It’s not uncommon for people to forgo their earned vacation hours at work. No one wants to give up the time that they’ve collected, but going on a lavish vacation to somewhere far away is often too financially draining. Instead, they take the more responsible option — cashing in those hours to put into savings. While it is a great way to accumulate savings quick, it can leave you mentally and physically drained, since you get no real break from work. Taking a staycation can be just the ticket to help keep that cash in your bank account and still get the rest that you deserve.
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Taking time to relax is definitely something that you should do, even if you can’t go too far from home. Taking the time to relax and spending some time with those you love is more than beneficial. It’s time to get something in the works to help you get the staycation that you deserve. Pull out the map, grab your traveling buddy and get to planning!
#1. Take to the sights.
If you live in a touristy area as I do, there’s plenty of places that you know to avoid. Locals will avoid these places like the plague. The benefit to this, however, is that there are entire swaths of the area that you’ve never been. Historic districts, theaters, local museums, and restaurants are all great places to look into. Finding a local area to explore is never a bad idea and can be as cheap as a movie ticket or even free, if you know where to look.
#2. Get outside.
There’s nothing quite like the great outdoors. It’s a great place to start if you like to be out in the sunshine, on the water, or on a trail. Just a preliminary search can reveal local national or nature parks. You can even check into small historical areas. These are great for getting an in-depth look into your local history. This doesn’t even cover the locally owned excursions available, like kayaking and sailing and helicopter rides, but these may cost a little more. Some parks also have available camping grounds. This can make a fun outdoor staycation one day or five, whatever helps you to relax.
#3. Follow your stomach.
For the foodies of us, there’s no better adventure than finding a new hole-in-the-wall cafe or pub that you can tell your friends about later. You can start your food-venture somewhere that you love and hop around based on cuisine, rating, or even just location. This is how I found my favorite Thai food place. It’s a little place, tucked between a gas station and an antique store. The food is amazing. It’s my favorite place to go and my best friend, and I found it on one of our first staycation adventures together. It’s worth it just to discover some of your own local treasures.
#4. Make it feel like a real vacation and get away.
Sometimes, if you can just get away from your everyday life, that’s more than enough. Save up a little bit of cash and get away to a local B&B or Airbnb. You can do the same by camping out for a few nights at your local campground. Some of these can become pretty expensive and will need a good bit of pre-planning ahead of time as they’ll need ample notice. But, it’s still an excellent staycation escape for you and your partner if you can spend a little more cash, but still want to stay close to home.
#5. Make it feel like a real staycation and stay in.
Many people choose to stay in for their staycation, and that’s definitely a great plan. You can cut costs entirely by just staying at home and bringing the excitement to you. My partner and I spent our first staycation at home, turning my room into the ultimate blanket fort and playing games and eating ice cream by the light of a little battery-operated lantern. You don’t have to plan anything extravagant for your staycation to be unique and memorable.
When traveling the world is too much for you, or you’d just rather stay a little closer to home, there are plenty of ways to relax or have fun. You can create a staycation for yourself that will cost you almost nothing and still allow you to have the time and ability to recharge from the stresses of everyday life. After everything that you’ve accomplished, don’t you deserve it?
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