How many vacation days did you take this year? How many does your employer allow you to take? Did you work through illness and burnout because you didn’t have enough paid time off to rest and recuperate? Did you skip meaningful events with your family? When was the last time you took an actual vacation from your job? Today we’re talking about vacation time, or paid time off (PTO). It’s the bitter controversy that launched a thousand memes about the difference between Europe and the United States. In the past, I’ve worked for employers that offered anywhere from 6 to 10 vacation days per year. I’ve worked for companies that allow you to take comp time (i.e., if you work on a weekend day, you may add that day to your total PTO). Currently, I work for a company that “doesn’t have a vacation policy.” Other employers call this “unlimited PTO.” In practice, this means that I can take as many days off as I see fit, so long as I get my work done. With that generous vacation time policy, you might be wondering how much time I took off this year. Welp… I took 8 fucking work weeks of vacation time this year. That’s 40 whole days. And I feel absolutely no remorse. In fact, I feel giddy. I feel like celebrating! Let’s unpack that! [embed]https://youtube.com/watch?v=Oy4b8SMQ5A4&feature=oembed[/embed] How I spent my vacation time Before we dive into the greater proletarian discourse of PTO, allow me a humble brag. Here’s how I used my 40 days of vacation time over the course of this year: I visited my family on the East Coast for a non-Christmas Christmas in mid-January. During this trip I visited my grandfather in the hospital, where he was being treated for pneumonia and dementia. In March my dog died. He was 16 years old and going through renal failure, so I needed to take a few days off to manage his care and plan for the end of his life. It sucked. I miss my dog so much. A week to the day after that, Papi passed away. I flew back east again for the wake and funeral. We knew it was coming, and I’m glad I had a chance to say goodbye in January… but it still hurt. After all that grief, I deserved a real fucking break. So in April I took three weeks off to raft the Grand Canyon—a trip we’d been planning for a whole year. I was completely off the grid and thrilled about it. For my husband’s birthday in July (though not on Independence Day weekend), we went on another outdoor adventure in Southern Colorado, rafting and swimming and brewery-hopping with friends. This September I went to Vermont to officiate the wedding of my childhood bestie. It was magical. She looked

I’ll make a confession, I love cookbooks. I read them like novels. In fact, I have to stop myself from buying them. Once I had so many that my bookshelves were starting to bend. I’ve since donated many but there are three that I’ll never give away. If you’re watching your food budget and who […] Continue Reading The post Three Cookbooks I Wouldn’t Be Without appeared first on My Worthy Penny.

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A couple earning $500,000 a year should feel rich, right? That’s top 2% territory in America—plenty of cash to save, invest, and splurge on the finer things in life. Or so you’d think. But when I dive into the financial lives of high-income households, the reality often doesn’t match the perception. Take, for example, this […] The post From Struggling To Living Well On $500K A Year: Escaping the Rat Race Faster appeared first on […]

Proposed legislation in the U.S. Senate aims to eliminate the “marriage penalty” in Social Security benefits for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The Eliminating the Marriage Penalty in SSI Act (EMPSA), introduced by Senators Jerry Moran and Chris Van Hollen, seeks to protect recipients’ benefits from being reduced or eliminated due to marriage. Read the rest

Image Source: 123rf.com When preparing for an interview, it’s important to consider what you’re going to wear. Choosing the right interview clothes not only helps you make a strong first impression but also boosts your confidence, thus increasing your chances of getting hired. A recent survey shows that 71% of employers consider the appropriate attire a critical factor while evaluating job applicants. But dressing right for an interview doesn’t have to break the bank. Here […]

Image Source: 123rf.com Dental health is one of the most important aspects of overall wellness, yet many tend to overlook its significance. In 2022, the World Health Organization reported that almost half of the world’s population (45% or 3.5 billion people) suffer from oral diseases, mostly due to lack of access to prevention and treatment. While some believe dental care can be expensive, that’s not always true. In fact, you can often save more money […]

We all deserve a little pampering now and then. But once pampering becomes the standard, you might find yourself overspending on unnecessary luxuries and viewing … Read More 6 Everyday Luxuries That Are Quietly Draining Your Bank Account Without You Realizing