The term "retail therapy" is a bit of a misnomer. Sure, buying yourself something expensive can improve your mood, but the boost is often temporary. In fact, you usually end up feeling worse later on （like when your credit card bill arrives）.

    Fortunately, there are ways to spend your money - even if you don't have much of it - that will bring you true long-term happiness. Over the past 25 years, behavioral economists and psychologists have been examining the connection between money and mood, and they've made some intriguing discoveries. Using their research, Women's Health identified five simple ways to reallocate your budget so that you feel more bliss.

    Spend money on a vacation instead of spa treatments

    In need of some serious R&R? A mani-pedi or massage might seem like the perfect way to pamper yourself. After all, compared to a trip, these things go for chump change. But experts say putting some distance between you and your daily surroundings is a much better way to de-stress and is worth the expenditure. In a study published in the journal Occupational Medicine, researchers found that vacations not only had a positive effect on short-term happiness but also a beneficial impact on people's long-term mental and physical well-being.

    More good news: "It's not just the vacation itself that'll make you happier, but the potential perspective you'll gain on your getaway, which can lead you to a happier life," says Alan Lysaght, a financial psychology expert and coauthor of The ABCs of Making Money. "Breaking free from your usual routine gives you a chance to take stock of your life and figure out the kinds of changes you need to make to be happier." Can't swing a far-flung trip right now? Even a weekend spent at a local B&B can work wonders.

    Spend money on makeup instead of clothes

    It's as simple as this: When you look good, you feel good. But that mood booster doesn't have to be a big-ticket item.

    According to a study conducted by BuzzBack Market Research, beauty products - even the drugstore kind - are a more satisfying purchase than a chic new addition to your wardrobe. As crazy as it sounds, studies have found that during economic downturns, lipstick sales actually spike. （Economists call it the Lipstick Effect.）

    One possible reason: There's something satisfying about adding a little bit of luxury to your life - and even if you're strapped for cash, you can usually fit a lip gloss into your budget. "And unlike a dress you wear every once in a while, that tube of lipstick will provide a daily pick-me-up," Lysaght says.

    Spend money on your bedroom instead of your living room

    Generally, when people splurge on a home upgrade, they focus their expenditure on a room that guests spend time in - for example, they'll buy a sofa for the living room or granite countertops for the kitchen. But those might not be the best places to invest your home happiness dollars.

    One recent study found that the cities where residents got the most restful night's sleep were also the places where people's happiness levels were highest. "The bedroom is where you relax and unwind," says Denis Cauvier, Ph.D., a business consultant and Lysaght's co-author. And when you consider that we spend a third of our lives in bed, investing in a new mattress, soft 600-thread-count sheets, or heavy-duty light-blocking window shades makes a lot of sense. In fact, you'll reap one of the most priceless things of all: a good night's sleep.

    Spend money on a gym membership instead of home equipment

    You might think you'd be a lot more likely to work out if you have a treadmill, stationary bike, or weight machine sitting right in your basement. Not necessarily. According to a recent survey by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, 37 percent of respondents admitted that they use their home equipment less frequently than they expected to.

    One possible reason: Working out with other people at the gym makes those sweatfests more enjoyable - and when people have fun exercising, they're more likely to stick with it, reveals an article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. What's more, merging your workout with your social life will help you fit two important tasks into your overbooked calendar at once.

    "The gym basically automates your time with friends," explains Laura Rowley, author of "Money and Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life" and a financial columnist for Yahoo Finance. "You can see people you really want to see, which makes you happy and makes the expense feel worth it." If that's not enough of a reason to shell out that monthly fee, consider this: While you can slack off on the treadmill in your basement without anyone knowing, that militant spin instructor isn't going to go as easy on you. So in the long run, you'll be much happier with the results, too.

    Spend money on others instead of yourself

    If you want instant gratification, give some of your money away. In one experiment, researchers handed out $5 and $20 bills to students, asking half to spend it on themselves and half to dole the dollars out to other people. Those who gave the cash away reported feeling happier at the end of the day.

    "Not many things contribute to our happiness more than generosity," says Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph. D., a former Harvard lecturer and the author of "Happier." Consider donating $25 per month to your favorite cause （which you can deduct come tax time）. Don't have a cause close to your heart? Check out charitynavigator.org, which catalogs organizations by topic （animals, environment, health, etc.） and even rates charities, so you can be certain your contribution really will make a difference.

    Or do something good close to home: Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School have found that we're more motivated to help others when we have some personal connection to them. Find local charities that strike a chord - food pantries, the humane society, a homeless shelter, or a local museum or library - and write a check to help them out. On a smaller scale, treating a friend to lunch for her birthday or buying your boyfriend his favorite flavor of ice cream can make you feel warm and fuzzy, too.

