How to Plan Staycation on a Shoestring Budget

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Guest Post:  Chelsea Lamb at Business Pop
Vacationing abroad has always been cost-prohibitive and the pandemic has only made it more so. It’s why staycations – local vacations – have surged in popularity, reports Longwoods International. Not only are they less of a hassle, overall, but they’re also light on the wallet. Why pay thousands of dollars when you could have a comparable experience at home in New York (or nearby) for a fraction of the price?

Allen Batista Travel, Inc shares insight and tips on how you could potentially vacation at home on a limited budget:

Choose budget-friendly day-trip activities in New York
A few hundred dollars go a long way even in New York City. Some popular budget-friendly activities you can enjoy are sunbathing at Long Beach, outdoor hiking and tubing in the Catskills, and antique-hunting in the picturesque Hudson Valley. All three destinations are within easy reach of the city and offer a lot of fun on a budget.  What if you want to indulge yourself? A luxury retreat to the Hamptons may be in order. 

You don’t necessarily have to leave the city to have fun either. If you’re a sports fan, for instance, you and your buddies could have a lot of fun by catching a local ballgame. Online sites make looking for Yankees tickets a breeze. You can filter by date, price range, and seat rating. Furthermore, you can scope your preferred seat out via an interactive seating chart of Yankee Stadium (Bronx, NY) that gives you a 360-degree virtual view of the row.

Hunt for deals on sites
Some sites specialize in finding and listing deals on accommodations, car rentals, attractions, and flights. Our top recommendations to check out include Kayak, Travelzoo, Orbitz, and Apple Vacations. These sites sometimes also list last-minute deals that can, potentially, cut your travel costs by half or more. 

Rope in a family and friends for bigger discounts
What’s cheaper than staycationing alone? You guessed it – it’s staycationing as a group with family and friends. Groups have an easier time finding cheaper accommodation and attractions – many places offer discounts to couples and larger groups. Furthermore, food and travel expenses are also easier to meet as a group. Everyone can chip in for the food, for instance.

Get creative with your food to save money
Apart from accommodation and travel, food will be your biggest expense. There are multiple ways to save big on food: picking places with free breakfast, eating out less, eating cheap supermarket food, cooking your own food, favoring street food, using coupons, and packing your own water bottle.  

Consider driving instead of flying
For nearby destinations, driving is almost always cheaper than flying for families. Four flight tickets usually cost more than the gas you’d pay to get to your destination. Driving is cheaper even when you’re renting a car. Lone travelers and couples may be able to save more by flying, in some cases. Comparing your options before you travel can help. 

Nail down a budget and stick to it
On average, a person in the US spends $1,573 on a week-long staycation, according to SpendMeNot. This beats a vacation to Europe, which costs about $4,000. If you’d like to save even more money, consider budgeting in advance. Instead of basing your budget on your destination and activities, base your activities and destination on your budget. You’ll save more that way.

Conclusion
Don’t hesitate to go on one if you have the opportunity. They can be just as exciting as international vacations, not to mention stress-busting. A day-trip can be just the change of pace you need to come back to work refreshed and reenergized, and so are well worth your time.

Image via Unsplash
 

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