Vacations trips,for me, are necessary. It is not a waste of time and money at all. It's not just a reward but actually the start of everything else we've worked for: life. Working for working's sake defeats the whole purpose of working for a living.
Remember, we used to occupy an earthly paradise until the sin of greed, among others, made us survive by the sweat our brows. Vacation, or simply enjoying life here in our earthly existence, by going to the beach, treking the mountains, or just simply walking and enjoying the breath taking sceneries, bring us back to our original and pristine earthly existence of living in paradise; it gives us a taste of what it used to be.
So whenever you have the monies and resources, don't buy things and gadgets, spend it on a summer vacation any time of the year, with your family and friends, or if you can, alone with yourself. The experience is worth than all the monies you can have. Enjoy.