Reduce Travelling Costs – Staycation Ideas For A Family Trip

A vacation can be a great escape from the pressures of life. We all need a break to relax and recharge but sometimes, getting away for a week or two isn’t possible. Family commitments, health issues, and costs can make travelling seem like a dream.

Fortunately, there are still ways to have a fantastic time on vacation without leaving home. Like any holiday, it’ll take some planning and research, but the end result will be worth it. This post will explore how to maximize your staycation and enjoy your time off to the fullest.

Create a Plan

Planning will help you manage your time to make the most of your staycation. One way to do this is to plan your staycation as carefully as a trip you’d be taking. It’s too easy to become distracted by household chores, projects, and work-related issues when you’re staying at home. When this happens, your time off will disappear quickly. Key planning steps for a staycation include:

• Choosing your time off.
• Setting a budget.
• Researching activities in your area.
• Booking your tickets.

Choosing time off

Look at your calendar and choose the best time off for you and your family. If you’re planning a family holiday, it’s important to make sure that the other family members can get the same time off. It would help if you discussed this with a partner or checked school holidays to be sure the dates work for everyone.

You may also want to consider if you can arrange for time off during “shoulder season” when you can often find reduced rates at venues as opposed to the high prices found in peak season.

Set a budget

Have a look at your finances and set a budget for your staycation. Doing this will help you plan your calendar. You’ll save on travel costs, dining out, and hotel costs by taking a staycation. Avoiding those expenses allows more flexibility in your budget for things you want to do.

A vacation at home allows you to adjust your spending, which is harder to do when you take a family trip to another location. You can pack your lunches, eat dinner at home, take advantage of coupons or discounts, and you’ll know the best places to go if you want to dine out.

You can also plan to do some cheaper or free activities and spend the savings on the more expensive things you want to do. Another option is to use credit card rewards or points to help cover the costs of some of your activities.

Research activities and events in your area

Once you have a budget, research what’s happening in your area. If you live in or near a major city, you’ll have access to a wide variety of activities like museums, sporting events, concerts, theatres, festivals, and special seasonal events. Smaller areas also have a lot to offer their residents and tourists. Check the community calendar in your area, your city’s homepage, or type “things to do near me” in a search engine to find out what’s available.

Buy your staycation tickets

Buying tickets or booking events in advance will help you plan your days. Once you have your tickets, you can plan the rest of your day around the event. Since many events sell out quickly, booking your tickets early will ensure you won’t be disappointed. However, if your event is sold out, you’ll have time to schedule something else.

Before you buy your tickets, check out coupon sites to see if you can get a better deal. Many events offer special prices on sites like Wagjag or Groupon. Sometimes the promotions are for specific dates and times, and other times they’re not. If you can find a deal for something you want to do, you can put those savings toward another activity.

If you plan to use BC Ferries, check out their website for reduced prices on select sailings.

What to do on Your Staycation

There are several advantages to taking your vacation at home.

• They’re a cheap vacation relative to leaving home.
• You don’t have to deal with travel problems like packing, airports, lost luggage, and delays.
• You have an opportunity to find out more about what makes your area unique.
• You’ll spend less on travel costs so that you can spend more on experiences.

So, here are 15 ideas you can explore with your family when vacationing at home:

1. Spend some time checking out museums in your area. You might find ones dedicated to local history, art, or science.
2. Community theatres often offer plays by local talent. As a bonus, tickets are usually much cheaper than a big stage production.
3. Take in a concert. If you research the music scene in your area, you’ll find a wide variety of options you can consider, such as cover bands, small orchestras, or larger events.
4. Spend a night at a local inn or bed and breakfast. A night at a local establishment can give you time away without traveling.
5. If your family is into sports, get tickets to a professional or semi-professional sporting event in your area. University or college sports provide great entertainment for a modest price.
6. Check your community calendar for seasonal festivals like a pumpkin patch in October or a holiday market in December. This is a great way to celebrate the seasons and learn about your area’s local businesses.
7. Take advantage of biking and hiking trails in your area. You can usually enjoy them at no cost and spend as much time as you like. Pack food and water, and you’ll be ready for an adventure.
8. Explore the outdoors, pack your things and spend some time camping at a local campground.
9. Plan a visit with friends to an activity you’d like to do. If you’ve been too busy to maintain your social connections, you can use some of your staycation to reconnect with friends and family.
10. Take a day trip to a nearby town and see the sights there.
11. Try an escape room.
12. Provincial parks are amazing places to visit if you like to be out in nature. Have a look at the ones in your area.
13. Check out historical sites. Most cities and towns have historical places like pioneer villages, living museums, or specific locations that played a part in the area’s development.
14. Take a guided tour, like a historical tour or a ghost walk. Walking and bike tours are entertaining, and you’ll find out more about your city or town. Food tours are fun and you get to eat!
15. Plan a night to go for dinner at a restaurant you’d like to try and to a movie.

A staycation can be a lot of fun, but if you’re struggling financially and have too much debt it still may seem impossible. Financial debt stress can be overwhelming, and if you’re in this situation, help is available.

Contact us

Please get in touch with us as Chase & Associates to set up an appointment for a free consultation. One of our Licensed Insolvency Trustees will have a confidential meeting with you to review your circumstances and provide the steps you need to take to get back on track financially.