Plan a Family Staycation
8:53 PM
Define Family Staycation: A family vacation spent at or near your home rather than traveling to another location.
This vacation option for the family is increasingly becoming popular because it makes sense to:
1. spend less when budget is a major consideration
2. travel shorter distances when time or health conditions of family members are real
concerns
3. stress less when all that a family needs is a time to relax and bond
Most people dream of bringing their families to vacation in far-away places, a dream that can now be fulfilled through great deals on flights and accommodations found on online booking sites including Traveloka, one of the best websites to look at if you want to save money on your airfare or hotel. Traveling is a great way to enjoy life to the fullest together with our loved ones. Nothing beats experiencing a place for the first time more than creating happy memories with people who we work hard for.
But what do we do if our budget simply won't allow it, or our schedules never seem to be in sync as to constitute family completeness, or the level of stress becomes so unmanageable when planning a vacation, just because we are aiming for something impossible, at least during the time that we want it to happen? Do we give up on the idea of a family vacation? Certainly not!
We just need to be realistic with our circumstances and train our efforts on something more doable like a family staycation. This doesn't mean giving up on those dreams of traveling to another country or even a luxury vacation within our territories. This simply means enjoying life with our family, whatever circumstances we're in.
So let's start planning that family staycation with these tips in mind:
Determine Your Vacation Budget
If a family is to truly enjoy a vacation, there must no pending financial doom to fear upon coming back. We create that fear on our own if we overspend or resort to heavy borrowing just to make it happen. Besides, it is just too difficult to be happy even in the most ideal vacation place if we know we are creating a serious dent in our finances. It is important to work within a budget. Staycations should cost less than overseas trips and are easier to manage expense-wise.
Saving up before vacation time always works best rather than hoping for money to fall unto our laps. When push comes to shove with vacation plans tightly set and no vacation funds are in sight, there are only two possible scenarios that can follow. It is either we cancel all vacation plans and suffer the disappointment of family members, not to mention the embarrassment in cancelling commitments, or we do the unthinkable by spending money we do not have and bury ourselves in debt.
Find Suitable Accommodation
Finding suitable accommodation is one of the critical choices a family has to make when vacationing. When we go on vacation, we want to be relaxed and rested. Though it is not necessary that we choose the most expensive, we just have to be properly informed about the hotel or resort we are considering. This is to make sure that we are paying for what we expect.
My family for one is partial to Microtel by Wyndham facilities. They are not at all expensive but very clean, safe, and comfortable. They offer a no-frill service which is essentially making sure that guests get what they need to make their stay comfortable without fanfare. We also appreciate that they have several locations all over the country. Vacationing families should also consider travel distance since members would obviously like to maximize time spent on vacation activities rather than commuting or driving to the destination.
Check Out the Available Activities
Most parents would rather rest inside the room if possible but the kids must be considered too. Thus, a family staycation should be a happy compromise of rest and recreation, just to make everybody happy. Hotels and resorts typically have suggested attractions which their guests can visit. The opposite is also true as recreation attractions can also recommend possible accommodation for an extended stay.
Finding suitable accommodation as well as checking out available activities in the area can easily be searched online. Gone were the days when you have to go to a particular place completely blindsided. Websites as well as reviews are widely accessible to interested vacationers. Getting recommendation from family and friends is also another option.
My Say
There will never be a perfect vacation with everything going exactly as planned. That is actually part of the fun in family staycations. If we wait for everything to be perfect, that time may never come.
That said, do not forego a family vacation just because you don't have the money, the time, and the strength to go full blast and head overseas. Make it a family staycation. You get to enjoy whatever happens, because you have the most important people in your life with you. You know that you are just spending what is available in the family budget. Most of all, you have given your family the time they so richly deserve.
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