Here’s an interesting question from a reader with vacation anxiety and the insight that perhaps she’s not viewing her spending for time off the right way.

She wrote, “Once I’ve spent on lodging, dining and airfare I just can’t seem to justify not using every minute to its fullest advantage. Pay $200 a day to read a book? No way! How do you mentally justify the cost of doing nothing?”

I justified it by realizing that I’m not just paying to do nothing. I’m spending good money for the peace and relaxation I can’t get at home. When I’m home, there are telephone calls to return. I see all the laundry I need to do. I feel guilty about the closets I should clean out. I’m obsessively drawn to my computer to do more work.

If you fill up all your vacation time with activities, you often don’t get a chance to relax. Then you return home as tired as when you left. Vacationing for peace is well worth the money – but not debt. You all should save for your vacation instead of piling up debt on a credit card.