Staycation Ideas

[USCGamecocks]

A staycation (or stay-cation, or stacation) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions

Any ideas for my vacation that I have coming up to get things done? Be productive? What has anyone else done in this slow economic time during their vacation from work to GTD and also have fun cheaply....

Good blog post idea here. WB should write about it.

Thanks!

Troy

[MNfrugal]

The first thing would be to do some research on your area, finding things that are within easy driving distance from your home. Check on hours, cost, discounts, etc. If you have a family, you'd want to consider how family-friendly the options are.

You may want to keep an eye out for special events happening in your area. We live in a rural area, and small-town parades can be very enjoyable for young children. Especially the ones where people throw candy. The kids like seeing the fire trucks, ambulances, old cars, farm machinery. Local marching bands. The humorous entries are fun, too-- we often have people dressing up goats, dogs, etc. And the parades are FREE!

Or, for a different perspective on parades, be IN one! We've done that a few times, and our kids enjoy throwing the candy (popular with their friends). My husband and I enjoy seeing people we know all along the route. And you can make a fun family project out of planning and making your "float." We often use a "ranger" (like a golf cart for farm work), but an ATV, pickup, or other specialty vehicle can work, too.

[amyschiff]

my parents like going to amish country, which is about 1 hour from my hometown in NE Ohio. They like browsing antiques, which makes amish country a nice option for them. They get an early start and get back home in time to let the dog out.

if you google something like "Lansing day trips" you may be able to get some good ideas.

If you live near a university, you may also have some options there. For example, michigan state university has an art museum, botanical gardens, planetarium, and ice cream store right on campus.

[starshard0]

Three words: Video Game Marathon

[Julie Rains]

I think the blog post is a great idea -- someone may have done one last year but the idea is relevant, that and low-cost vacations. I am self-employed and have volunteer activities so sometimes I feel that if I don't leave town, I won't really get a vacation; still I am plotting some time off at home to unclutter and tackle some projects.

[the weakonomist]

Since you're from Columbia, SC I'd recommend touring the government buildings, kayaking, or if you've got friends with a boat heading out to Lake Murray.

Or you can sit around in a puddle of misery because USC has to share names with SoCal and UNC. Sorry, ACC fan here, had to do it.

[Julie Rains]

I am UNC-centric myself but have to clarify Carolina or Southern California; at one time, USC was part of the ACC -- I remember when we played Dean Smith's former coach Frank McGuire. Of course there are many ABCers out there (Anybody but Carolina) so I have to be careful while loyal.

Speaking of day trips and sports, we are going to visit the basketball museum in Chapel Hill and then take in the UNC-MD baseball game tomorrow (my husband and kids). I am guessing that there are lots of trips like those that people don't do b/c they figure they'll always have time -- a staycation is a good time to take in local signts, but then I am stating the obvious. I would also go for exploring area parks, lakes, etc. when you have an expanse of time to enjoy.

I would choose

[USCGamecocks]

Go Cocks! Thanks for your ideas. I'm just going to try to be uber-productive.

Whenever I get my tax money I'm always afraid to spend it because I want to make sure that I use it wisely. When I get a bonus at work I always overthink where I'm going to put every dollar so I don't blow it. That might be my fear... I don't want to blow anything extra.

I am moving in the next two months so I'm going to take a day or two out of my vacation and get all my crap packed up. I am a minimalist so I won't have a lot of boxes.

I'm going to work on designing a new web site.

It should be fun. Lastly, Go Cocks!

[Cheapchick]

I find feeding birds (park, pond, ocean) works as a stress reliever for me. I try to do it on vacation and at home. They only get the stale bread or the ends but is a cheap activity. If nice enough in your area a picnic is nice. Try biking to the nearest park with a backpack and small blanket and book. A very nice relaxing way to spend the afternoon. Even better, take a friend and a frisbee (or a frisbee loving dog, sandwich for you, doggie treats for him). Another option might be volunteering somewhere cool. Like the spca, a local zoo or animal park, or even a museum. Most of those offer volunteer programs and you get to do something that maybe you normally don't have time for.

[starshard0]

I've have always personally been a huge fan of the staycation. Mostly because I don't like going far from my home and I can generally find a lot of fun things to occupy myself with around the house. I guess I'm just not much for big adventures, and it certainly saves money.