It can be challenging to live the life of a nomad when you are tied to a 9-5 job. You may daydream of sinking your feet into the sand and trailblazing along a new continent, but the impending doom known as limited paid time off complicates such endeavors.
While PTO is both a blessing and a curse, you can still make it work for you. One of the most important things I’ve learned from being in my industry is to work hard during work hours and play harder after hours. That means, taking full advantage of my vacation days and making them work for me.
Here are some ways you can harness your limited vacation days and arrange them in such a way that you can check those dream trips off your list.
1. Plan Your Days in Advance
The number one rule of planning a trip with limited vacation days – start early! If you wait until a week before your trip to put in your time off, you will elicit more stress and surely circulate office dissension with a last-minute jet-setting decision.
While you are 100% entitled to your vacation days, you also want to be respectful of your coworkers. If you accrue time off, plan accordingly. If you know you have a trip planned for December and it’s August, put in your days early to avoid conflicting time-off schedules with other coworkers.
I like to book my time off a few months out; this guarantees I am the only one taking off during that time, and it allows my manager the flexibility to review and approve my requests. Be firm with your PTO days, but also be mindful of those you have to work with every day.
2. Check Out Your Holiday Calendar as Soon as It’s Available
Avid travelers in the workplace know the exact month, date, and time their new calendar for the upcoming year comes out. It’s essential when planning your next year full of trips!
Usually, your HR department will roll out your company holiday calendar before the upcoming year, which will allow you time to view and plan. Depending on your workplace, some holidays may change year to year. You may even get different observed holidays or extra floating holidays. Find your calendar for the next year, mark off the days you are guaranteed off for holidays, and start thinking about the trips you want to take in the new year.
3. Arrange Travel Days Around Holidays and Weekends
I am only allotted 10 vacation days and 10 holidays…so I have to be prudent. If you’re like me, don’t be discouraged about the number of days because there ARE ways to make it work.
I start by looking at the holidays I am willing to miss for travel. For example, Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I will always be home with my family and avoid planning trips around that time. However, the other holidays are up for grabs, and can be used as travel days!
From there, I evaluate the length of the trip I want to go on, and if the holiday can factor into my overall plans. For example, I am planning a trip for 2022 over Thanksgiving. At my job, both Thanksgiving and Black Friday are observed as holidays. This means, I technically can book an 11-day trip to Egypt and only sacrifice 5 vacation days. This is a win-win in my book, and totally worth foregoing Thanksgiving turkey (sorry Dad!)
By using holidays and weekends to plan out your trips, you could turn 10 measly vacation days into a month of travel, divided up into one year. Less stress, more travel, and more fun!
4. Book Nighttime Flights
The 9-5 lifestyle can be difficult at times and make for long days. However, I always book my flights at night. If I can find a flight at 7:00pm or 8:00pm, I usually always snag it. That way, I don’t have to take off that day from work and forgo a vacation day just to fly.
I always plan to get a good nights’ sleep the night before, work all day, then hop a flight right after my last client call at 5:30pm. Sure, getting into my area of choice at 11:00pm or midnight isn’t super ideal, but after a long day of work and a flight, a bed in an Airbnb always feels lovely and I fall asleep almost immediately.
I get to where I need to be, get a restful nights’ sleep, then wake up the next day ready to take on an adventure in a new place! This works for me, but if you prefer early morning flights, you can technically do the same thing, just reverse.
5. Wheel and Deal
This is where you can enhance your negotiation skills. If you are desperate for more vacation days and are looking for a way to increase your travels, sit down with your boss and have an open and honest conversation. If you work in a business where vacation time can be negotiated, then definitely bring up the option for more time off.
If your year review comes around and you are willing to forgo more payment for vacation days, express this interest to your boss and see how they react. There could be an opportunity to wheel and deal on the table, but you never know until you ask. Be proactive, think about how you can ask for what you want, and be prepared to fight for what you need. This is your life – so make the most of it!
Ready to travel but don’t know how to organize your paid time off in a way that makes sense for you and your adventures? Let’s chat! I’m happy to help you devise a travel plan that works for you!
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