I am really fortunate in that I earn a good amount of vacation leave with my employer (the federal government!). But there is not a lot of flexibility in when I might use that leave. Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of opportunities, but I do have to adhere to specific timeframes that are generally the same from year to year, similar to a teacher’s schedule.

A lot of people ask me how I can afford to go on so many vacations. It’s easy if you know where to find the good deals! There are a ton of really sweet travel deals available to everyone if you just know where to look. Most of these travel deals offer big discounts on packages designed for specific travel dates. When I find a great deal that coincides with my availability for vacation leave, I typically jump on it. And that’s how it’s done folks.

Two of my favorite travel deal websites are Travelzoo and Shermanstravel. These sites compile a weekly list of their top travel deals. Subscribe to the site and get the weekly deals emailed to you automatically. Check out the weekly emails and if anything strikes your fancy, get ready to back your bags. On a regular basis I find amazing deals, but they often don’t coincide with my work schedule. But with a little patience, the right deal always comes around.