{"id":1608,"date":"2019-12-19T17:25:03","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T17:25:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/?p=1608"},"modified":"2020-09-08T14:49:30","modified_gmt":"2020-09-08T14:49:30","slug":"30-inexpensive-ways-to-improve-your-quality-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2019\/12\/30-inexpensive-ways-to-improve-your-quality-of-life.html","title":{"rendered":"30 Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Quality of Life"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_1611\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1611\" style=\"width: 489px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/390\/2019\/12\/rectangular-white-and-black-wooden-display-rack-beside-green-2826787.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1611 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/390\/2019\/12\/rectangular-white-and-black-wooden-display-rack-beside-green-2826787-489x550.jpg\" alt=\"quality of life\" width=\"489\" height=\"550\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1611\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Courtesy of Pexels.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A high quality of life isn&#8217;t just for people who have a lot of money.\u00a0 In fact, your quality of life has less to do with how much money you have and more to do with how you manage your life and your belongings.\u00a0 Below are some ways to improve your quality of life at little or no cost.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>1. Organize Your Closet<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It is satisfying to look at a well-organized closet. Your clothes just look better when they are hung nicely and are in a proper order.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>2. Shine Your Shoes<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If you have leather shoes, shine them regularly. Freshly shined shoes make you look pulled together.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>3. Deal with Your Mail Promptly<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>This goes for both paper mail and email. Unanswered correspondence and unpaid bills are future headaches. Deal with them immediately.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Give Away 10% of Your Stuff Every Year<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>You don\u2019t need most of what you own. When you trim down your belongings, your home is less cluttered and more relaxing to be in.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>5. Tidy Your House Every Night<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It is unpleasant to wake up to a messy house. At the end of every day, go through your house and put everything away.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>6. Don\u2019t Leave Dirty Dishes in the Sink<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>After every meal, immediately wash all your dishes. A clean kitchen smells better and doesn\u2019t attract bugs.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>7. Make Your Bed<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The single best way to make your home look organized is to ensure that all beds are made every morning. An unmade bed makes your house look like a sloppy brothel.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>8. Walk for 30 Minutes Every Day<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>You will feel better if you do this bare minimum of exercise every day. You will feel more limber, and walking helps clear our minds.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>9. Get Up Early to Improve Your Quality of Life<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Your day will feel more under control if you don\u2019t start it by rushing. Start your day calmly and the rest of the day will go smoothly, as well.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>10. Eat Breakfast<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Not only does your body need energy to get started in the morning, but eating a proper breakfast is a civilized way to begin your day.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>11. Read A Paper Book Every Day<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>With all due respect to Kindle, there is nothing like reading an actual paper book to slow down and relax.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>12. Say \u201cThank You\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The quickest way to improve your relationships is to say \u201cthank you\u201d \u2013 often. Gratitude doesn\u2019t belong in journals. It should be constantly coming out of your mouth in what you say and when you pray.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>13. Meditate<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The quickest way to reduce your stress level is to do a guided 10-minute meditation. They are in abundance on YouTube. Find one that suits you, and do it every time you start to feel overwhelmed.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>14. Eat Home-Cooked Food<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The food served at restaurants can never be as healthy as what you can make at home. Your body will feel better if you prepare your own food using good quality ingredients.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>15. For A Great Quality of Life, Don\u2019t Argue<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Very few things in life are worth arguing about. Let other people have their own point of view.\u00a0 Keep your arguing to a minimum, and live a more peaceful life.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>16. Be Quick to Pay a Compliment<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Complimenting others is a good way to improve your relationships. When you encourage others, you show them that you are on their side.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>17. Treat Yourself in Small Ways<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes in life we just need a little pick-me-up. That is the beauty of Starbucks. For under $5, you can give yourself a treat to make your day just a little bit better.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>18. Take Good Care of Your Clothes<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Our clothes look and feel better when they regularly are washed, ironed and folded or hung up properly.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>19. Floss<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Dental floss is one of the best, inexpensive purchases you can make. Daily flossing not only makes your trips to the dentist a lot less painful, but it makes your breath smell better.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>20. Send Cards<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Now that all our communication is done via text and email, we don\u2019t send much \u201creal mail\u201d these days. Sending cards using a stamp is a low-cost way to show others that you care about them.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>21. Decorate with Candles<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Lit candles create a nice aroma and ambiance for very little money. Scatter them throughout your home to make it look and smell lovely.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>22. Turn Off Your Television and Computer<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>We constantly are surrounded by racket. Lower your blood pressure by taking a break from the noise and screens each evening. Instead, listen to quiet music and read a book.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>23. Go to Bed Early<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It is awful to be tired and drag through the day. If you go to be early every night, you automatically will be happier the next day.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>24. Decorate with Plants<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Green plants are a pretty way to spruce up a room or office. They are inexpensive, and your only maintenance cost is water. Sunlight does the rest!<\/p>\n<h3><strong>25. Get a Spotify Account<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Stop looking at your screen and instead listen to beautiful music. For $10 a month, you can find every playlist imaginable, from Chopin piano to meditation music.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>26. Use Essential Oil Diffusers<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Essential oils are an easy way to make your home smell like a spa. And the diffusers and oils are very inexpensive.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>27. Learn Another Language<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Knowing how to speak more than one language not only makes your life more interesting for work and travel, but it also has been shown to protect against Alzheimer\u2019s disease. There are tons of free apps and YouTube videos to get you started.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>28. Create a Cleaning Routine<\/strong><\/h3>\n<h3>Your home can turn into an out of control mess without a cleaning routine. Commit to cleaning your kitchen and tidying your home every night. Do your laundry three times a week, and clean your bathrooms and floors once a week.<\/h3>\n<h3><strong>29. Decorate with Photos<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>You don\u2019t need a budget to buy expensive art for your home. Tastefully framed photos of family, friends and trips is just as lovely and far more interesting.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>30. Have a Creative Hobby<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>We all need to use the right side of our brains. There are a multitude of ways that we can be creative at little expense. Consider taking up a hobby like knitting, drawing, writing, or cooking.<\/p>\n<p>(To read more about adopting good habits, click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/yourmorningcupofinspiration\/2016\/09\/good-habits-great-results.html\">here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>Email: meerabelle@meerabelledey.com<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>To receive my free e-book, &#8220;The Confidence Course,&#8221; and my weekly newsletter, subscribe at <a href=\"https:\/\/meerabelledey.com\/\">meerabelledey.com<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A high quality of life isn&#8217;t just for people who have a lot of money.\u00a0 In fact, your quality of life has less to do with how much money you have and more to do with how you manage your life and your belongings.\u00a0 Below are some ways to improve your quality of life at&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":593,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>30 Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Quality of Life - Your Morning Cup of Inspiration<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Having a great life doesn&#039;t require a lot of money. 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