Can't afford a vacation? Try a staycation instead!
Categories: Money & work, Fun & activities
When I was a struggling college student, I could put two dollars into my gas tank and drive my car for a week. Two dollars today wouldn't get us much farther than the nearest expressway. Families everywhere are grounding their summer travel plans either in protest of the quickly inflating gas prices or because they just can't afford to go anywhere.Postponing your summer travel plans doesn't have to be a major disappointment. Just think of the silver lining -- no kids arguing in the backseat, no fighting your spouse for control over the air conditioning, no waking up in a tent in the middle of the forest realizing how much you miss your own bed. Instead of a vacation, plan a family staycation instead.
Staycations are great for families of any age, but parents of very young children will appreciate the fact that babies and toddlers get to stay on routine and sleep in their own beds. There are ample opportunities for family fun, with the relaxation factor of not being out of your element. Here are some strategies to make your staycation a memorable one:
- Sit down and decide how many days will be "staycation" days, and plan events as a family. That way, your vacation won't just feel like a bunch of days off.
- Ban all unnecessary chores for the duration of the staycation.
- Take advantage of local attractions like parks, zoos, water parks, pools, museums, and beaches.
- Bring your camera along and take pictures, just like you would if you'd gone out of town.
- Pitch a tent in the backyard for a family camp out. Light a campfire, if it's legal where you live. If it's not, have some s'mores in the microwave. Don't forget the lawn games!
- Dig deep into your game closet and hold a family game night. Our favorite is Uno Attack, which is lively enough to keep the adults entertained, yet simple enough that my five-year-old can play without too much help.
- Spend some time planning your next vacation, the one where you actually leave your house. Older kids might like contributing to the vacation fund with a decorated jar to collect household spare change.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jamie 5-31-2008 @ 10:32AM
To boost the fun factor, spend some of that money you saved by NOT going out of town. A few ideas (I'm just full of them when it comes to spending money!):
1. Buy an inexpensive karaoke system (try Costco.com). The family that sings badly together, laughs together.
2. Pretend it's someone's birthday and rent a bouncy house or
inflatable water slide. Invite some friends over. Party!
3. Go to the bookstore and introduce your kids to the guilty
pleasure of summer reading--the junkier the better. Choose one book each. Think Captain Underpants.
4. Spend one night in a nearby hotel. I recently took my son to a
local, refurbished Embassy Suites. We swam in the indoor pool,
enjoyed the Jacuzzi, ate room service, ate free breakfast, watched a
movie, and played on demand video games until we couldn't see
straight. If possible, arrive early and leave late!
Also, make those s'mores in the oven, not the microwave. I once had a backyard-camping-trip-s'more-microwave explosion. Take my word for it, it's a major staycation buzz kill.
--Jamie
http://www.travelsavvymom.com
Reply
Monica 5-31-2008 @ 12:01PM
When my kids were young we alternated years of vacations and staycations. Not always because of finances,but because there is just so much to do in our city that we tend to put off because it will always be there.
Save money on gas and give your family a new appreciation of their own home. It's a win win.
Don't forget to visit your local tourist information center. You'll be surprised by what exists in your own back yard that you don't know anything about.
Jamie 5-31-2008 @ 1:13PM
To boost the fun factor, spend some of that money you saved by NOT going out of town. A few ideas (I'm just full of them when it comes to spending money!):
1. Buy an inexpensive karaoke system (try Costco.com). The family that sings badly together, laughs together.
2. Pretend it's someone's birthday and rent a bouncy house or inflatable water slide. Invite some friends over. Party!
3. Go to the bookstore and introduce your kids to the guilty pleasure of summer reading--the junkier the better. Choose one book each. Think Captain Underpants.
4. Spend one night in a nearby hotel. I recently took my son to a local, refurbished Embassy Suites. We swam in the indoor pool, enjoyed the Jacuzzi, ate room service, ate free breakfast, watched a movie, and played on demand video games until we couldn't see straight. If possible, arrive early and leave late!
Also, make those s'mores in the oven, not the microwave. I once had a backyard-camping-trip-s'more-microwave explosion. Take my word for it, it's a major staycation buzz kill.
Reply