Save Up to Cash Out: Maximize Your PTO & Create an Amazing & Healthy Work-Life Balance

I’m the self-proclaimed Queen of PTO! Paid Time Off, aka PTO, has come to be one of my most prized possessions. There was a time that it didn’t exist. My pre-hospital jobs paid decent hourly wages, but there weren’t any benefits. When I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid. Because of that, I returned to work 2 weeks after having my daughter via Cesarean section. Yeah, I was a fool, but those bills weren’t going to pause because we had a new addition to the family. Yeah, my work-life balance sucked!

     I stayed on the go & found it hard to take time off, whether I needed it or not. I’d leave working in the community, only to go home to do paperwork & be on-call. Staying off for 2 weeks when I got married was great, but it put a dent in our pockets. Between the lack of benefits & the lack of spare time, I knew it was time to elevate my employment. Moving on to a better job was the best decision for myself & my family. I had stability, & I didn’t have to bring work home. When I was off, I was OFF, & that was exactly what I needed. It added benefits to my health, energy, relationships, & time. #Winning!

Time Well Spent

Even though I had to go into an office & had a set schedule, the 36-40 hours per week I spent at work added to a healthier work-life balance. When I first started, I had the ideal schedule: Sunday-Tuesday 7a-7p. I learned to schedule my appointments & vacations on the days I had off, so I was able to build my PTO up quickly. When it came time for me to take longer vacations, I had plenty of hours to use so I could relax & still not miss out on money.

     Don’t get me wrong, I was beat by the time I got off at 7pm. Until we moved 2 miles from my job, I was commuting almost 40 minutes one way. There was just enough time to get home, eat dinner, shower, & hit the sack. By 5 the next morning, I had to be up & moving to do it all again. Come Tuesday night, I was DEAD! However, the bright side was I had 4 days to recover & run errands. Wednesdays were for rest, & everything else fell into place after that. 

     The longer I stayed on the job, the more PTO I built per pay period. And even though I changed my schedule from 36 to 40 hours & worked Monday-Friday, I was still off by 3 & able to enjoy my afternoon & schedule appointments after work. My strategic thinking allowed me to get money but also recover from hustling all week. It’s rare that I have less than 2 weeks of PTO in the bank. I learned so much about work-life balance, & it’s starting to pay off.

Maximizing My PTO

Now that I work 4 10-hour days Monday-Thursday & a weekend every 6 weeks, I had to tweak my routine a little so I could maximize my time. Fridays have become my day to get grocery shopping done for the week & get my hair & nails done biweekly. The house is quiet, & I’m free to do whatever. The weekends leave me time to relax on the couch or back porch, catch up on movies & my shows, & spend time with my loved ones. The routine is lovely!

     I have a mandatory rule though: every 3-4 months I take time off to travel. Whether it’s a 4 day road trip or a flight to another country for 7-10 days, I’m OUT! I’ve found that if I don’t schedule that time & make myself follow through, I’ll kirk out on people. Mocha comes out to play, but I’d prefer her to stay locked away. Taking time off is the only way I can make sure I keep a healthy work-life balance.

     In the last 10 months, I’ve taken 3 trips to relax & step away from “real life.” Our anniversary trip was a long weekend in Asheville. We got a cute Airbnb, went to the Biltmore House, caught Avatar 2, & had a spa day. It was exactly what we needed to chill out & spend time together as a couple. Every year we try to go somewhere for our anniversary, not only to take time away, but also to make sure we pour into our marriage. I love those trips with my man my man my man!

     My birthday trip in March was action packed. I spent a few days in Miami in a house, eating good, day drinking, & partying with my sisters, play brother, & husband. Then we hopped on a cruise to Bimini with more friends & did more eating, drinking, partying, & enjoying ourselves. I try to have at least one trip a year with my sisters so we can cut up in ways only Miles Girls can. Nothing but laughs & memories!

     In July, the whole family went to Orlando for a long weekend. It was good to have almost everyone together in one house. We hadn’t done a family trip with all of us in 8 years, so it was well overdue. We didn’t even leave the house to do anything. The time to relax by the pool & catch up with each other was all we needed. All of these trips gave me time to step away from the responsibilities of working & recover mentally, physically, & emotionally.

Cashing Out in the Future

I have 4 more trips in the making between now & the end of 2023. Next weekend, I’m going to see family I haven’t seen in years. It’ll only be a day & a half, but it still counts as a getaway in my book, especially since we’ll be staying in a hotel & I won’t be cooking. Any time to spend with extended family is a good time!

     Next month, I have a weekend self-care retreat I’m attending. I don’t really do retreats unless I know people, so this will be something out of my comfort zone. My cousin is hosting it, so I’ll know one person, but I’m looking forward to relaxing & connecting with other ladies that are trying to prioritize their self-care as well. It’ll be a good experience to network & recharge at the same time. 

     Sometime in the next couple of weeks I’m going to get a cabin in the mountains. Husbae said he needs a mountain trip, so I’m in planning mode to put that on the books. I can attest that mountain trips are always relaxing. The scenery is breathtaking, & since there’s not a ridiculous amount of things to do, it allows me to sit still & take in the beauty. A pretty & quiet scene sets the tone for relaxation every time!

     My final trip of the year will be another trip for our anniversary. Last year, we did a cold place, so this year we’re heading to the heat. All I need is good food, some time near the ocean, & chill time with my boo. It’s guaranteed to be a good & relaxing time. And considering all of the things that have been going on over the last couple of months, we need to end this year & begin the new year on a positive note.

Planning & Prioritizing Are the Keys to Success

The only way to achieve a healthy work-life balance is to plan & prioritize your life outside of work (Intentional Planners can help with that: https://intentionallyevolve.com/product-category/planners/). That job was there before you came, & it’ll be there after you’re gone. There’s no need to spend all of your life in grind mode & miss out on actually LIVING! You have to make sure you choose yourself & the people & things you love more often that you choose your job. There’s nothing wrong with setting boundaries so you can maintain your own mental & physical health. Like Ronnie said, “make the money, don’t let it make you!”