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2. Why You Should Go On A Holiday For The Holidays

We are fully into the swing of summer, so, naturally it’s the perfect time to think about... the holidays? A season known for being filled with joy and festivity, but equally jammed with stress and too many plans. From office holiday parties, to friends and family, it can be a seriously stressful time.

With that in mind, and incredible deals available for those who start planning ahead, why not use your time off work to actually enjoy yourself, and go on holiday for the holidays? Depending on what you’re planning, the sweet spot for booking will vary.

Here are five reasons to think about getting away for the season:

Stop thinking it’s “selfish”

We are made to believe that the holiday season is for family. Full stop.

But what if you don’t have family? Or you don’t like your family? Or you like them, but you only get so much time off a year, and don’t want to spend every free moment with them? Or you like them and want to have new experiences with them?

Do not allow anyone to make you feel that using your time off work and your travel budget to do what you want is selfish. This may mean taking a solo trip to the beach instead of heading to grandma’s house to be interrogated about why you aren’t dating anyone or married yet. Or maybe you decide to take the kids to a theme park to have a magical trip that they want. Or maybe you and your girlfriend decide to experience a new culture together. It is your time and money, so it is your choice.

Traditions are meant to be shared, learned and updated

Maybe you shy away from the idea of traveling during the holidays because you have traditions with your family and friends. Whether it’s baking cookies for the neighborhood or going caroling, it is totally normal to have something you like to do every year. But that shouldn’t keep you from learning new traditions.

Experiences can be the best gifts

Or the best way to use new gifts. Tinggly lets you purchase experience certificates and the receiver can use them anywhere in the world. But why not go together? Or you might have your eye on a new camera, but where are you going to use it? And whom will you be taking pictures of/with?

It might actually cost less than staying home

Travel is more accessible than ever, and if you’re willing to be flexible with your destination, you’d be amazed at what kind of deals you can find. With potlucks and Secret Santas and White Elephants, the holiday season adds up. Ok, so travel probably won’t be less than staying home, but it isn’t as expensive as you think. Keep an eye on sites like Secret Flying, who list flight deals and error fares, and you can snag surprising fares.

It’s even early enough to start saving credit card points for the holiday trip you want. If you live in the United States, Chase and Capital One offer great travel benefits with their cards and you can take advantage of sign-up bonuses and use them strategically to maximize purchases you are already making (e.g. put all of your gas and/or grocery purchases on the card and pay it off right away). Then, with all your points, book your flights or erase travel purchases made outside of the rewards booking system.

Less stress, more joy

Put aside the way that Home Alone depicted family holidays. Getting away means leaving the stress of the season behind. Managing everyone’s schedules, picking up gifts, baking cookies, and doing it all while driving in snow and ice. If you aren’t traveling with the McCallisters, it is the perfect way to relax during the season and enjoy the time you have off from work and the kids have off from school.

Sure, travel has its stresses, but is also comes with margaritas. [or mulled wine, or whisky, or whatever your destination’s beverage of choice may be.]

Ok, you’re convinced, now what?

So you need a little help getting started on holiday planning? No problem! Here are a few ways to start planning for the holidays:

Be flexible and follow the deal: If budget is going to be the more important than destination, get yourself set up with price alerts now and be ready to pull the trigger when you see a deal that sparks your interest. You can sign up for the email lists on Secret Flying to get all deals departing your country/area, which helps expand your options. Say you live in Nebraska, but there’s a smoking deal leaving LA – jump on it then look for cheap flights to LA!

Get the family in on the decision: As soon as you’re planning travel for more people than one, opinions come into play. And everyone may have their own idea on where they want to go. Instead of making a totalitarian decision, make it a game! Let everyone write down one or two countries, toss them in a hat and pick your destination from there. Everyone will feel heard and part of the decision.

Get inspired: Search your favorite travel blogs or check out hashtags like #christmas or #familyvacation on Instagram; once you see something that excites you, learn more about the destination and start planning. Here’s a guide to using Instagram to help you plan.

Go see or learn about extended family: Just because you’re traveling doesn’t mean it can’t be about family. Maybe you want to learn more about your heritage.

Just go.

No matter how you go about it, going on holiday for the holidays is sure to be an adventure and much more special than huddling around the same Christmas tree (or menorah, or Festivus pole) every year.