Want to get richer — and feel better & happier? These clever moves boost work-life balance & income.

The early bird gets the worm. Hard work pays off. Quitters never win, and winners never quit. Sure, these cliches can help you get out of bed on a weekday when you’d much rather hit the snooze button, but they shortchange another important secret to success: Everyone needs a break once in a while.

Burning the candle at both ends can leave you burned out, cranky and more likely to make mistakes. But for many people, taking a break and relaxing can be challenging because it costs money and you have to take time off — not to mention the fact that planning a trip involves so many decisions that it may feel easier to just keep plugging away at work.

It can be really hard to feel OK about taking breaks, and then even when you do take time for fun, how do you make sure don’t spend too much and end up having to work more just to pay for the fun?

In the first segment of this podcast we explain why taking vacation days could actually make you richer. Then, in the second half of the show, we’ve got tips on how to have fun on the cheap from Jennifer Picht, the Things To Do editor at Time Out New York.

Like this topic? Check out the Payoff’s guides to better work-life balance; to one simple life change to earn more and feel happier; and how to be more confident at work.

You can subscribe to the Payoff podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, TuneIn, RadioPublic or wherever you listen to podcasts. Please rate and review — and stay tuned for new episodes every other Wednesday!