1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:15,320 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: tip is about how to maximize your vacation days if 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: you'd like to travel more. Different organizations obviously give different 5 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:27,760 Speaker 1: amounts of paid time off. Different countries have different traditions 6 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: in this regard too, And if you live somewhere where 7 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,960 Speaker 1: everyone takes all of August off, you can just ignore 8 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: the rest of this episode. Join me again tomorrow. In 9 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: the US, at least where I live, the widely reported 10 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 1: figure is that people with five years on a job 11 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,840 Speaker 1: tend to get about fifteen days of paid vacation. That's 12 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: three work weeks. But a lot of workplaces that aren't 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: in vital public services also close on the major holidays 14 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: such as Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving, and so forth. People 15 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: often talk about wanting to travel more. When I ask 16 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: people what they'd like to spend more time doing, that's 17 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: one of the most popular answers. We put various international 18 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 1: destinations on our bucket lists, but even people who might 19 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: be able to swing such trips financially often think these 20 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 1: will need to happen during retirement because it's really challenging 21 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:18,760 Speaker 1: to travel far if you have limited vacation days, but 22 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: I don't think this has to be the case. The 23 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: key is to be proactive about your vacation scheduling. To 24 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:31,000 Speaker 1: stack vacation days with existing office closures and holidays. Then 25 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 1: you can do quite a bit of traveling while limiting 26 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: the vacation cost. So for instance, this year, America's Independence Day, 27 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: the fourth of July, is on a Thursday. Bowing to reality, 28 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: a number of workplaces will close on Friday the fifth 29 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 1: as well, But that means that if you were taking 30 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: July first, second, and third as vacation days, you could 31 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: theoretically fly somewhere on the evening of Friday, June twenty eighth, 32 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:57,280 Speaker 1: and have that weekend, the whole next week, and the 33 00:01:57,280 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: weekend of July sixth and seventh off for the of 34 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 1: three vacation days. That's a nine day trip, which is 35 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: definitely enough time to fly to a country you've been 36 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: hoping to visit in Europe or South America if you're 37 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,720 Speaker 1: not beholden to school schedules. Thanksgiving week is also good 38 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: for this. Many US workplaces will close on Thursday, November 39 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: twenty eighth for Thanksgiving of course, and then also stay 40 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: closed on Friday the twenty ninth. So by taking off 41 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: in the evening of Friday, November twenty second, being gone 42 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 1: that week, and then the weekend of November thirtieth and 43 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: December first, you could likewise get a nine day trip 44 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,919 Speaker 1: for three vacation days. When Christmas falls in the middle 45 00:02:36,919 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: of the week and it's on Wednesday this year, this 46 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: can be a prime spot too. If your office closes 47 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: December twenty fourth and twenty fifth, and then closes on 48 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: January first, you could theoretically leave on Friday, December twentieth, 49 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:53,080 Speaker 1: travel the entire next week, and then come back on Wednesday, 50 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: January first. This is a twelve day trip for the 51 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,720 Speaker 1: price of five vacation days, enough to really take a 52 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: trip to Asia or Africa or Pacific Island if you 53 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: wanted to. Even long weekends can be good for stacking. 54 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: If you get President's Day off in February, for instance, 55 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: you could take off Thursday night, enjoy Friday, Saturday and 56 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: Sunday visiting somewhere in the US, Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean, 57 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,760 Speaker 1: and then come back Monday evening. That's enough to fit 58 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,839 Speaker 1: in a reasonable adventure for the price of just one 59 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: vacation day. The key, of course, is planning ahead, because 60 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: you probably won't be the only person in your office 61 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: who wants one of these stackable holiday weeks. But here's 62 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: the thing, it's not a mystery when future holidays will occur. 63 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: You can look at future calendars into the year twenty 64 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: one hundred or later if you want so. These dates 65 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: are definitely known for twenty twenty, twenty twenty one, and 66 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: so forth. If you look ahead and put in your 67 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: request whenever your office vacation system opens up, then you're 68 00:03:52,880 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: far more likely to have first DIBs on these days 69 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 1: if you want them now. Maybe don't take all the 70 00:03:58,080 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: holidays as a favor to your colleagues, but if you 71 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 1: know now that you'll be taking a nine day European 72 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: vacation in summer twenty twenty, you can start patting that 73 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: vacation fund and anticipating your adventure, and that can make 74 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: all the time before summer twenty twenty more pleasant. So 75 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: take some time now to strategize with your family and 76 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: the calendar. What great trips will you plan in the meantime. 77 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: This is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's to making 78 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 79 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 80 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 81 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:47,600 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the 82 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: number four then Breakfast pod. You can also shoot me 83 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast. At iHeartMedia dot com 84 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 85 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: Thanks so much. Should I look forward to staying in touch. 86 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 87 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,799 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 88 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:18,200 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.