Why taking a staycation could be perfect for the family

Submitted by Patrick Grote on Thu, 06/12/2008 - 9:02am.

I love posts like this. It gives me a chance to talk about a couple of things I love:

1) Saving money.

2) Vacation.

We've always made a big deal of taking family vacations. In the last ten years I think we've only missed one year. That week of time together, crossing the US, makes for great bonding.

With the increases in gas prices, though, the summer vacation is taking a back seat in quiet time. The new thing is called a Staycation. A staycation is a vacation where you stay home during your normal summer vacation time.

In a couple of articles about the new staycation effort, I learned it's a new phenomena and the following things are common among the ideals:

You should make the staycation fun. This is the number one goal of a staycation. If your choice to stay home is depressing, seen as a chore or makes other feel bad, then it will fail. You need to ensure that plans include fun for everyone. Fun is the operative word here.

Do things locally you never got a chance to do. Living in St. Louis, I'm amazed at the number of people who have never been to the top of the arch. I've never been on the brewery tour. Take the time to visit all those local attractions that people come to your town or city to see.

Try not to work. Some may take the time to do those oft put off home projects. Don't. At least think hard about it. This is your chance to relax, blow off work and enjoy yourself. Think about hiring someone to do those projects.

A stayvacation is a way to save money, but it's also a way of truly relaxing on your vacation. It's something that should be considered when you talk about summer vacation plans.