How to Make the Most of Your Money While on Vacation Start with focusing on these three vacation expenses.

Like many small-business owners, I'm a workaholic. My girlfriend chides me for my tendency to do "just one more thing" in the office at the end of almost every day. And it used to be impossible for me to justify a vacation. It wasn't just the time away from work that worried me; it was the cost--every dollar I spent on travel represented more work I'd have to hustle up to pay for it.

Turns out I had it all wrong. Research has shown that people are most satisfied when they spend on experiences instead of things, and spending on vacation is one of the best ways to buy this kind of happiness--and keep your sanity.

Why else would a company like Clif Bar give its employees an eight-week paid sabbatical after every seven years on the job? For starters, it's a fantastic recruiting and retention tool. And it allows employees to decompress, then return to work in a clear mental state, one that is conducive to coming up with new ideas to make the company better.