Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Europeans Explain Which Everyday American Things Seem Like Luxuries

A table setting with a napkin of the American flag and the Statue of Liberty
silver fork and bread knife on white ceramic plate
Photo by Dyana Wing So on Unsplash

Reddit user AdventurousAd1943 asked: 'Europeans of Reddit, what do Americans have on a daily basis that you consider a luxury?'

It's easy for anyone to take for granted how lucky they are.

Many of us wish we were living in a larger home, had a more fulfilling or lucrative job, or wished our family would call us a little less frequently.


When, in fact, there are many others who would be thrilled to have our home, our job, and our family.

In fact, many Americans in general don't realize quite how lucky they are compared to the rest of the world.

Even from the point of view of some of the world's most prolific cities.

Redditor AdventurousAd1943 was curious to learn what things that Americans view as "common place" are, in fact, highly coveted in the eyes of Europeans, leading them to ask:

"Europeans of Reddit, what do Americans have on a daily basis that you consider a luxury?"

Lest You Scoff Before Filling Up...

"Cheap fuel."- MM556

"For most of you, fuel is a luxury."

"In America, because it was built for cars, it's a necessity."

"For many people there is no way to leave their house and do the most basic functions of living, like get food to eat, go to work to maintain income, etc. without a car."

"With that in mind, the average household cost per month on gasoline is $200."

"And that is not spread evenly."

"If you live in a city, you might only spend $30-50/month."

"If you live in a rural area or live relatively far away from work, you're spending $400-500/month in gas."- medicated_in_PHL

Or A Yard, For That Matter...

"Having big yards around the whole house."- IndependentToe297

Ice Ice Baby!

"American size fridges with the double doors and the ice maker."- Th3_Accountant


Kitchen Fridge GIF by bekoGiphy

Front Or Back!

"Houses with porches."- Select-Funny347

"… and 3-season or 4-season sunrooms."- Viperlite

"Oh Give Me Land, Lots Of Land..."

"Big national parks."- Basekid

"When I was in the Alps, I was blown away that there was no single location where you could look out and see only nature."

"Every single valley and every mountain had something human on it."- yeluapyeroc

...As Long As You're Not In Alaska...

"Great big f*cking oceans between themselves and Russia."- ClarkyCat97

Russian GIFGiphy

Doesn't Even Need To Be Central!

"AC."

"Everywhere."

"You get so used to it and forget how summers and winters can feel hot and cold and outright miserable sometimes without perfect indoor climate control."

"A European living in US."- Traditional_Ad_1012

And Yet The Tiny Home Market Is Booming...

"The houses seem so enormous."

"At least compared to the homes in England (London)."

"Even relatively modest American homes seem like palaces to Europeans."

"I also love that the homes are just huge and square."

"Big rooms with symmetry."

"A dream."

"In England our houses are such strange shapes for no reason, I just want a massive square room to put things in that does require a math degree when planning furniture arrangements."- Duck_on_Qwack

Just Watch Your Fingers!

"This grinder thing in the sink (if that's really a thing)."

"Would love to have that."- chelonioidea_style

episode 1 disposal GIFGiphy

The American Dream...

"Seemingly, all of you have huge fully ACed houses with huge fridges that fit a gaming room, playroom, home gym, 3 cars, and empty rooms of all your grown-up kids just in case they come back."

"And the time to somehow maintain it all while also driving significant distances daily to work."

"I have a new mid size house with a small plot of grass, and this sh*t is a nightmare to maintain compared to an apartment."- ShadowBannedAugustus

Blame The Public Transit...

"When I first moved to Europe, my wife’s family (a family of 5, the youngest of whom was 16) were shocked to learn that between me and my parents, we had 3 cars."- mejok

"It's A Privilege..."

"Free public bathrooms and free ice water at restaurants."- titsmuhgeee

Water Day GIF by ZinZenGiphy

It Is Always Assumed...

"Their language, how nice would it be too speak your own language and almost the whole world understands you."

"That's a privilege."- Pungsvett123

Those "All In Ones" Aren't Everything They're Cracked Up To Be...

"As an American that has traveled to Europe several times, the only thing I really ever missed was a decent clothes dryer."

"Every time I've used a dryer in Europe (if the flat even has one), the clothes dryer just seemingly whispered to my clothes to 'try to dry off a bit'."- WisestCracker

You Think YOUR Apartment Is Tiny...

"S O."

"M u c h."

"S P A C E."

"I'm in some architecture shaming groups in Facebook, and most of the posts are just normal spaces in Europe."

"Somehow each room not having its own bathroom is the most terrifying idea for USA people."- Silent-Victory-3861

Home Luxury GIF by The Pozek GroupGiphy

Many Americans have been doing serious research about expatriating to Europe since early November 2024.

Understandable as that may be, they might want to take some of the above-mentioned things into consideration...

More from Trending

Kim Kardashian
Ernesto Ruscio/GC Images

Kim Kardashian Roasted After Seemingly Awkward Photo Fail At Jeff Bezos' Wedding Goes Viral

Kim Kardashian may be the queen of the social media snap, but she's getting roasted online for her latest attempt at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding in Venice.

From the elaborate trappings and guest list to the weeks of angry protests by Venetians furious that a Trump-funding technofascist and his celebrity sycophants were taking over their city for days on end, the wedding was nothing short of a spectacle.

Keep ReadingShow less
Abby Phillip; Donald Trump
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images; Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images

CNN's Abby Phillip Shares Classy Clapback After Trump Lashes Out At Her On Social Media

During the first term of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, his relationship with the press was probably best described as volatile. He had his favorites—the ones that stroked his ego—and the ones he called "enemies of the people."

CNN has definitely been on Trump’s hit list for years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Brandon Gill; Zohran Mamdani
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images; Noam Galai/Getty Images

MAGA Rep. Ripped For Racist Reaction To Mamdani Eating Rice With His Hands In Campaign Video

Texas Republican Representative Brandon Gill is facing harsh criticism after he told New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani to "go back to the Third World" after Mamdani shared a video of himself eating rice and lentils with his hands and talking about how his upbringing in Uganda and South Africa shaped his understanding of the Palestinian struggle.

At one point during his meal, Mamdani, who was raised in an Indian family, said:

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement via Getty Images

Homeland Security Slammed After Sharing Bonkers AI Image To Promote 'Alligator Alcatraz'

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came under fire after it shared an AI-generated image of alligators wearing ICE hats to promote a proposed "Alligator Alcatraz" immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades, a decision that prompted critics to call out the post's fascistic and cruel nature.

The image shows the alligators in caps marked “ICE” beside a barbed-wire fence and was captioned simply:

Keep ReadingShow less
The feet of two people snuggling under the covers
woman in white dress lying on white bed

Couples Who've Been Together For 20+ Years Explain How They Keep Their Sex Life Active

With each passing year, all couples tend to worry that their relationship might change over time.

That they'll stop being as spontaneous, affectionate or energetic as they were when they first began their courtship.

Keep ReadingShow less