Planning a Creative at Home Summer Vacation on a Tight Budget
With these cold winter winds blowing I am wishing for warmer temperatures. I am dreaming of having dinner on the back porch, barbecues, and trips to the lake.
When thinking of summer days, my mind has naturally been wondering to summer vacations. I am a huge planner, I like to plan trips and events WAY in advance to make sure every detail is taken care of… so it is not that crazy that I am already thinking about vacation; however, there’s a problem with my plans this year.
It is no secret that the economy has taken a major turn southward, families everywhere are feeling the effects of it. Our household is no different than yours; my husband and I are both self employed and this is a scary time to not always have the security of a steady paycheck.
We, like so many other families, are searching for ways to stretch our dollars further and save pennies anywhere we can. As we sat and looked at things lately, we came to see that taking a summer family vacation is probably going to be one of the victims of our tighter budget squeeze. Spending money on travel, hotel, food, and fun is more of a luxury than a necessity right now.
That doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to have fun though… I have come up with a creative solution to still treat the kids and us to a week of family fun, but allowing us to redirect some much needed money to other areas of our budget this year. We are going to be going on vacation at home. One full week off of work and spending time together. Because cheesy as it may sound… isn’t that what the vacation is supposed to really be about?
I am planning the week already to not be just our typical week at home. Since we will be saving money on travel and hotel expenses, I plan to still splurge on eating out. For me, a week of not having to cook every meal is a wonderful vacation-like treat. I plan on eating out for breakfast and dinner several of the days so it feels special and unique for all of us.
I am also planning on doing some activities that are local, but a bit indulgent. We have a water park, a theme park, and numerous museums nearby that we do not go to often. I would like to visit one each day, taking advantage of discounts and off hours. I am learning that several of the museums have a day that is free to the public, so we will plan to use those days to save money on our home vacation.
We’ll splurge on a few new family friendly board games that we can play at home in the evening a few nights. Board games are a favorite at our house, a wonderful way of spending time together and sharing some laughs. We’ll see a movie at the theatre one night and probably rent a few favorite movies for other nights. Maybe we’ll hit the bowling alley or the miniature golf course that is only twenty short minutes away…
I am excited at the challenge of planning a fun getaway week, that doesn’t require us leaving home this year! We are still going to be able to save a lot of money, but still take a much deserved break from the daily grind. Consider planning your own at home vacation this year, you may be surprised how many things there are near your home that you have never visited before. Become a tourist in your own hometown area… you may find new favorite restaurants, activities, and stores!
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