By: Jenny Spooner

Have you ever thought to yourself, “life would be so much easier if I could escape to a tropical island in Hawaii, lie on the beach and not worry about anything except for how many hours it will take to become a bronze god (or goddess) and which swim-up bar I’ll get my next daiquiri from?” If you have, you’re not alone.
While the idea of escaping to a tropical paradise seems like the best solution to finding a new you, it’s not the most practical. Not only would it cost a fortune to live the island dream, but you probably have children and jobs that rely on your presence at home every day. Luckily, there are fun, easy and affordable ways to improve your life without uprooting your family and abandoning all of your responsibilities.

Here are 5 ways to improve your life without spending a penny!

Health. Your health is the key to your happiness. If you’re sick all of the time, you’re going to be more stressed out and less energized than you would be when you’re in tip top health. Exchange the bag of potato chips for a bag of snow peas and the beer for a bottle of water and you’ll be laughing. Not only will these small changes make you healthier but they’ll also improve your skin, decrease your waist size, reduce acne and leave you with a healthy glow. This leads us to our next point…

Beauty. It’s a proven fact that men and women who are content with their appearances live happier lives in general. Take the extra money you’ve saved from swapping the beer for water and the snow peas for potato chips and spend it on a $10 at-home spa kit. A bottle of bubble bath, an aromatherapy candle and a portable massage brush will leave you feeling rejuvenated and re-energized in no time.

Addiction. Everyone is guilty of having some form of addiction. Whether it’s coffee, beer, wine or junk food, there’s always something in your life that you could use less of. We’re not saying cut out beer, wine, junk food or whatever it is you’re obsessed with (hey you work hard for your money, you deserve a reward) but trying to cut back from 2 beers a night to 1 or from chips and dip to just chips will likely make a difference in both your health and your happiness.

Relationships. Relationships can either greatly improve your life or cause undue stress and anxiety – depending on what’s going on. Try and surround yourself with positive people that make you happy and try to mend broken relationships that you think are worth saving. Eliminate the people in your life that cause stress and hardship and increase the number of people who make your life exciting. Relationships – whether it be friends, family or co-workers – are the key to your happiness so choose them carefully.

Personal Finance. Finance is the one subject that can turn a smile into a frown in mere seconds – or vice versa. Financial problems are the leading cause of stress in men and women between the ages of 18 and 65. If you’re stressing out about money, talk to a financial advisor who can help allocate your savings and monitor your spending habits. Before you know it, you’ll have enough money in the bank to go for a vacation. We’re thinking a tropical island paradise…

Article Source:
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1676417

About the Author
Jenny Spooner is a subscriber to a New Life Outlook magazine. The magazine has a good section on personal finance and that`s where Jenny get`s her great tips on investing.