As summer approaches, it’s hardly surprising to find oneself pondering on how to maximize enjoyment during your holiday time while simultaneously maintaining the family budget. Vacations have a reputation for being costly and even with the most economical strategies, a considerable sum is still needed for family getaways.
Budget balancing is particularly challenging when you’re striving to become debt-free. At the same time, finding avenues for rest and rejuvenation is paramount. So, how can families on a tight budget handle holidays? Allow me to introduce you to the concept of staycations.
A staycation essentially involves benefiting from the attractions within your own hometown without having to sleep away from home. Although renting a campervan or hotel room for a couple of nights can be an option, I personally tend to favour spending nights in my own home. In my case living in Southern California, there are innumerable locally available activities like camping, hiking, chilling at the beaches, which, owing to our hectic day-to-day lives, are often overlooked.
Now, onto the financial advantages of staycations. It eliminates the need to fork out for accommodation, significantly slashing expenditures. Depending on your location, you might plan a day trip to the beach, mountains or even a nature reserve, at minimal cost. Although some families might opt for a hotel room, apps such as Priceline and Hotel Tonight offer heftily discounted rates for immediate bookings. Since there are no airfares involved, and fuel costs are minimal, staycations cut back majorly on both transportation and accommodation costs, leading to sizeable savings.
Moreover, indulging in local free activities like hiking, park visits, beach picnics, discounted museums, or any seasonal local happenings that usually get missed amidst our busy schedules, can add to the enjoyment without denting the wallet.
Staycations also allow us to relish the familiar tastes of local favourite restaurants, without the usual gastronomical experiments usually entailed in travelling. However, remember that the main aim of a staycation is relaxation. So, mom too needs to take a breather. If this means opting for a Subway sandwich over packed homemade lunch, that’s perfectly fine – mom deserves to relax on her staycation too.
While it’s true that an exotic European holiday might not be feasible with your current financial situation, don’t be disheartened. It’s better to ease off your debt and save up for a later date. A debt-free life doesn’t require miserly measures, and you can definitely soak in the joys of lucrative staycations that offer significant relaxation without stretching your budget.
Have you ever opted for a staycation? How was your experience?