    關於這個術語"購物療法",實際上有一點點誤稱。當然，給你自己買一點貴的東西可以改善你的心境
，但是改善隻是暫時的。事實上
，你事後通常情緒會更加低落（比如你的信用卡賬單來的時候）.

    幸運的是
，現在有一些方法可以花錢--即使你並沒有很多錢--來帶給你長期的幸福感。在過去的25年中，行為經濟學家和心理學家曾做過一個實驗，檢驗金錢和心境之間的紐帶。他們發現了一些有趣的調查結果。根據他們的研究，《女性健康》發現可以通過五種重新分配你的預算方法來達到更多的幸福感。

    把錢花在旅行上，而不是礦泉療法

    yinweiyixieshiqingdexuyao，yicixiujiahuozheanmokanqilaishiduizijideyizhongkuandai。bijing，helvxingxiangbijiao，zhexieshiqingsuoxuyaodeqianjiaoshao。danshizhuanjiazhichu
，likainizhouweirichangdehuanjing
，daoyuanfangqulvyouyici，shiyizhonggenghaodejianyafangfa。erqie，tazhideniweitazhichu。zaiyixiangkandengzai《職業病學》雜誌上的研究表明

，旅行不僅對營造短期的幸福感有積極地作用

，而且對人們長期的身心愉悅有很好的促進作用。

    更有甚者
，"並不僅僅是旅行本身可以給你帶來愉悅感，起作用的還有你在旅途中得到的那些潛在可以把你帶往一個更加幸福的生活的看法，"金融心理學家、《賺錢ABC》合著者艾倫·萊薩特說道
，"從你的常規中掙脫出來可以帶給你一個預估你生活和計算你需要去做的、能夠使你變得更加幸福的改變的機會。" 不能決定一次遙遠長期的旅行？其實在當地的家庭旅館消磨一個周末也可以產生神奇的效果。

    把錢花在化妝品上，而不是衣服

    這和如下的話一樣簡單："當你看起來很不錯時

，你就確實很不錯。但是神經興奮並不一定需要高昂的代價。"

    根據巴茲巴克市場調研機構的一向研究表明
，美容產品--即使是從藥店買來的--biqiyijianliuxingxinkuan，nigengqinglaiyuxuantazuoweinichuzidexinchengyuan。hetabenshentingqilaiyiyangfengkuangdeshi，yanjiuyijingbiaoming
，zaijingjixiaotiaoqi，kouhongchangchanghuimaifeng（經濟學家稱之為口紅效應）.

    一個可能的原因是
，給你的生活增加一些奢侈品可以產生滿足感--即使是手頭有些緊張，你也可以在你的預算中增加一支唇膏。"而且
，不像裙子，你可能隻是偶爾才穿一次
，唇膏可以使我保持一整天的興奮。"萊薩特如是說。

    把錢花在臥室上，而不是客廳

    一yi般ban來lai說shuo，當dang人ren們men在zai家jia居ju裝zhuang修xiu上shang揮hui霍huo時shi，他ta們men會hui在zai客ke人ren們men消xiao磨mo時shi間jian的de房fang間jian裏li投tou入ru更geng多duo的de注zhu意yi力li。舉ju個ge例li子zi
，他ta們men會hui給gei客ke廳ting買mai個ge沙sha發fa
，或huo者zhe是shi給gei廚chu房fang買mai個ge花hua崗gang岩yan台tai麵mian板ban。但dan是shi那na些xie地di方fang或huo許xu並bing不bu是shi投tou資zi擬ni家jia庭ting幸xing福fu指zhi數shu的de最zui好hao的de地di方fang。

    最近一個研究表明，居民睡眠質量最高的城市

，往往也是居民幸福指數最高的城市。"臥室是你休息和放鬆的地方，"商業谘詢顧問、萊斯特的合著者丹尼斯 ·居維葉博士說道。當你考慮在你的床上花費三分之一的時候

，比如買一床新的床墊，600針的床單


，或者重型遮光窗簾就非常有意義。事實上，你將會獲得一樣無價之寶：一個好的睡眠。

    把錢花在健身房裏，而不是家庭設備

    你(ni)可(ke)能(neng)認(ren)為(wei)，如(ru)果(guo)你(ni)的(de)地(di)下(xia)室(shi)裏(li)有(you)一(yi)架(jia)跑(pao)步(bu)機(ji)，一(yi)輛(liang)定(ding)位(wei)腳(jiao)踏(ta)車(che)

