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?'

Make us preferred on Google

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

Screenshots from @voycebutler5's TikTok
@voycebutler5/TikTok

Man Goes Viral For Pretending To Be Woman's Friend In Walmart After She Realized She Was Being Followed

Nobody likes feeling unsafe while alone in public—and women in particular experience this far too often. It's not wonder that most women would choose encountering a random bear in the wild rather than a random man.

It's becoming an increasingly common practice for women to approach other women and pretend to have "lost their friend" in the crowd, so as to deter creeps from bothering them. On rare occasions, a woman might approach a man, as well, if he seems like a safer option.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @ulovelailahakim's TikTok
@ulovelailahakim/TikTok

TikToker Sparks Debate After Revealing 7 Behaviors She Considers 'Cheating' In Viral Video

When it comes to relationships, everyone has different standards for what they view as acceptable or desirable.

Even cheating maintains a certain sense of nuance, as some people believe that only things that happen in the bedroom could qualify as cheating, while others see cheating as something that comes in stages.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tommy Tuberville
C-SPAN2

Tommy Tuberville Dragged After Claiming Air Travel Industry Is Overrun With 'Furries' In Bonkers Senate Floor Rant

Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville was widely mocked after he made the bonkers claim that many pilots, flight attendants and air traffic controllers are "part of the furry community."

Tuberville, who spoke alongside a poster displaying a transphobic message, offered no evidence to substantiate the claim that a large portion of commercial aviation workers identify as furries, nor did he provide evidence that involvement in the furry community presents a safety concern.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kristi Noem
Heather Diehl/Getty Images

Kristi Noem Slammed After Sharing Graphic Photos Of Elk She Took Down During 'Super Fun' Hunting Trip

Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was criticized after she shared several gory photos on Instagram of an elk she'd killed during a recent hunting trip.

The Instagram carousel, which the platform labeled as “sensitive content,” shows Noem and the other hunters smiling for the camera and posing with the elk’s carcass as if displaying a trophy from their “super fun hunt.” In several of the photos, Noem’s weapon is positioned beside the animal’s wound, with blood visibly seeping from the injury.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @arriegatoo's TikTok
@arriegatoo/TikTok

TikToker's Nonchalant Reaction To Being Run Over By A Car Leaves Viewers Flabbergasted

We've all heard of adrenaline spikes causing people to be able to do incredible things, but this is ridiculous!

A young woman, @arriegatoo on TikTok, posted a video that was under 10 seconds, and while she laughed, she said:

Keep ReadingShow less