Jason Unger

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Traveling for business can sometimes be a drag. Being away from your family (and home) from an extended period of time can drain you both physically and mentally.

But if you can work it out right, you might be able to turn it into a little vacation.

In less than two weeks, I'm headed out to the Los Angeles area for a tradeshow for work. Flying across the country isn't cheap, especially not for two people.

But since I'll already be out there, my wife is flying out for a long weekend and a mini-vacation.

The best part? We'll save a boatload of money.

Since I'm out there on business, my company picks up (most) of the tab. Here's what we won't be paying for that we otherwise would have to:

• A round-trip ticket from Boston to Los Angeles
• A hotel room while I'm still at the conference (and the night my wife is)
• Transportation to and from the airport

These three items are all pricey, but since they are all necessary for my business trip, they're covered.

While things like food, non-business transportation and entertainment are ours to pay for, turning a business trip into a mini-vacation will cut our expenses in half.

I don't actually mind going on business trips, but if you're of the homesick sort, turning a business trip into a mini-vacation is a nice option.