，或(huo)者(zhe)一(yi)架(jia)地(di)秤(cheng)
，你(ni)會(hui)更(geng)有(you)勁(jin)頭(tou)去(qu)工(gong)作(zuo)。而(er)事(shi)實(shi)卻(que)不(bu)是(shi)非(fei)得(de)這(zhe)樣(yang)。根(gen)據(ju)美(mei)國(guo)消(xiao)費(fei)者(zhe)報(bao)告(gao)國(guo)家(jia)調(tiao)查(zha)中(zhong)心(xin)的(de)一(yi)項(xiang)最(zui)新(xin)的(de)調(tiao)查(zha)顯(xian)示(shi)，37%的被訪者承認
，他們並沒有如他們預期所想地那樣頻繁使用家庭健身器械。

    《美國科學院醫學助理》雜誌上刊登的一片文章提出，一個可能的原因是與其他人一起在健身房運動可以使流汗的感覺更爽--同(tong)時(shi)，當(dang)人(ren)們(men)享(xiang)受(shou)到(dao)運(yun)動(dong)的(de)趣(qu)味(wei)性(xing)時(shi)，他(ta)們(men)會(hui)更(geng)有(you)可(ke)能(neng)堅(jian)持(chi)下(xia)去(qu)。更(geng)重(zhong)要(yao)的(de)是(shi)，將(jiang)你(ni)的(de)社(she)會(hui)生(sheng)活(huo)與(yu)健(jian)身(shen)練(lian)習(xi)這(zhe)兩(liang)個(ge)重(zhong)要(yao)的(de)任(ren)務(wu)相(xiang)合(he)並(bing)可(ke)以(yi)立(li)刻(ke)使(shi)你(ni)適(shi)應(ying)你(ni)已(yi)經(jing)超(chao)出(chu)過(guo)多(duo)的(de)日(ri)程(cheng)安(an)排(pai)。

    "健身房可以基本上自動安排你與朋友們的時間
，"《金錢與幸福：幸福生活指南》的作者

、雅虎財經的專欄作家勞拉·羅莉解釋道
，"你可以看見你真正想見的人，而這個可以使你感到愉悅並使你的花費物有所值。"如果這還不夠成為支出這每月的"零花錢"的理由的，那麼你可以考慮一下這個：當dang你ni一yi個ge人ren在zai你ni地di下xia室shi的de跑pao步bu機ji上shang鬆song懈xie時shi，那na個ge好hao戰zhan的de飛fei速su轉zhuan動dong的de教jiao練lian卻que對dui你ni並bing不bu寬kuan容rong。所suo以yi從cong長chang遠yuan來lai說shuo

，你ni也ye會hui對dui這zhe個ge結jie果guo感gan到dao更geng加jia幸xing福fu。

    把錢花在別人身上，而不是你自己

    如果你想要的是即時的滿足感，那麼請把你送掉你的一些錢。在一個實驗裏給每個學生都發了5到20美元，並要求他們一半花在自己身上，一半捐給其他人。一天結束後
，那些把錢給別人的同學表示感到更幸福。

    "比慷慨更能帶給我們幸福感的事情並不多。"前哈佛講師、《更幸福一點》的作者泰勒·本-沙哈爾博士如是說。試想
，每月捐出25美元給你最喜歡的事業（你不妨從稅收裏扣除）.你有一個打心底喜歡的事業嗎
？請參考一下charitynavigator.org,上麵按照主題（動物

、環境
、健康等等）羅列了各種組織的目錄，以及各種慈善機構，因此你可以確信你的付出會起到作用。

    或huo者zhe在zai家jia附fu近jin做zuo一yi些xie好hao事shi。賓bin夕xi法fa尼ni亞ya沃wo爾er頓dun商shang學xue院yuan的de研yan究jiu者zhe發fa現xian

，我wo們men會hui更geng積ji極ji地di去qu幫bang助zhu那na些xie跟gen我wo們men有you人ren事shi關guan係xi的de人ren。找zhao到dao當dang地di能neng夠gou引yin起qi共gong鳴ming的de慈ci善shan機ji構gou --餐具室，人道協會
，流浪漢之家，或者是一個當地的博物館或圖書館--然ran後hou寄ji去qu一yi張zhang支zhi票piao幫bang助zhu他ta們men。小xiao規gui模mo上shang的de，給gei朋peng友you辦ban一yi個ge慶qing生sheng會hui
，或huo者zhe給gei你ni男nan朋peng友you買mai一yi款kuan他ta最zui喜xi歡huan的de冰bing淇qi淋lin也ye可ke以yi使shi你ni感gan到dao溫wen暖nuan和he朦meng朧long。