There are some very simple rules to making your next “staycation” as real and as successful as you want it to be. A great “staycation” will be like a vacation if you do it right, only the “staycation” will be cheaper and shorter than a traditional vacation.
Rule #1 – Save a little money. Spend it all.
The inspiration for a taking a “staycation” is usually financial. If you had lots of extra money then you would probably also have some extra time. Put those things together and you get a trip to NYC or Belize; a regular vacation.
However, if you are short on time or money yet you really could use some variety, some adventure, and some relaxation, then the “staycation” is the natural way to go. Being low on money and time does not mean that you have none. To have a successful “staycation” you’ll need some money, much less than you would need taking a car or plane trip to an overnight destination. But you will still need some money.
Why? Part of what is going to make your “staycation” different from a regular weekend is the wad of money in your pocket and a mandate to spend it. When you go on a vacation you bring fun money. When you go on a “staycation” you should do the same thing. (Or, wait, is it…when you stay on a “staycation”…)
Rule #2 – Make an itinerary. Stay close to home, but go somewhere special.
“Staycations”, as a rule, end where they begin: at home. This is a big reason why “staycations” are cheaper than vacations. There are no hotel bills to pay. There are no plane tickets to buy. There doesn’t have to be much money spent on gas either.
These are the obvious cost benefits of staying close to home.
Staying close to home does not mean that you will actually stay at home though. (It is entirely possible to plan a home “staycation” where you don’t have to leave the house, but that’s not the kind of “staycation” we’re talking about here.)
The proper mindset for a “staycation” is to become a tourist in your own town. This should include making an itinerary, however brief it may be, and planning out the stops you will make over the course of your two or three day “staycation.”
The kinds of places you should be looking for are 1) places you have thought about going to but have not yet visited (the local museum; the vintage arts and crafts store; the state park; the performing arts center; etc.) and 2) places that have recently opened in your area (restaurants; the ice rink; the retro bowling alley; the Frisbee golf course; etc.).
Local tourist events are a great source of “staycation” entertainment as well. Many towns offer walking tours of historical areas, restaurant walking tours, and bar crawls downtown. Visiting your own town in this way can bring some freshness back to a familiarized perspective.
Rule #3 – Eat out.
There is not much to say about this rule though it may be the most important of the three rules.
“Staycations”, just like vacations, are built around eating. If you don’t incorporate the dining out experience into your days of “staycation”, you will be less likely to attain the desired magic of the “staycation”: creating the illusion that you have traveled without actually traveling.