It's probably too early in the twenty-first century for us to be complaining of portmanteau fatigue. (We blame Bennifer and Brangelina.) Despite that, we're still intrigued by one of the latest buzzwords to hit the media scene: "staycation."
The concept is fairly self-evident: it's a vacation you take without leaving your home. Sounds easy, right? Then why is it that every time our family tries to do this, we fall into the same old patterns of chores and regular activities? MSNBC contributor Jeff Brown claims to have the solution. Brown breaks down the rationale behind why an at-home vacation is a good idea, both financially and psychologically, and then he spells out practical tips for avoiding staycation pitfalls.
Brown claims that his family has enjoyed a couple of staycations, so we're willing to hear what he has to say. For starters, he states that "The real obstacle is psychological. Americans have been conditioned to think a vacation means travel. Expensive vacations help us keep up with the Joneses."
So how do we break out of the rut? The key is making a "staycation plan," just like you would create any other travel itinerary. Take care of your chores and projects ahead of time, then get your hands on some local travel guides and look at your city or town through a tourist's eyes. And don't forget to set a budget and build some down time into your schedule.
But why stay at home instead of going abroad? According to Brown:
The average American vacation will cost $244 per day for two people for lodging and meals. The priciest destination will be Honolulu, where room and food for two adults will average $673 a day. Add some kids and airfare, and a 10-day vacation could top $10,000, easy. Wow!
This is just an average, and you could save money by staying in discount hotels and keeping away from full-service restaurants. Still, it makes you think. Imagine if you spent all that and it rained!
Yikes. Okay, we're semi-sold on the idea. How about you? Would you (or have you) ever vacationed at home? Would you do it again? Any tips?
Read the full article: Avoiding High Gas Prices With a 'Staycation'
I just moved closer to an urban area (45 min from Philly) and am thinking of trying one of those city passes for tourists (www.citypass.com), with a 10 day time frame, I can try to hit all the big tourist spots that I always mean to get to, but don't make the time for. Cheaper than traveling to another city and I get to expand my cultural horizons.
view jende's profile
I think the best piece on "staycations" was done on The Daily Show. "Staycations" are insulting.
view molly_DC's profile
We do this almost every year, usually when we have a long weekend that isn't really long enough for a proper trip anywhere. We each plan the events for one day--meals, destinations, performances, etc.--and make the journey a surprise. Last year, I dragged my husband out to the Louis Armstrong House in Queens, and he rented a ZipCar and drove me to look at lambs at Phillipsburgh Manor in Tarrytown. Part of the fun is knowing that we can splurge on museum admission (MOMA is $20 now!), theater tickets, and fancy restaurants because we aren't spending a bundle on travel expenses. Now that we have a bambino in tow, I imagine our future "staycations" will feature less-ambitious itineraries, but I hope we keep up the tradition!
view Secret Star's profile