Staycations

Since the Great Recession started in 2007, more and more people have been looking for ways to save money. One of the first things to go was vacation, since vacations are very expensive and because people who are paid hourly cannot necessarily afford to take off time anymore. Eventually, however, many people discovered staycations as a way to save money while still relaxing and spending time with the family.

What is a Staycation?

A staycation is exactly what it sounds like. It is a vacation where you do not travel at all. Rather, you take time off work and spend your time at home making a few day trips outside your home to experience what your state has to offer. Some people use a staycation to just stay at home, and others prefer to experience the events and attractions around them without traveling very far.

Options for Staycations

There are many options for staycations. Any town or city has a plethora of options for things to do if you know where to look. If you're interested in taking a few day-length trips to local attractions, you have plenty of options. If the weather is nice, you can visit the local arboretum or forest preserve for a hike. There is also the option to see any outdoor national monuments that might exist in your town. You can look online for several historical places and create your own history tours, or take a history tour that is provided for you. Of course, you can also visit other attractions in the area like museums, restaurants, bars, parks, beaches, and other sightseeing ventures. Often, if you drive just a few hours, you can find a city that you can walk around and see and still be able to drive home, which saves you the cost of a hotel and plane ride.

Others take the term "staycation" literally and do not leave their houses at all. Some options for this can include taking time off to cook a great meal and enjoy it together, or turning your bathroom into a spa by buying luxurious spa items and indulging yourselves a little bit. If you have a pool and it's nice outside, you can just relax by spending all day at the pool. Staying at home can be totally underrated; you don't need to travel to a beach to soak up the sun.

Benefits and Risks of Staycations

Since you are not traveling or staying in a hotel, a staycation can be incredibly cost-effective. You don't have to pay for a hotel, so that cost has been completely eliminated. If you want to feel like you're in a hotel, though, there are many companies that will come in and clean your place like a hotel would for a minimal cost. Of course, you are also saving by not driving very far and by not taking an airplane anywhere. Travel costs have become really expensive, so the farther you go, the more expensive it is. By staying close to home, you reduce that cost by quite a bit. You are also pushing money back into your local economy by spending your money at local businesses rather than at establishments that are far away from home. This can have extraordinary benefits for your local economy. Finally, any stress that you feel with travel, whether that be from driving long distances or navigating an airport, will be completely eliminated.

There are some risks associated with staycations, though. Because you're still close to work, you may want to set a few rules about not checking work emails or answering work phone calls. If you are the type of person who is tempted to visit the office on off-hours, you definitely want to avoid that to make it feel like a true vacation.