Avoid the stress of packing, traveling, and spending lots of money and instead enjoy a stress-free, inexpensive staycation.
Taking a vacation every once in a while can be really good for you, but it’s not always good for your wallet. The cost of airplane tickets, car rentals, gas, hotel rooms, food, and souvenirs all add up. If you aren't careful, a vacation can end up being a huge investment just for some quality rest and relaxation. To reap the benefits of a vacation without the huge price tag, consider taking a staycation.
What is a Staycation?
A staycation is a vacation where you don't go anywhere. Instead of going away for vacation, you stay where you are! Hence the name, STAYcation. Staycations often take place at your home or somewhere close by.
Reasons to Go on a Staycation
Instead of going far away on vacation, do a staycation instead. An at-home vacation can offer a lot of benefits. It can save money and save your energy. The following are just a few good reasons to opt for a staycation this year:
- save on travel costs
- save on hotel costs
- you don’t have to pack
- you don’t have to travel
- you can get more rest
- you can enjoy your local area
It's difficult to take enough time off of work and our personal lives to go through the entire process of packing and traveling somewhere in order to relax and have fun. Instead of piling more chaos on top of yourself, start relaxing right now and find fun ways to recuperate and rest at home.
Indoor Staycation Ideas
Feel like staying in? Then go ahead and stay in. No one is stopping you! There are more than enough ways to relax and have fun when you stay indoors at home. Especially if you are wanting to reconnect with family and spend some quality time together.
Swap Bedrooms Around
The key to a great staycation is to change up your routine. Swapping bedrooms is a great way to change routines, while also refreshing an old space to feel like new again. Maybe you’ll even love the change so much you’ll want to keep it!
Rearrange the Furniture
Is your house in need of a fresh makeover? Make some changes right now just by rearranging the furniture in a different way. Once you find a new setup you love, sit back, relax, and enjoy a whole new house just from rearranging some key pieces of furniture.
Make Food from the Kitchen Summer Staycation
Bring the Spa Home with a Beauty Staycation
Bring the full spa experience into your own home with fun spa activities. You don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on treatments at an actual spa. Instead, get your own spa essentials and start pampering yourself on a budget. You could do face masks, manicures, pedicures, take a bath, use bath salts, or soak your feet.
Build a Giant Blanket Fort
The great thing about making a fort is you can build it anywhere! Make a blanket fort or a pillow fort in the kids’ room, the playroom, the living room, or in front of the TV for a blanket fort movie night.
Have a Movie Marathon
Movie marathons are an event all by themselves. Make some yummy homemade snacks like caramel popcorn, Chex mix, cookies, and brownies. What's great about having a viewing party at home is that you can pick whatever you want to watch!
Have a Game Night
Set up a fun game night complete with prizes, all your favorite games, and exciting challenges. You can even invite some friends over for your staycation game night too. Have everyone bring their favorite game and their favorite snack, and your game night plans are complete.
Hire a Personal Chef
Who says you have to go to a fancy restaurant to have fancy food? By hiring a personal chef for dinner, you can enjoy gourmet food made especially for you. The best part about hiring your own chef is that you can enjoy a 5-star meal without ever leaving your house.
Eat Breakfast in Bed
One of the most luxurious feelings in the world is eating breakfast in bed. If you live alone then you might have to still prepare your own breakfast, but you can still get right back into bed to enjoy it. If you live with others then you can take turns making breakfast for each other each morning of your staycation.
Hire a Masseuse or a Masseur
A masseuse is a woman who practices massage and a masseur is a man who practices massage. Many people who do not know this difference will often simply use the term masseuse for any person who practices massage. It comes from the French word "masser," which means "to massage."
A masseuse or a masseur has studied the body and the art of massage. They have learned many technics on how to use massage to ease tension and bodily pains. Hiring a masseuse or a masseur can be a great way to get all the built-up tension out of your body without having to go to an expensive resort.
Find a Great Staycation Read
Getaway during this staycation by picking up a good book. Books are cheaper than an expensive, far away vacation but you can go just as far. There is a genre out there for everyone. If you don't already know what kind of books you like, that's ok! Visit your local library and test out a popular book from each genre. Don't worry about finishing each one. Just focus on finding the types of stories that draw you in.
Outdoor Staycation Ideas
You don’t have to travel hours away to enjoy the great outdoors. In fact, you can enjoy the wonders of nature from your own backyard! And if you stay close by, then you can still run back inside to enjoy the comforts of home in case it suddenly rains or you forget the flashlight.
Bring Paradise to Your Own Backyard with a Backyard Staycation
You don't need to travel far away to enjoy nature. Enjoy nature right in your own backyard with a fun backyard staycation. A backyard staycation is when you transform your own backyard into a relaxing oasis or a fun party zone.
There are tons of things you can do to make your backyard staycation-worthy. You could install some new amenities like a hot tub or a pool. Invest in some nice lawn furniture to lounge in and put up some great outdoor lighting. Make a fire pit and roast marshmallows. Cook a barbecue on the grill. Set up a tent and go camping right outside your back door. Create a dance floor and have your own dance party. Set up a movie projector and have an outdoor movie night. Go stargazing. The possibilities for what you can set up in your own backyard are endless.
Explore Local Hikes and Nature Trails
Make a goal and hit every trail near you to find which ones you love and see sights you've never seen before.
Go to a Local Sports Event
Even if you aren't really into sports, going to a local sports event can still be fun. There might even be local teams you didn't know about that you could start rooting for. The great thing about sporting events is that you can go with friends, walk around, and grab delicious foods from all the different vendors.
