By: Amy Hannold
24/7 MOMS Frugal Living Editor
Spring break is a good time to explore destinations within a few hours’ drive. Get away from the usual routine, without spending too much cash. Start your planning now! The best staycations happen when you invest some time into researching your destination. Experiencewa.com is a great website to find road trips, either by community or dates you have available to travel.
Call a family meeting to list everyone’s attraction priorities. Designate one notebook where you will record all of your travel plans and information. Recruit your older children as internet researchers. Contact tourist bureaus or chambers of commerce. Ask for free coupon books, entertainment guides, dining discounts and event calendars. Compare accommodation prices on travel websites. Call the hotels directly, to ask for unadvertised specials and discounts you may be eligible for. When you choose a more affordable destination, perhaps you’ll be able splurge on a few upgrades during your getaway.
Visit the websites of your destination’s local newspapers and community centers. Look for spaghetti feeds, public pools, local entertainment, swap meets, etc. Once you’ve taken an online visit to your destination, you’ll have a list of attractions to look forward to. Determine which attractions allow outside food or picnics and pack accordingly. Local radio stations and ValPak.com can be a source of half-price deals. Ask your friends where they got their latest great deals!
Other Staycation Tips:
Snacks and Roadtrip Activities: Purchase snacks ahead of time. Bring a cooler and stow away a few special treats for the adventure. Bottled water, hand wipes, sunglasses, plastic silverware, paper cups/bowls, instant breakfasts, drink mixes and Ziploc bags will come in handy. Bring along some new books and fun things the kids can enjoy, to cut down on the “Are we there yet’s”.
Scrapbook, Staycation Style: Give each child a composition-type notebook as their journal and a disposable camera. Suggest they use some of their vacation allowance to mail home postcards for recording memories of your staycation. Once you’re home, complete your scrapbook with photos, brochures, ticket stubs and other mementos. Their artwork and observations will become a cherished treasure!
Staying Home for Your Staycation?
If a road trip is not in your plans, you can still create fun memories during spring break. Follow the same planning as you would if you were going somewhere, to your planned time at home. Alternate your time between local activities and some festive, creative time at home. Either by yourselves, or with a few friends, plan some “theme days” where you’ll explore a country, hobby, or out of the ordinary events. Use your imagination to enjoy a “Spa Day”, “Beach Day”, “Dinosaur Country”, “Backwards Day”, “Mystery Drive”, or other theme of interest to your family. Visit the local library, online resources, cookbooks, etc. to fully experience wherever the day could take you. Homeschool websites are great places to find themed activity books and related materials. Use this time to share your childhood memories or the country where your ancestors are from. Or, simply create a “resort-at-home” with breakfast in bed, mints on the pillows, exotic fruit and meals, homemade postcards, movies, and other special amenities.
Are you more “project-progress” oriented? Spring break can be a time of completing home projects, catching up on your scrapbooking, decluttering or planning your summer garden. For everyone’s fun and sanity, sprinkle some fun and surprises into the time you have together. Consider including some community service in your staycation. Help neighbor with their projects or find a community program in need of assistance.