Is a Staycation Just What You Need? -

Do you need a vacation, but it’s not in the budget? That’s OK – a Staycation may be just what you need!

A Happy Couple Taking a Selfie on their Staycation

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Summertime is here, and many people are thinking about taking a vacation. But depending on your financial situation, a vacation may not be in the cards for you and your family. Let’s think about a staycation instead!

What is a Staycation?

A staycation involves staying at home but enjoying time off from work. Rather than traveling to a destination, you explore local attractions and activities. Let’s talk about the benefits and what you might consider.

Selective Focus Photography of Popcorns for movie night on your staycation

Enjoy the Comforts of Home

I can tell you from my experience: my husband and I are much more comfortable at home than when we’re away! We have things set up exactly as we like them, and no matter how much we spend on lodging or a vacation rental, we rarely find a place as comfy as our home.

Getting Your Home Ready for a Staycation – Planning:

If you enjoy reading, set up a cozy reading nook for everyone.
Plan a movie marathon night with your favorite movies.
Depending on your children’s age, plan activities that they might enjoy. Think about making up a scavenger or treasure hunt at home. Come up with activities they’d love, like an obstacle course, an arts and crafts day, at-home science experiments, baking activities, or maybe a puppet show where everyone makes the puppets and props.
This one could be tough, but it might be a fun challenge to see if everyone can do it – do a digital detox day (or several days if you think you can stand it!). Everything electronic is off-limits: no computers, TVs, tablets, or cell phones – no technology! This could be a good way to reconnect by playing board games or enjoying each other’s company.
A couple might enjoy a spa day at home with bubble baths, massages, manicures, and facials.
A great idea for a family with kids might be to camp indoors! Set up a tent or build fort-like structures in your living room. Camp “in” enjoying sleeping bags and smores. If you’re feeling adventurous, move the camping outside!
Another fun family idea is to hold a music and dance party, inviting family and friends to join virtually via video chat! Each person could be responsible for selecting a certain number of songs to include in your playlist. Most songs are available for free on YouTube.

Plan for Themed Meals

Imagine visiting a different area or culture each day of the week, and plan your meals and snacks for each day around that theme. Italian night might include homemade pasta with meatballs, Crockpot Lasagna, or Marry Me Chicken over Fettuccine. Mexican night could be fajitas and margaritas. It might be fun to have each person plan for a themed dinner. Here are a few recipe ideas. You might make Bayou Shrimp Pasta on a Louisiana night. An Asian night meal might be Crockpot Orange Chicken or Shrimp Chow Mein. Enjoy the flavors of Hawaii with Grilled Huli Huli Pork Tenderloin (I’m picturing a luau)!

Four People Walking on Gray Path Surrounded by Tall Trees

Plan Day Trips Near Home

Just because you’re staying home doesn’t mean you can’t get out and enjoy yourselves! Think about places to go within a reasonable driving distance. This might include:

Plan for outdoor activity days. These might include hiking, bike riding, and nature walks.
Then, find things for tourists that may be nearby (museums, tours, places to visit, historical sites, science centers) that won’t break the bank. Just do a Google search for things to do near me, tourist attractions near me, etc.
Another option would be to look into national parks that might be worth a visit. Continue doing Google searches for state or county parks near me that you might visit.
Become familiar with Geocaching and join the world’s largest treasure hunt! Begin by watching the 75-second video explaining what it’s all about, downloading the App, creating an account, and then starting searching with your cellphone’s GPS.
Think about crafts or activities (maybe a sport) you’ve always wanted to try. Find a place to do them and experience them. See if you can find a class that covers them during your time off.
Make any day a vacation with ResortPass! Enjoy the fun features at a nearby hotel or resort with no overnight stay required! Sometimes referred to as a “Daycation,” you’ll be surprised at what you might find: pools, lazy rivers, water slides, beach access, cabana rentals, spa services, and more. Just enter your location, select a date, and search for what’s nearby. Day pass prices will likely be per person, whereas cabanas may include passes for multiple guests.

Find Ways to Save on Activities and Meals – More Planning

Look for a local coupon booklet through SaveAround that might help lower your costs. Click on Buy Books, select your state, and select the county or area. You can flip through the book before you buy it to see if you feel it’s worth the expense. If you can’t find a local book, you may want to consider the national book to see if that would help. Book purchases benefit schools, sports teams, and other fundraising efforts.
Consider becoming an Entertainment member to save on restaurants, movies, attractions, activities, amusement parks, hotels, and more. Scroll down and click on items in the Featured Savings to see what’s included.

Person Holding on Door Lever Inside Room

Plan a Local Overnight Stay

Nothing says your Staycation can’t include a night or two away! Search and see the prices you can find, especially at the last minute.

Trivago calls themselves a metasearch engine. They compare prices on stays through many booking sites. Enter your destination, provide dates, and specify the number of adults, children, rooms, and pets. Trivago will search and find where you can book for the lowest rate.
If you’d like to book a vacation rental rather than a hotel, check out VRBO to see your options. They have over 2 million bookable vacation rentals, including condos, cabins, lake rentals, beach houses, and more.
Read tips on How to Afford a Vacation. They may also help with a local overnight stay. I’ve found some great deals for Fall Weekend Getaways in the US-be sure to check them out!

Child Taking Photo on Cellphone in Forest on a Staycation

Is a Staycation in Your Future?

There are plenty of benefits to doing a Staycation. You’ll save money by not traveling to a destination that’s far away, where airfare and a car rental would likely be needed. There won’t be any reason to find accommodations for your pets by enjoying your vacation at home. If you’ve ever had flights canceled, you’ll understand this point – you won’t be stressing out trying to get to where you’re going! You’ll maximize your time off because you won’t waste a day traveling in each direction. With the time off of work, you’ll get to enjoy downtime with your family, plus you’ll make memories together.

Here’s a final suggestion: take plenty of pictures to remember your “journey” together! A fun final night activity might be sharing some of your favorite moments with each other. Google Slides or Google Photos are two free options you could use for this. Learn the tools as a family and then use them to share your most memorable moments. Friends and family would probably enjoy seeing the best of your Staycation, too!