Southern Mom Loves: 8 Ways to Have a Staycation When You Just Can't Get Away

8 Ways to Have a Staycation When You Just Can't Get Away

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

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Taking a vacation when you feel like you need one isn’t always possible. Whether it's because of time or budget constraints, staycations are becoming more and more popular. Having a staycation doesn’t mean you have to sit at home and twiddle your thumbs though! You can enjoy yourself and relax without spending a lot of money or taking a whole week away from work or school and I have 8 great ideas to help you do it!

1. Play Tourist


How much of your own town have you actually explored? What about nearby towns? Many people never experience all the great things their own cities have to offer, but now’s the time! Take a day during your staycation and play tourist. You and your family can go out to eat at a place you’ve never tried, visit a museum, window shop, etc. Even small towns have something to offer.

2. Do Something You’ve Been Wanting to Do

Is your craft room calling your name? When was the last time you got to do something you wanted to do? Take part of your staycation to work on crafts, DIY projects, finish a book series, etc.. Heck, you can even binge watch that Netflix series everyone has been raving about. We all have things we’ve been wanting to do but never have the time. Now’s a great time to carve out that time and devote it exclusively to something you'd like to accomplish.

3. Get a Hotel


Take one or two days out of your staycation to stay in a nearby hotel. Just because the hotel is only a few miles from your home doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself! Find a hotel that has a pool and other fun amenities. Sometimes, sitting in a hot-tub with a frozen drink is all you need to really unwind. Best of all, it's not terribly expensive for just a night or two!

4. Let the Kids Camp in the Back Yard

Your staycation can be even better when the kids are camping in the back yard and you and your husband have the house to yourselves. Of course, the age of your kids will determine if this works for your family, but if you think that your kids are old enough, let them spend the night outside! They'll have a ton of fun and you'll get a little bit of quiet.

5. Host a Cookout


Why not invite your friends over for a cookout? Ask everyone to bring a side dish or dessert and you can provide the hotdogs, hamburgers, and drinks. This is extremely affordable and can be a great way to kick off or wind down your staycation.

6. Go on a Day Trip

Pack everyone in the car and drive somewhere. If you live fairly close to the beach or an amusement park, those are great places for a day trip. You could pack some snacks for the road and then have lunch when you get there. Your destination doesn’t have to be somewhere where you’ll spend a lot of money; It might a trip to the countryside or into the mountains. Try to choose somewhere you or your kids have never been before.

7. Have a Movie Marathon


An activity that the whole family might be into is a movie marathon. If there’s a day during your staycation where the weather is bad, watch movies. You can choose a theme and then everyone can pick a movie that matches that theme or you can choose a series of movies to watch sequentially. You can even make snacks or meals that match the theme. Be creative and have fun! If you want to have the kind of snacks that you get in a movie theater, hit up your local Walmart store for some boxed movie theater-type candies and popcorn.

8. Play Games

It could be board games or video games. The important thing is to find a way for everyone to play. You might compete against each other or break off into teams to play games that have only one or two players. Board games may seem old-school, but they’re still fun. You can play the classics like Monopoly or get something newer like 5 Second Rule.

A staycation doesn’t have to be boring or expensive. There are so many things you can do to make a budget-friendly staycation into something fun and memorable.

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When was your last vacation? Have you ever tried taking a full-on staycation? I love to read your comments!

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