Affordable R&R: Relaxing Staycation Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank

Budget-Friendly Summer Staycation Inspiration

There are many reasons we choose not to go on vacations. Of course, we enjoy the relaxation and pampering. However, the financial stress, the thought of traveling with children, and the hassle of traveling in general are often deterrents for people. However, there are many ways that are more affordable and have fewer hassles that allow you to still have a great time!

Visit friends or family. Taking out the cost of a hotel, as well as some meals is a huge money saver.  If your relatives have kids the same age as your own, it’s a double bonus.

Stay home (with set ground rules and built-in splurges).  To truly make it a bargain, stay home, but make sure you build in the qualities of a vacation.  Some of your rules might be: no phones, no technology, no fighting, no cleaning.  This time should be family time only and should be lots of fun!  Next, make sure you build in the pampering parts of a vacation: ordering out food, prep meals that only need to be heated up, taking turns for cleaning up (you don’t want your house to turn into a pig sty), and planning fun activities locally.

Find passes for local activities. Sites like Groupon often have deals on fun places in your area.  You can spend the day at a water park, go to a museum, or go to a sporting event.

Create your own romantic one-day vacation experience. One thing my husband and I do is to hire a sitter for the whole day and evening. We spend the day going to the beach, taking a nice long walk, having lunch outside, and then later that evening going out to dinner. Having an entire day and evening to ourselves feels like a real luxury. We did not have to prepare a single meal for the kids, do any chores, do bath and bedtime, etc.  However, we also didn’t spend any money on a hotel (a huge savings).

Go camping.  You can either do this in your own backyard or go to a camp site.  It is less expensive than a hotel and can be done relatively close to home.

The bottom line is that vacations are all about making memories and having family fun.  However you decide to spend your time (and a lot less money), make it a positive experience for the entire family.
 
 
Meet The Bella Behind the Blog: Kristen Farley is a mother of three and a domestic goddess. She is a former teacher who enjoys spending lots of time with her kids, healthy eating, volunteering at school, and mommy blogging for the masses.

Be on the lookout for more of Kristen’s expert advice and brilliant tips!