“A staycation is a simple, frugal way to enjoy time off with your family and live deeply right where you are,” says the Humbled Homemaker. To get started, set ground rules for your #staycation outlining how much cooking you’ll do, which chores you’ll keep up with, whether or not you’ll allow web browsing, and other aspects that may turn your time off into another day at the office. When the appointed date arrives, start acting like you’re on vacation by playing board games, filming a movie, camping out, picking fruit or whatever makes your down time more than ordinary.
Tag: travel
Avoid Travel Chaos with a Staycation
Summer #travel is already chaotic, CNN reports, with crowded flights, rising prices and sudden cancellations. But you can have an adventure close to home if you take a day off for a #staycation, says NerdWallet. You can be a tourist in your home town or nearest big city by searching guidebooks for interesting and “new to you” attractions, dine at a restaurant you’ve never tried before or finally go to that quirky museum. If you have kids, you might want to add games, a movie night or a scavenger hunt. Whatever you decide to do, the secret to a successful staycation is to enjoy the local surroundings while setting work and chores aside for a day or long weekend.
Live Like a Local to Save Money When Traveling
One way to #save money on #summer #travel is to live like a local. No matter where you go, shopping at markets and grocery stores and making meals at your vacation rental will save money over eating in a restaurant three times per day. Likewise when you do dine out: Patronize restaurants that offer the local cuisine, says the Travel Channel, and you will pay locals’ prices. And if you want to splurge on a fancy destination restaurant without blowing your entire travel budget, go for lunch; you’ll get to sample most of its signature dishes at lower prices — and often without making a reservation. #SummerTravel
Pack Minimalist to Speed Your Airport Visit
#Minimalist travelers know that when you pack light, you can skip the check-in and baggage-claim lines and be ready to roll as soon as the jetway doors open. To get everything you’ll need into a single, regulation-size carry-on bag, pack clothing that you can mix and match for multiple wears and limit your shoes to the ones you have on, TravelHackit says. Use vacuum-seal compression bags to make the most of the space you have. And finally, don’t pack toiletries and other items that you’ll be able to buy at your final destination — or at least pack only one or two days’ supply. #SummerTravel
Keep Copies of Travel Documents on File
To be on the safe side when #traveling, photocopy, scan or take a cell phone picture of any important documents you don’t want to lose such as a #passport, credit cards and driver’s license, says BestLife. Email the pictures to yourself so that if any of them so go missing on your trip, they’ll be easier to replace. Another hack? To ensure that checked luggage deplanes almost as quickly as you do, tag it “fragile.” Airlines usually put fragile bags on the top of the heap in the cargo hold, so they’re “the first to be unloaded. You’ll be hailing a cab while your fellow passengers are still looking for luggage carts.” #SummerTravel