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Key Takeaways
Quick Summary: A staycation lets you enjoy rest, fun, and connection—without the stress or price tag of traditional travel. With a little planning, you can relax, explore, and save money right from home.
- Treat your staycation like a real vacation: set dates, make an itinerary, and fully unplug from work.
- Explore your local area—try new restaurants, visit nearby attractions, or plan a backyard day that feels indulgent.
- Focus on what makes you feel recharged: rest, experiences, and quality time—without the travel chaos or hefty hotel bill.
Refreshed, reconciled, and ready to roll 🔄 Updated November 12, 2025
The time is fast approaching where people will start thinking about, planning, and going on a traditional vacation. If you're looking for a way to have a great time and save a bundle, you need to learn about staycations.
What is a Staycation?
Urban Dictionary states that a staycation is “a vacation that is spent at one’s home enjoying all that home and one’s home environs have to offer.”
Let's consider a typical vacation:
- You leave your “comfort” zone.
- You’re stressed about forgetting something, being on time, losing things on the way, going fast, waiting, etc.
- The hotel bed’s not as nice, clean, soft, cold, or warm as you’d like.
- The food is high-calorie, low-density, straight-to-the-hips type stuff!
- According to the American Automobile Association, the average North American vacation “will cost $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals… Add some kids and airfare, and a 10-day vacation could top $10,000.”
- Let’s face it. Vacations are exhausting!
How do Staycations Work?
Staycations are done from your home (usually taking day trips), where you don't need to pack, wait at airports, or make unusually long drives. Unlike traveling abroad, you get to sleep in your own bed and you can pack healthier food that is far less expensive! You can also take short breaks between activities and rest easy knowing you don't have to adjust to a time change.
7 Tips to Make Your Staycation a Success
- Shut off all communication - Do not be reachable by your employer if at all possible.
- Set a specific date and time.
- Order takeout or go out to eat - Eating DoorDash in your bedroom before you get a good night's sleep counts as room service here
- Take plenty of pictures - Choose a nearby destination or go at a slower pace and do a photoshoot in your backyard.
- PLAN YOUR ACTIVITIES - Support the local economy by visiting tourist destinations, favorite bars, or planning a self-care outing within driving distance of your house
- Avoid your normal routines - The whole family should take vacation days and treat this as a holiday. What simple bucket list items does everyone want to check off?
- Consult tourist guides for your area and go into “tourist mode” - You'll be amazed at all of the great places surrounding you! You can see local sites or learn a new skill without unnecessary travel.
Plan to Spend Quality Time During Your Next Staycation
Your staycation will bomb if you wake up and aimlessly begin watching The Today Show instead of getting out and doing something in your local area that you’ve never done before. Be relentless about planning. (Even if you’re planning to sleep until 10, eat breakfast until noon, swim in your own backyard until 3, and catch a matinee then dinner — see how easy that was?)
Remember, this isn’t necessarily about not spending any money, it’s about spending a lot less and exploring the area closer to home. It’s about intentionally relaxing :)
See how to turn vacation dollars into staycation dollars!
