What’s a Ministay you ask? Short do-able holidays that don’t break the bank and use up all your annual leave.I get it. One of the hardest things I find about planning a holiday is making the time. There is always a reason why I shouldn’t or can’t or won’t take a little time off for myself.

There are deadlines at work
Family obligations
Financial restraints
Not having enough time
No one to go with
You feel like the holiday photos people post aren’t do-able

To name a few. But I can think of even more reasons why I should.So how do you find the time?

Plan ahead

Look out for public holidays, make a long weekend work for you, save up annual leave, take time off between jobs if you’re about to start a new one.

Budget for it

This one’s a no-brainer for the financially-worried ones. Ask yourself, how much can you realistically afford to spend in total? What are your biggest expenses going to be? How much time do you have to save up for it? Figure these out and slowly the thought of going away becomes much more realistic.

Look for inspiration

Instagram is a treasure trove of hashtag travelgoals and “wish you were here’s”, see what’s close to you.

Remember a vacation doesn’t need to involve hours and hours of travel.

Read travel blogs

Travel hacking is becoming a lot more mainstream and the Internet is finding more and more ways to make the most of everything. It’s becoming easier to travel, with lower airfares, hotels offering great deals as well as Airbnb’s. Make Groupon your friend. Bonus: If you have yet to book with Airbnb, here’s an offer for $55 off your first trip of $110 AUD or more.

Find a friend

While traveling alone has its perks, there’s also something to be said for traveling with a friend. A karaoke partner to help make driving easier, a navigator for when you’re looking for the next pitstop or fun partner that helps you find a random night out in a new place. It also helps keep costs down and it gives you a partner in crime (plus a cameraperson for those insta-worthy shots!).

Stop overthinking!

I’m guilty of this with almost everything. I worry and think about all the reasons why I can’t (see above) but all my holidays have happened when I didn’t stress too much about it, just took things one step at a time, and just did it.If you’ve made it this far, chances are you’re in the mood for your next adventure. So, what’s stopping you?

Finding the time for a Ministay