Things to use vacation days on (besides vacation)

Americans have fewer vacation days than people in other wealthy countries, yet we’re still reluctant to use them. The number of unused vacation days in the US is around 768 million each year, according to a 2019 study, meaning that we, as a nation, are squandering around 33% of our available free time.

There are various grand, socio-political reasons for this, but there is also a simpler motivation: If you only really have the option to take a day or two in a row, what can you really do with that time? In other words, why bother? Well, we have some answers to that not-quite-existential question, ranging from some very practical uses of vacation days to some ideas that will revive your flagging spirit, or at least provide some well-deserved, easily-achieved fun.

A quick primer on how to put those vacation days to use

The key to making good use of one or two vacation days is to plan an activity that you can complete in that time. If you’re using the day(s) for something practical, you don’t want to leave your task incomplete — the feeling that results from that is very un-vacationish. This principle also holds if you plan on using your day(s) for fun. Plan something easily doable in the time you have available. We have some ideas…

The practical stuff

Financial housekeeping

It is well worth taking a day to see that everything is correct, up to date and paid (or set up to be autopaid) in terms of bills, credit cards, 401Ks, mortgage, investments… Once you start thinking about this, the list grows long. Do you have any credit cards that should be paid off or canceled? Where are you at with student loans? Are you saving enough money? Can you get a jump on next year’s taxes? Did you ever cancel that subscription service you no longer use? While no one would describe this process as a holiday, getting it done will give you that post-holiday feeling of relaxation afterwards. (Need help? Eligible Haven Term customers receive no-cost online document storage services from the pros at LifeSite via our bonus rider, Haven Life Plus.)

Physical housekeeping

Do your gutters need cleaning? Is there a loose doorknob in the kitchen? Are there photos that should be hung, artwork to be framed? If you have a day’s worth of minor chores around the house, book some time off from work to attend to them while the rest of your family is at work/ school. Put on some loud music, order delivery, and make a day of it.

Make some end-of-life plans

Sure, watering your plants is nice and all, but sometimes you gotta just go ahead and confront the reality that you, like the rest of us, are mortal. (Those plants are, too, come to think of it.)

With Haven Life and its partners, this is actually something you can deal with in less than a day without leaving the house, and we’d strongly recommend it. Haven Life makes buying life insurance online easy, and our partners Trust & Will and Lantern make it just as straightforward to make a legally binding will (or trust) and to create detailed instructions for end of life care, funeral arrangements and other related matters, via the Haven Life Plus rider. Go ahead, take a nap or pour yourself an adult beverage — or both! — afterward. It’ll (almost) feel just like an actual vacation…

Visit the doctor

An annual physical with your doctor and a regular tooth cleaning/check-in with your dentist will save you time, money and discomfort down the road. But many of us only deal with medical matters once they’ve made themselves unavoidable. Don’t be that person. Take a day to see your doctor and dentist and, while you’re at it, get your eyes checked: if you don’t have glasses or contacts, it’s worth verifying that you still don’t need them, and if you do have them, now’s the time to see if your prescription is still correct.

The fun stuff

Be a tourist in your town

Have you noticed that when people visit from out of town, they do fun, interesting things that make you think “I should do that,” only you never do? Well, now’s the time. Go to your city’s museums (you know, the ones you pass while running errands). Avail yourself of the art house cinema (or the blockbuster theater with the massive popcorn). Sit in the park. See if your partner can take the day off, too, and make a date of it. (Especially if the kids are at school.)

Most places have cool things to do that are overlooked by the residents. Take advantage.

Read a book. A whole one.

If your reading time is usually restricted to commuting and pre-bedtime, try dedicating a full day to reading for fun. Turn off the phone, open up a book (something you can finish in one or two days) and surrender yourself to the world within its pages in a way that you probably haven’t since college.

Not a book person? The same concept applies to listening to records, watching foreign films (or action movies), swimming or riding your bike, or oft-neglected self-care necessities like getting a haircut.

The point is that taking a vacation day to do something simple for yourself is simpler than you think. Don’t leave time on the table.