PTO Hack: Do you want to travel more, but you don’t have the Paid Time Off to support it? Let’s maximize that PTO!
As you know to this point, travel is a passion of mine. I would drop everything and travel the world if I was able to. Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world, and most of us have to maintain a day job that keeps us in an office Monday through Friday. However, that does not mean we have to lose our work life balance.
Because of this restriction, it is a strategic mission on how I use my Paid Time Off in planning vacations each year. The main goal is to use the bulk of your PTO around federal holidays. That is the key of the post. Turn those three day weekends into five day vacations with only two days of PTO taken. By strategically planning vacations around these holidays, you can enjoy longer breaks while conserving your PTO for other times of the year. The extra days off will make for longer, more relaxing vacations.
For this example, I will use my strategy and 2024 PTO calendar on how I would maximize the amount of days to vacation and travel the world:
15 Days of PTO for 2024
January (New Years Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- January 1st – 1 Day PTO (Jan. 2) for 4 days off (Dec. 30 – Jan. 2)
- January 15th – 2 Days PTO (Jan. 16-17) for 5 days off (Jan 13 – Jan. 17)
February (President’s Day)
- February 19 – 1 Day PTO (Feb. 20) for 4 days off (Feb. 17 – Feb. 20)
May (Memorial Day)
- May 27 – 2 Days PTO (May 28-29) for 5 days off (May 25 – May 29)
June (Juneteenth)
- June 19 – This holiday falls on a Wednesday, so I do not plan a vacation around. 2 Days could be used for an extended weekend.
July (Independence Day)
- July 4 and 5 – 3 Days PTO (July 1-3) for 9 days off (June 29 – July 7) ***one of the best***
September (Labor Day)
- September 2 – 1 Day PTO (Sept. 3) for 4 days off (August 31 – September 3)
October 14 (Columbus Day)
- October 14 – 1 Day PTO (Oct. 15) for 4 days off (October 12 – October 15)
November (Veterans Day and Thanksgiving)
- November 11 – 1 Day PTO (Nov. 12) for 4 days off (November 9 – November 12)
- November 28 and 29 – 3 Days PTO (Nov. 25-27) for 9 days off (November 23 – December 1)
December (Christmas)
- December 25 – This falls on a Wednesday, and I normally do not travel. If you do vacation around Christmas, you could use two days here to extend to a long weekend
So, as you can see here, we turned 15 PTO days into 48 days off wrapped around federal holidays and weekends to travel and explore the world. That amount of time off sounds much better to maximize long trips. There are no more restrictions on three day weekends since you can do so much more with a five or even nine day vacations.
My goal is to focus the main international trips we take for the 9 days blocked around the full week off from work. Then, I try and use the shorter 4 or 5 day trips for domestic adventures that have been on our list. This strategy has been a game changer in how we plan vacations. Because of this, I am always the first one to submit my PTO requests for the year.
By planning ahead and booking travel early, you can take advantage of potential cost savings and availability, turning these long weekends into memorable mini-vacations. In summary, thoughtful planning around federal holidays can significantly extend your travel opportunities throughout the year, allowing you to explore more, relax longer, and make the most of your paid time off.
Enjoy your PTO!
