Save Money By Taking A Stay At Home Vacation
Many of us look forward to our vacations so we can relax and delight in time with the family. In days past, many of us traveled to delight in our time off, but with the state of the economy, it's so costly that it may not be feasible anymore. Why not consider a staycation instead of going on vacation?
Give one room of your house a whole new look by updating it during your staycation. Get daring with color, polishing fixtures and reconfiguring the furniture layout. Turn your bedroom into an oasis and add romantic touches, like red velvet pillows and fresh flowers in a gem-studded vase. You'll be amazed at the variation a few accessories can make in your room.
Get out and explore a museum, library or local art gallery for a day of culture. Check out historic sites near your town and investigate what it is that makes your city or state unique. New Jersey is the "Garden State," and Missouri is the "Show me State," so go to the bookstore and find out why this is so. Not only will you learn something about your state, you'll have fun doing research as you do.
Schedule a day of you-time by going to a day spa, perhaps even getting a manicure and pedicure. Make time for a massage, and get your hair done in a different, dramatic style. You might consider changing the color of your hair or adding highlights. If you're open to the thought, you may want to try out a henna tattoo.
Try a theme for each night of the week. On "picture day," you can see a movie, take pictures of the sunset, and then rent a movie for later on that night. On "animal day," you might consider visiting a zoo or local farm and then watching animal shows on box. Perhaps you could go root for a local baseball team on "sports day," then watch "Field of Dreams" later on at home.
Try to get outside if the weather allows, perhaps hiking or camping. These are fantastic ways to soak up the beauty of nature while also getting in some exercise time. If you can convince your friends to camp out with you without all of their usual electronic devices, such as cell phones, portable games, and PDAs, you can delight in a night under the stars like they did in the ancient days.
Money is always a factor when we reckon about a vacation, but you don't need to spend a fortune to find fun during your time off from work. With a bit of research, you can find fascinating sights to visit in your town and you can have a fabulous stay at home vacation you'll really delight in.
Ellen Parsons has written dozens of articles on accredited online colleges and online universities for mid-career professionals.