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

Screenshots from @mike.ali32's TikTok video
@mike.ali32/TikTok

TikToker Goes Viral For Yelling Out Fast Food Slogans After Buying Their Food—And The Reactions Are Priceless

We're supposed to go through life loving the people that we love so loudly that they can never doubt how much we love them. Maybe that's how we should approach the things and companies we love, too.

At least, that seems to be the approach that TikToker @mike.ali32 is taking.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @withethanlap's TikTok video
@withethanlap/TikTok

Guy Turns His Pregnant Wife's Extreme Text Messages Into A Hilariously Perfect Pop Punk Song—And It's A Banger

Anyone who has gone through pregnancy or is close to someone who has knows that the symptoms are truly no joke, and going from one day to the next can feel like an absolute rollercoaster.

Comedian and TikToker Ethan Lapierre's wife shared with him some of her symptoms, sometimes texting him that she was hungry but couldn't eat, and other times feeling like she was dying.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @missyhalleonig's TikTok video
@missyhalleonig/TikTok

A New Parenting Hack For Getting Toddlers To Stop Their Tantrums Has People In Disbelief That It Actually Kinda Works

Parents might not want to admit it, but when their toddlers are tantruming, there's nothing quite like finding a way to hilariously redirect or confuse them to help stop the tears.

In a hilarious parenting hack that's taking over TikTok, videos are appearing that all mysteriously star a woman named "Jessica," though no one can seem to find her.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @legallyswifite13's TikTok video
@legallyswifite13/TikTok

Woman Sparks Debate After Accusing Frontier Airlines Of Kicking Her Off Flight For Being Deaf

Let this Frontier Airlines saga be a reminder to all of us that not all disabilities and needs are visible, so when a person requests accommodations, it's better to believe them.

TikToker @legallyswiftie13 posted in 2024 that, though she was in her early twenties, she discovered that she would be rapidly losing her hearing, which was discovered at a routine medical check-up. Though she could still speak and hear, it would become increasingly difficult for her to hear, especially when there were competing noises in the area.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ben Sasse
60 Minutes/CBS News

Former GOP Senator Gets Brutal Wakeup Call After Criticizing People For Playing 'Candy Crush' Instead Of 'Making Babies'

Ben Sasse represented Nebraska in the United States Senate from 2015 to 2023. As a Midwestern moderate, the sometimes controversial Sasse was often critical of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump on social media and on the Senate floor.

At one point, the Nebraska GOP censured him because of his criticism of Trump. But Sasse, like Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins, would still vote with the majority of his party when his vote was needed to back Trump's agenda.

Keep ReadingShow less