Blogs Travel Shop Girl 

Stop postponing vacations: Take one this year or ASAP!

Marian Krueger

Jamaica: Romantic sunset over Montego Bay (Larry Luxner)

When was the last time you were on a vacation?  I mean a real vacation; complete with bags packed, flying somewhere on an airplane, and relaxing for more than a few hours in an afternoon?  Why is it that Americans, who received on average 12 vacation days in 2012, either don’t go on vacations or don’t use up their vacation time?  If everyone is overworked, tired, and desperately wanting a vacation, why is no one taking any vacation time?

Money usually comes up as the number one reason why people can’t take a vacation.  It’ll cost too much to go or there are too many bills at home to warrant a vacation.  As a result, in a study commissioned by Expedia in 2012, did you know that of the 12 vacation days that people received, they only took 10?  They chose to work more over taking a vacation.

A bikini-clad woman enjoys a moment at the beach in Antigua and Barbuda. (Larry Luxner)
A bikini-clad woman enjoys a moment at the beach in Barbuda in the eastern Caribbean. (Larry Luxner)

Meanwhile, Europeans receive nearly a month of vacation time, from 25 to 30 days in total and take nearly every day of what they earn.  Clearly, Europeans understand the importance of vacations and build not only their work schedule around them, but their life as well.

What would that look like for Americans? Maybe if employers understood that an employee who spends quality time with his or her family makes for a better employee, then perhaps companies would provide the additional vacation time.  Until then, we should embrace every possible vacation day allowed us and plan as if our life depends on it.  Which, technically, it does.

How can you afford to take a vacation if you’ve not taken one in years or you feel like you don’t have enough money for one?

  1. Start small: Don’t plan a trip around the world when you’ve never left the country.
  2. Pick three: Narrow down the possibilities to three potential destinations and come up with a pro/con list.  Include cost, benefits, and if it’s on your bucket list.
  3. Plan in advance: Did you know that instead of waiting until a month or two before wanting a vacation that the best time to plan is farther in advance?  You can pick the vacation you want and quite often suppliers allow a deposit with final payment due around 2-3 months before you leave.
  4. Be realistic: If you haven’t saved money and your budget is small, don’t expect to be able to go on a trip around the world.
  5. You get what you pay for in the end: If you go for the cheapest vacation, don’t act surprised when you arrive and hate it.  The strange thing is that sometimes the difference between cheap and good can be the difference of as little as $100 for an entire vacation.
  6. Create a vacation account: Whether it’s a piggy bank in your room or a legitimate savings account, just do it.  If you regularly contribute to your vacation fund, you will be more likely to take a vacation.
  7. Forego the cigarettes, Starbucks, McDonalds, etc.: Everyone has a vice – maybe yours is a latte every morning on your way to work.  That $5 coffee equals $100 spent every month or $1200 a year.  Still don’t think you can afford a vacation?
  8. Work with a travel agent: Especially if you’re unfamiliar with how booking travel works or maybe you simply want to find a great deal, a travel agent is the expert in the field of travel.  Ask coworkers, friends, or family for the name of their travel agent if you don’t know where to start.  If you didn’t already know, travel agents don’t charge you for their services.  A great travel agent will offer you their knowledge, expertise, and so much more in the way of benefits and amenities.
  9. Buy travel insurance: Once you book your trip, don’t forego the travel insurance.  No one can predict the future and hopefully you’ll have the same job and won’t need to cancel, but if you have to, make sure you protect your vacation investment.

Stop procrastinating people!  Put yourself first and plan a vacation today.  If not for this year, start planning next year’s vacation.  There is something truly magical about planning and researching a vacation because you actually start the vacation the second you start looking at the possibilities.