5 Great Ways to Have a Spring Staycation
March 22, 2016Spring is in the air and if you are like me, you are thinking about what to do with your kids during the season. For many, it is taking time off to spend quality time with your family. You start to think about beach trips or a trip to Disney. Then a cold dose of reality hit. For me, it is my family’s commitment to our financial goals and for others it may be the knowledge that if you have to finance your vacation then you probably should think twice about taking the vacation.
If you find that traveling away from home for spring break is not in the cards for you, never fear. The staycation is here. You can have a great vacation, full of relaxation and family bonding.
The key is to make it as much like a family getaway as possible. Have some ground rules for your staycation: no smartphones (or limited use), no tablets (my eleven year old nearly died), limited television, no working from home, and no cooking, cleaning or laundry. (I fought for those.) Remember, the only thing your kids really want is uninterrupted time with you. How it happens does not really matter to them.
Before you begin, come up with a budget. Although staycations are typically cheaper, the costs can add up quickly without the boundary of a budget. Below are 5 ideas on cost effective staycation ideas:
Discount sites. Use online discount websites like Groupon or Living Social for discounts on local activities like roller skating, fairs and plays.
The library. Visit your local library to learn about free events like puppet shows or movies. Some libraries offer free passes to zoos and museums. At our library, you can also check out parking passes to national parks.
Picnic in the park. Have fun with it. You can get kites at a dollar store. You can also get a bucket, fill it with dishwasher liquid and make huge bubbles. Our kids loved it (and so did we). Check your local area for free movies in the park or free music and bring popcorn.
Movies. If you live near a discounted movie theater, take the family to go see a favorite movie you missed or a favorite movie the kids would like to see again. Many discount movie theater have ½ off nights.
Camping outdoors or under the table. Surprisingly, this was my kids’ favorite activity. We got popcorn and told ghost stories. You can even grill out.
Spring break doesn’t have to mean debt. You can have a family vacation that won’t follow you in credit card charges for the next 6 months. Taking the time to do a little bit of research to unearth staycation ideas can create a vacation your kids will remember for years.