to purchase, but in a few years appreciate wildly.

Do a google search for "juxtapoz" to get a few idea of artists you should be looking out for.

7. A Classically Styled Watch

A watch may sound pedestrian, but coupled with #8 below and you have a total package that reeks of luxury and class. Sure, you are wearing a drab pair of slacks and a ratty t-shirt, but everyone is going to remember the incredible watch and shoes you are wearing.

Watch makers such as Dufante, Lucien Piccard, and Croton all produce elegant watches that can be had for under $50 for both men and women. Take a look at the online discounters for good deals. Often, you can get a watch that retails for $300-$400 for less than $50.

8. The Perfect Pair of Shoes

Picture yourself eating a truffle-laced appetizer while holding a perfect wine glass filled with some of the finest wines made in the world. Keep going, and imagine you are wearing a posh watch and wearing beautiful shoes. That is not a bad image, eh?

For guys, look for modern casual shoes produced by Steven Madden, Stacy Adams, or Nunn Bush can be had for under $50. For the girls, you can get a very cute pair of booties or a sexy pair of sling pumps.

9. A Euro-style Vacation

Not the whole vacation, but at least you can stay in the historic center of a wonderful North America metropolis for under $50 a night.

We are talking about Montreal, Quebec, which is about as French as you can get without going to Europe. Much to our surprise, hotel rooms can be had for $50, as long as you don't mind a clean-but-small-and-dowdy room, which is pretty much what you would get if you were actually vacationing on the continent.

10. Find it if you can!

Two words: Chingale Proscuitto. Good hunting!