25 things that were ordinary in the 90s but are now considered rare and luxurious

You might have thought that things, once considered a luxury, would become more accessible to everyone over time. Unfortunately, that never happened. Astonishingly, certain "ordinary" things and encounters have instead evolved into priceless treasures. So, when Reddit user, u/zombiem00se, asked, "What was normal 20-30 years ago, but is considered a luxury now?" Several people on the platform started sharing what they believed was once considered normal but is now a luxury. 

Some responses are about material goods, but others are about experiences and opportunities. In this day and age, not being able to own a home is also something that most of us can relate to. Undoubtedly, we have made some progress, but the realization that there are certain things we used to possess but can no longer attain is a profound wave of nostalgia. Here are 25 things people considered normal to have in the '90s and '00s that are now considered rare and luxurious:

1. Furniture...good furniture 

"New furniture made out of real wood" -u/Juls7243

2. Trees 

"Natural old growth forests" -u/leftofmarx

3. My software

"Owning the software you purchased." -u/FinnofLocke

4. Rents not worth my kidneys 

"Paying no more than 30% of your income in rent" -u/newsaggregateftw

5. People having access to you but not being there for you 

"Not being expected to be reachable 24/7" -u/Siukslinis_acc

6. Durability is a joke 

"Household products that didn't break within the first few years of use." -u/parangolecomuna

7. Concerts for everyone 

"Concert Ticket prices" -u/Quality_Street_1

8. Pension plans

"Retirement plan built-in to your job" -u/SuvenPan

9. Farmer's markets 

"Farmer's markets. You used to be able to go down and get fruit and vegetables cheaper than the grocery store. Now it seems like they charge 3x more than stores do." -u/jrhawk42

10. Repairing things...including relationships 

"Getting things repaired instead of buying new" -u/einRoboter

11. Privacy

"Privacy used to be implicit - it was just there, you didn't have to think about it. Now it's explicit - you have to seek it out and take steps to ensure it remains in force" -u/dsac

12. Not being photographed randomly 

"It's not that I expect privacy in public, but I shouldn't have to worry about being in someone's video/photo on my way to do the laundry either. Idk why people want to film themselves doing laundry." -u/PurpleLee

13. Not my e-mail address and location and contact 

"Playing a video game without an internet connection. Not having to provide your email address for every single f***ing thing you do." -u/El_Mariachi_Vive

14. Buying a home in general 

"Single income families buying a home" -u/THESSIS

15. Photo albums 

"Photographs on actual photographic paper. I know its still possible but oh so rare" -u/audiofankk

16. Good old clothes 

"Good quality fabric in clothing. I have clothes from the 90s (and 80s from my mother) that still hold up today. These days, I'm lucky if my shirt isn't saggy and misshapen within a year." -u/TheMadLaboratorian

17. Friday nights 

"Being able to go out every Friday after work and being able to afford it" -u/M-the-music-guy

18. Stop tracking me already 

"Every little appliance you purchase not requiring some app or your Email to verify your identity just to use the thing." -u/Korvas576

19. Annual family vacation

"A yearly family vacation out of the area lasting 4-10 days" -u/subtleAssiduity

20. Meals on a flight not this costly 

"Having a meal on a flight" -u/Manodactyl

21. Letters with stamps or candle wax 

"Getting a hand written letter" -u/riphitter

22. Talking to customer service 

"Calling a company and getting a person on the other end of the phone." -u/AnnieAcely199

23. Even after two people working, it's sad 

"Being able to afford having only one person working in a relationship" -u/depressedhousewifee

24. Boredom

"Boredom. There's always something to take your attention nowadays. There's literal lifetimes of entertainment on a single streaming service. Phones. There's tons of free and cheap games that can just eat hours of your time. Social media. YouTube, etc " -u/CommercialSkirt2311

25. Getting healed 

"Going to the doctor. I’m 28 but even when I was a kid you could go to the doctor when you were sick or hurt. Now I won’t go to the doctor unless I’m dead." -u/Irrationate