How to Maximize Your Time Off With This Vacation Hack

The Fourth of July conveniently falls on a Thursday this year, providing the workforce of the Commonwealth the perfect opportunity to have a four-day weekend.

Independence Day being on a Thursday is better than it being on a Friday or a Monday, in my opinion. It's the perfect set-up for a Thanksgiving-like holiday weekend. (And we'll get to Thanksgiving in a minute.) If you planned accordingly, you have nine days off and are only spending four of your PTO days. If you didn't, well, it's too late for this particular holiday, but not the rest of them.

Labor Day Vacation Hack

Labor Day is September 2nd, so if you take off September 3rd-6th...voila...you will once again have nine days off, and you'll only need to schedule four days of PTO.

Thanksgiving Vacation Hack

(By the way, this is fun.) I always prefer Thanksgiving being late in the month; many others I know do not. I just like the big holiday season to be a little more consolidated. Now, with Turkey Day happening November 28th, all you need to do, once again, is to schedule yourself off on 11/25-27 and then again on the 29th and you'll have another nine days off. AND if you work for a company that gives you Black Friday, tack on that next Monday and go for ten.

Christmas Vacation Hack

Okay, here's the biggie. At first glance, I always roll my eyes when Christmas falls on a Wednesday. However, good planning will eliminate that eye roll. If you take off the 23rd, 24th, 26th, 27th, 30th, and 31st (and then New Year's Day, of course), you will have 12 days off at the cost of a mere FIVE PTO days. THAT is a bargain.

I suppose this goes without saying, but weekends are included in those automatic days off. Some folks work on weekends, so this might not work out for them. But it's still a great formula to keep handy.