My 19-year-old nephew has recently moved in with us. This morning over brunch, the three of us were talking about the change in lifestyle I experienced when marrying my husband, and how lifestyle is so different now for my nephew as well.

Our family had been dirt poor. My husband has never been anything other than middle-class. He doesn't know what it's like to have to rent a cheap, run-down apartment instead of owning a home. He has never stayed in a shelter or had utilities cut off for lack of payment. He has always kept at least two vehicles in running order, stating that if something does happen to one of them, he'll still be able to get to work. When something breaks down, he fixes or replaces it as soon as he can.

But this morning he observed that his income only covers necessities, not luxuries. My nephew and I both found that amusing. We began to point out how many things around the house would have been luxuries to us. The fact that there are two cars. The home computer and printer, plus a laptop, and a paper shredder too. The fact that we have a house large enough to designate one of the bedrooms as the home office, while my nephew has his separate room, where he pointed out he has an allergy filter and his own mini-fridge and TV. We have a total of three televisions in the house, and a DVD player. Heck, even the microwave and the dishwasher would have been luxuries for me, not ten years ago. While we're on the subject, when my husband and I first met, I had no washer and dryer at home, couldn't afford a laundromat, and was washing my clothes in the bath tub with a plunger as an agitator. Before moving in with us, my nephew had been living with his dad in a house with no running water or electricity. (That's dad's personal lifestyle choice. He could afford it if he wanted it.)

By "luxuries," my husband meant things like a hot tub or a sauna or a swimming pool. We've had a few discussions about how to my family, he appears to be very rich, while to him, it looks like he's only covering the basics. My nephew and I both feel like we're in the lap of luxury as it is, with everything my husband provides. (Which nephew does not take for granted or feel entitled to, mind you. He is out job searching right this minute, even as I type.)

What, to you, makes the difference between a necessity and a luxury?