Some people love everything about Christmas. But for others, the planning, shopping, decorating and entertaining around the holidays can be incredibly overwhelming and time-consuming, not to mention, expensive. If this sounds familiar, why not ditch the whole production and hightail it out of town?
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Sure, taking a vacation during the holiday season can be pricey. However, if you factor in the cost of all the gifts, decorations, food and parties, the cost of a Christmas getaway might not be as high as you think compared to celebrating at home. If you need more convincing, check out these three reasons why you should skip Christmas and travel to somewhere amazing instead.
You Get To Skip Holiday Shopping and Gift-Giving
Instead of spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on presents this Christmas, suggest to your closest family members or friends that you all ditch gift-giving and take a trip together. Imagine all of the time and money you’ll save, the stress you’ll avoid and the memories you’ll make.
If your group is adamant about giving at least a few presents this year during the trip, you can still save money by limiting the number of gifts you decide to buy. After all, transporting a pile of gifts while traveling is a hassle.
Also, you can make the trip itself a Christmas gift to your whole family. For example, instead of buying dozens of toys for all four of your children, a more meaningful gift could be a holiday vacation to their favorite amusement park — Disney World, anyone?
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You Can Say Goodbye to Holiday Party-Planning Stress
Planning a holiday party isn’t cheap. After coming up with a menu, buying decorations and shopping for the perfect outfit, these fun gatherings can quickly become huge budget-breakers.
Now, envision blowing off the Christmas party this year. Don’t you feel calmer already? Instead of dealing with the financial stress of planning a holiday party, treat yourself to a real vacation and get some much-needed relaxation instead.
Those Smaller Household Expenses Add Up
When you’re home, it costs you. Heating, electricity, water, groceries — these seemingly little things can add up, especially if you have a house full of family members showering, eating your food, using your laundry facilities, watching TV and plugging their devices into your outlets. But if you take a trip with your family, you might be able to save a bit of money on those household costs.
Convince your family to fork over some cash to stay in a hotel in a different city this Christmas. So, instead of wasting your electricity, they’re using the hotel’s services. Even better: Save money on food and drinks by having the whole family chip in for an all-inclusive vacation or a Christmas cruise. Depending on the cruise or vacation package, you can sometimes spend less than $100 a day during your vacation.
Just remember: When you leave home, turn the thermostat down, put the lights on timers and make sure you unplug everything. This is an easy way to save some pennies while you’re away.
Final Take To GO: The Cost and Savings of Breaking Tradition
Breaking with tradition is hard to imagine, but it doesn’t hurt to try something new now and then. This year, give yourself the gift of experience and see some places that have been on your wish list for years. Remember, if you want to have a memorable life, it means breaking the routine. Instead of going to the same holiday parties, head outside your comfort zone and say “yes” to skipping a traditional Christmas that no longer serves you. You’ll be glad you did.
Trae Bodge contributed to the reporting for this article.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 3 Reasons To Skip Christmas and Travel During the Holidays Instead