I’ve been in love with the concept of staycations for years. It’s a great thing to do with your annual leave or any other time you have off, especially in a recession like this one we’re in.
That you can’t afford to travel somewhere on vacation does not have to mean missing out on all the delights of a vacation. By planning a staycation you can enjoy the pleasures of a vacation that don’t involve travelling.
A staycation is a “stay-at-home vacation” that provides you the opportunity to rest and enjoy yourself. A staycation is also a less expensive alternative as it excludes lodging costs, and the travel expenses are minimal (if you’re spending all your time within your four walls there are no travel expenses at all). Your goal is to take time off to rest and relax. If you’re someone who vacations mainly for sightseeing, you may want to wait until you can afford to travel somewhere new and beautiful.
Here are 7 tips to help you and your family enjoy have an enjoyable staycation:
1. Let time off be time off. From the day your staycation starts until the day it ends, make sure you’re in your usual vacation mode regardless of the fact that you’re not travelling.
2. Budget just as you would for a vacation, so you don’t end up regretting overspending, or going broke.
3. Have fun. As much fun as you can without hopping on a plane. Sit down with your family and plan; come up with activities that you can all enjoy together.
4. Food, food, food! Stock your fridge and pantry with all the goodies that your family loves. You can cook huge bowls of food to keep in the freezer, or you can take advantage of the many businesses in Nigeria today that exist just to bring delicious meals to your home. Whatever you do, it should not be business as usual. Your family should really feel the difference.
5. Get help for the kids. You don’t want to take time off work only to end up exhausted from running and cleaning up after your little ones. If you have a nanny or babysitter, make sure they understand that you need to rest at this time. Otherwise, arrange for the kids to spend time with their grandparents or at their cousins’ for a few days so that you can actually relax.
6. Don’t spend your staycation running errands. Your goal is to create the feel of a traditional vacation without travelling and this means zero stress and switching up your usual weekend routine. So make adequate arrangements for chores and errands.
7. Sleep. The importance of getting enough sleep cannot be overemphasised. Your body should feel the positive effects of this staycation, not just despite the fact that you did not travel, but in fact, because you did not travel. You’ve eliminated the stress of packing bags, driving to the airport, waiting for your flight, commuting to your hotel… Now, enjoy it.
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