Go Camping Nearby
Pack your camping gear and set out on an outdoor sleepover somewhere nearby. You can find local campgrounds to visit or even set up a tent in your own backyard. Make dinner over the fire, tell stories, gaze up at the stars, and roast marshmallows on chocolate and graham crackers.
Build a Backyard Waterpark
Set up a personal waterpark in your own backyard! You could set up your water play by getting a pool, a water slide, a wading pool, by playing with the garden hose, or by fill up water balloons and have a water balloon fight! You could even set up umbrellas, chairs, and wading pools to soak your feet while you relax under the umbrella and read a good book.
Make a Bonfire
Make a bonfire in your backyard and spend a calm evening by the blazing fire roasting marshmallows and talking with your loved ones. If you don't have a fire pit in your backyard then visit a local park or campground instead. Prepare yummy tin foil dinners, make smores, singing songs, tell stories, and play campfire games.
Have a Cookout or Barbecue
Nothing cures the stress of everyday life like some really good food. Take your staycation meals to the next level by cooking them over an open. There are so many delicious cookout recipes out there to choose from too.
Take Up Bird Watching
Buy yourself some bird-watching binoculars and a guide to the local bird species in your area. You might also want an easy-to-pack, travel-friendly seat or cushion to sit on while you sit and look for all the birds in your local guide.
Go on a Plant Scavenger Hunt
Pick up a guide to all the different plants that grow near you. Then go outside in comfortable outdoor clothing that can protect you from any poisonous plants or mosquitoes and start finding all the plants you can. When you find each different kind of plant snap a picture as proof that you found it. Make it a game with others and see who can find more plants.
Go on a Picnic
Pack a picnic basket with all your favorite lunch foods and go on a picnic. To make your picnic even better pack a nice blanket, some lawn chairs, a frisbee, or a book. Set up your picnic in the backyard or at a nearby park. Creating your own custom picnic basket can also be a fun way to pass the time during your staycation.
Go on Bike Rides
Bike rides can be strenuous or leisurely depending on what biking trail you choose and your bike ride preferences. You also want to consider safety, your level of biking skills, and the type of bike you have when deciding on a type of bike ride excursion.
Go Berry Picking
Find local farms near you and see what kind of picking is available. In the summer, berry picking is the most common. Berry picking is fun because it gets you outside and allows you to pick your own fresh berries off the vine without having to maintain your own garden. It's also a great way to support local businesses and farmers!
Stay Local Staycation Ideas
A staycation requires looking at your local community with a new set of eyes. This is great when looking for staycation ideas. What are the activities and events that you’ve never really considered trying out? When people visit from out of town, where do they go?
Book a Nearby Hotel or Airbnb
Need to get out of the house? Book a few nights at a local hotel for a complete vacation experience. By booking a nearby hotel you can cut on travel costs but still enjoy the luxury amenities that hotels provide, like room service, breakfast, and great nearby hangouts within walking distance.
Swap Houses with a Close Friend
Another cheap way to get the relocation experience without going very far or spending too much money is to just swap houses with a friend! Find someone else who could use a change and switch houses with them for a few days.
Visit Local Museums
Are there local hot spots near you that you've never visited? Change that by taking your staycation to the local sites like museums. By learning all about everything in the museum you can become your own museum guide. Then you can take all your friends to the museum and be an expert at showing them around.
Visit Local Visitor's Centers
Call your town’s local visitor's center and ask for ideas! The receptionist and local guides working there will know all about where to go and what to do near you. Some visitor centers will also have brochures and maps of your local area.
Try a New Restaurant
Eat at a restaurant you’ve never been to before. In our own hometown, we can easily get into ruts. It can be hard to break your routine when you know what you like. But the vacation experience is all about new and unfamiliar experiences. Take a leap and change things up by choosing a restaurant you've never been to before.
See a Community Play
Go see a play near you. You don't have to go to Broadway or a major city to catch a live production. There could be theater performances happening nearby! Traveling Broadway productions also pass through many towns. You could also go to a local high school or university production and support your local schools.
Search “Events Near Me”
Google the phrase "events near me" and see what Google can find. Some towns even have their own website with a listing for events. You can also search for events near you on Facebook. Just log into Facebook and in the side menu, you'll find an "Events" tab.
Visit Local Parks
Almost every city has at least one park. Go visit the parks near you and see which one you like the best. You might find a new great place to play sports, take your dog on walks, go on runs, or have picnics.
Make Time for a Weekend Getaway
You don't have to go far away for a long time to have a worthwhile vacation. Instead of planning a huge trip, go on a short weekend getaway somewhere nearby.
Go on the Local Tours
Go on a tour in your own hometown. Search for local tours near you and see what you can find. You might have to pay for admission, but it's worth it. Tours often come with a wealth of new knowledge about your own hometown.
Shop at the Local Marketplace
Instead of going to the big chain grocery stores, support your local businesses and explore the local markets. Find out where the farmer's market near you is located and go see what they have to offer. The groceries and products you get there will be fresher, healthier, and grown nearby. Many local marketplaces also have other local vendors selling all kinds of neat things.
Rent a Cool Car for the Day
A fun part of traveling for some people is getting to rent a car. Renting a car can be expensive, but if you're only renting the vehicle for one day, then you save a lot of money. Because you're only renting it out for one day, it'll also be easier and more affordable to rent out a really cool car!
In Conclusion,
Planning a staycation is simple and easy. With a prepaid debit card, you can make staycation planning even easier by giving yourself a vacation allowance on your prepaid debit card. That way you'll be sure to not overspend as you enjoy the local sites and attractions your own city has to offer.
