Staycation: staying home is the new vacation
‘œVacation: Two weeks on the sunny sands ‘“ and the rest of the year on the financial rocks.’ ‘“ Sam Ewing
Last week, I asked Queercents readers what their tipping point was with gasoline prices‘¦ some said $3.50 per gallon while others indicated $5.00. Point being, people are rethinking how much time they spend in the car.
They’re also rethinking where they’re vacationing this summer. Many are staying home. Or taking a staycation instead of a vacation. Andy Wibbels didn’t coin the phrase, but he pointed readers to this article that did: Staycations: Alternative to pricey, stressful travel:
AAA Vice President Mark Brown says the slowing economy and high fuel prices ‘œhave pushed some Americans to what we call the traveling tipping point. It’s clear that a small number of us may choose to stay home … and relax with friends and family rather than take a vacation.’
Gas prices appear to ‘œhave nowhere to go but up, and consumers and airlines in the United States are being dragged along for a very uncomfortable ride,’ Brown said.
Economics aside, ‘œstaying at home for a vacation can be enormously restorative and transformative and fits much, much better into a lot of people’s schedules and logistics,’ said Kristie McLean, a life coach in Seattle, Washington.
So what’s the secret to making a staycation a success? Making plans. Otherwise, the experts warn that it’s tough to avoid sloth mode. Plus, staying home means it’s easy to stay plugged into work:
Being close to home probably means you’ll have e-mail access and you’re physically close to work. But just because you can check your e-mail or scroll through your BlackBerry doesn’t mean you should.
So if you really need a get-a-way to unplug, then check out these Queercents suggestions:
- Ashkan’s new series: How to Travel During Tough Economic Times Part 1 and Part 2
- Jennifer’s post about: Family Holidays on the Cheap
- Moorea’s live and travel rent free tips: House-sitting and Couch-Surfing!
- Or my post about: Tacking on a Vacation at the End of Business Trip
We always end up having “work-cations”- where big home renovation projects get done.
Years ago, we completely redid our kitchen for under $2000 (cabinets, stove, tile countertops, plumbing and gasline work too!) before staycations were in vogue.
I’m saving up my days off for a plastic surgication!
DivaJean: Since you’ve got all those kiddies at home… you might like this article: Home Projects With the Kids: Make the most of summer togetherness with DIY learning opportunities.
A.J.: I love that… a plastic surgication!
Part of this week’s Carnival of the Insanities.