When I need advice I can always count on my sweet blog friend Sage to have wise advice with a playful twist. Here Sage shares some advice for a budget friendly staycation that will leave you as relaxed as a week at the beach. Take it away Sage!
Budget-Savvy
Tips for the Perfect Staycation
It’s
summer time, and for most of us, that means it’s time for a vacation!
Are
you dreaming of a lavish retreat on a tropical island, but your budget is less
Kardashian and more Kmart?
No
worries, girl!
What
you need is the perfect staycation so you can experience the feel-good vibes of
a regular vacation without leaving the confines of your neighborhood.
Here
are some easy, fun, and inexpensive ways to treat yourself like a jet-setting
celebrity while spending your vacation at home.
Choose Your
Day(s) Off
Perhaps
in addition to not having oodles of cash to blow on a trip around the world,
you might not feel right about taking time off from your job. Maybe you’re
super busy and don’t want to fall behind, or maybe you worry your boss would
look down on you if you took time off.
I
gotta say, those are complete BS reasons to not take time off. Taking personal
time (even a single day off!) will make you a more relaxed, centered employee.
And if people think less of you for being good to yourself, maybe they could
use a staycation to learn how to chill out for themselves.
So,
pull out your calendar and pick at least 1-2 days for your next staycation. Do
NOT choose Saturday or Sundays! Weekends are for doing laundry and running
errands. Your staycation is your chance to free yourself from your mundane
chores and to-dos. I recommend choosing a Thursday and Friday leading up to a
weekend.
Submit
your days off to your manager or department so everyone knows not to expect
you. No backing out now—let’s do this!
Determine
How Much You Can Spend
Even
if you’re on a tight budget, I encourage you to spend some money on
yourself—$10 counts! A vacation is a time to treat yourself and experience
things that are not a part of your everyday life. A small amount of money is
enough to buy those fancy olives you like or a bottle of wine.
Give
yourself permission to spend money on yourself. You’re worth it! Besides, if you
don’t spring for something out of the ordinary, then your staycation will seem
like any old day. You can figure out what amount sounds good to you, perhaps
under $30.
Pick Your
Staycation Companions (or Not)
Just
because you’re staying home instead of heading to Aruba doesn’t mean you have
to spend your time alone. Consider inviting a couple of friends to come over or
asking your spouse to take a day off with you. This way you can share
resources: you could watch movies and play board games, cook a big dinner
together, stay up late gossiping, or organize a clothing swap.
Or
you might choose to spend your staycation in solitude. If you never seem to
have a moment for yourself in an average day, a solo staycation might be the
perfect way to reconnect with yourself and your dreams.
Decide on a
Theme
I
like the idea of picking a theme for your staycation. A theme will set the mood
and help you forget that you’re just crashing in your living room. Maybe you’ve
always wanted to travel to Italy. For your staycation, you could make homemade
pizzas, watch movies set in Rome, and play romantic Italian music. Call your
dog “Giovanni.”
You
could even pretend you’re a tourist in your own town and walk around taking
photos of fountains, landmarks, and the nature beauty in your own neighborhood.
You might be surprised about the hidden treasures you find.
Another
theme might be a personal spa day. Light a yummy smelling candle, paint your
nails, and read a trashy book while soaking in a bubble bath. Really, we need
to take better care of ourselves and realize that putting ourselves first can
actually make us better wives, friends, moms, etc.
Gather Your
Supplies
Take
a few days before your staycation to gather any necessary supplies. You don’t
want to be relaxing and then have to run out to the store for something you
forgot. Buy
your snacks and food for your meals (I suggest getting a special dessert too!).
Head
to the library and check out some books you’ve always wanted to read or any
silly movies you were too embarrassed to see in the theater. Be sure to grab a
couple travel books with lots of glossy photos of exotic locales.
Enjoy It!
Please
remember to stay present and actually enjoy your staycation. Don’t do laundry
or start cleaning the house. Resist the temptation to check your email or work
from home. And above all else, don’t mope about wishing you were really on a
flight to Paris. There’s no shame in living within your means, and you should
treat your staycation as sacred time for your mental, physical, and spiritual
health.
Your Next
Adventure
I
hope you enjoy your staycation and are able to relax, reconnect, and have fun.
But let’s get real here: staycations can keep you sane when you aren’t able to
travel, but being a “budget babe” forever is no way to live your life.
You
are worthy of travelling the world if that’s something you dream about—and I
don’t mean waiting until you’re retired!
On
my blog, I often talk about the law of attraction and proactively working to
achieve your dreams. If lack of money is often an issue in your life, please
read my post “The Real Reason You’re Not Saving More Money.” I discuss
how to save for a specific goal like a real vacation. It’s more doable than you
think!
Need
motivation in other areas of your life? Download my FREE ebook “From Lazy toAmazing: 5 Easy Ways to Get Off Your Butt and Start Kicking Ass”
Want
more vacation tips? Check out my video “How to Avoid a Vacation From Hell.”
Have
you ever taken a staycation? What was the best part?
Sage
Grayson is the President and Founder of Sweet and Sage (sweetandsage.com), soon
to become Sage Grayson Coaching. Sage is a kick-ass life
coach who motivates women with a mix of loving kindness and straight-forward
wisdom. She lives in the suburbs of San Francisco with her husband, Chris, and
dog, Skyla.
7 comments:
Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to guest post on your blog, Cara! I can't wait for you to share your advice on my blog. Hope you're having a fabulous vacation. :)
Yah for Sage! We have been following her blog for quite some time and she always has some great advice. Plus, she is so funny :)
This is some great advice! Wish I used it before my trip to Greece and Italy!
http://www.themirroronthewall.com/
what great tips! I've never taken a "staycation" - but maybe i should:) haha great post!
I love staycations - they're so relaxing! Great tips!
What great tips!! I wish I had vacations right now to try them out ;)
www.thejoyoffashion.blogspot.com
Love this post by Sage, very cool suggestions and tips.
I would only add or change one thing.
If I were having a staycation in my house on a Thursday and Friday, and usually doing the laundry and errands on Saturday and Sunday I would to do laundry/cleaning and errands on Thursday and Friday so I could staycation in a clean house on Saturday and Sunday so I wouldn´t feel the urge to clean the house or having to think about that right after the staycation on Thursday and Friday would come 2 days of cleaning/laundry and errands :(
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