Spring Break - Stay-cation Style | Family Economics

By Erin

As the slow economy wears on, many major cities are planning for more residents to be sticking closer to home. If you are planning a “stay-cation” this spring break, you don’t have to stay home the entire week.

For less than the cost of a plane ticket, you could have a week’s worth of fun around your home and your city. Here are a few ideas:

•    Start with your own backyard – Dig out your tent from the garage, build a fire (if your city code allows it), make some hobos and roast some s’mores. You’ll be creating fun memories that will hardly cost you a thing!

•    Get together with friends – Schedule a game night or two with your other stay-cationing friends. Play a new board game while the kids watch a movie together. It is an inexpensive way to have a fun night of giggles.

•    Check local attractions that only “tourists” visit – Just about every town, large and small, have some claim to fame or “local attraction.” And when you live in that town, you typically avoid them because they can be flooded with tourists, especially during “high traffic” times like spring break or summer vacation. Pretend for a day that you’re not a resident and go get the most out of your local attractions. If you’re in San Antonio, TX, go downtown and visit the Alamo and learn about Davy Crockett and Santa Ana. Or if you’re in Duluth, MN, drive up Lake Superior and visit some of the amazing waterfalls. Don’t live in a major city? Make a day trip out of it and drive to the nearest one to “play tourist.”

•    Vacation Rentals by Owner – If you want to save on some travel costs but have a budget to pay for a few nights away, consider renting a “VRBO” home in a town that’s only a drive away. You’ll be close to home, but feel like you’re so far away.

Be sure to check out this amazing stay-cation resource, with ideas from bloggers for hundreds of cities across the country.

What are your plans this spring break? If you are stay-cationing, what fun things in your town do you have planned?