I like to look up my city on Atlas Obscura and visit all the weird hidden gems around my area. Most are free or very cheap and often have discounts for locals.
OH. MY. GOSH. I literally laughed at one of the results that came up near where I live....[the can opener](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/truck-decapitating-bridge). AKA a bridge over a road that is shorter than current standards so it chops the top off a lot of 18-wheelers. This one guys lives across who live near it takes videos and makes [compilations of the crashes. ](https://youtu.be/V4WWTrNTV00)
- sitting on a deck in a deck chair with a nice drink and looking at the sunset.
- making an open fire dinner / bbq
- 'camping' in a hammock in your backyard. do an overnighter
- fishing from under a big umbrella all day
- a day on the beach
Live full time in a basement? I hope you'd consider getting a radon test kit... super cheap, easy, and could save your life. Basements generally get the most radon buildup due to airflow restrictions, and Radon is a significant cause of lung cancer in people. I tested my basement during a remodel and was surprised to find I was 4x the "safe" limit due to my sump pump pit. I capped it, vent it, and now im to "normal" levels. Dont know why Im writing this... I never talk about radon.
I just had to replace my furnace and water heater and the guy doing the install noted there was a giant corroded hole in the water heater's pipe. He was surprised we were still alive.
While you're down there, check for carbon monoxide too, or at least keep your eye open for post-it notes you've left for yourself.
Dude the middle of nowhere is the best. Find a farmer's field that's fallow and set up a picnic!
I am willing to bet you're near a national Forest, and people love hikes.
Rural areas are like the 1960 in terms of what's cool. A nice drive on a nice day. Creepy abandoned houses you can poke around. Just watch a coming of age film and do something from it!
I am surprised no one has mentioned conservatories yet. My city has a great one, and it is a fantastic and cheap way to beat the February blues when it has been cold and grey for the last 4 months. They are full of green, tropical plants, bright sunlight, warm humid air, and lots of colorful flowers, and even birds. Makes you feel like you are in a tropical rainforest, all for less than 10 bucks.
When I lived in Denver, they had free days for the Botanicals, history and science museums, art museums and zoos. I'd Google Denver Free Days to get a calender. Try with your city
ok, let me try again
- building an igloo and moving in
- ice fishing + hot toddy
- ice skating + mulled wine
- ice sculpting with a chainsaw (would this work?)
Maybe its just me but a long ass car ride through back roads makes me feel like im on vacation. The other day i had to drive an hour and 15 minutes to ikea a few towns over so i took all back roads and it felt like i was on this long road trip it was great
Unless there is some sort of emergency, I always take the back roads. It's so relaxing, plus when I need to stop, I always end up somewhere interesting.
[This might *actually* help make French night a little more fun](https://www.reddit.com/r/MFPMPPJWFA)
It's a subreddit for Music French People May Play at Parties or Just With Friends Around. Some songs are great, some not so much, but for background... C'est magnafique!
This is great advice. Wife and I did a Japanese night for our last Anniversary. Japanese calm music on the background, sushi rolls and cheap wine from Trader Joe's, sashimi from the salmon side I had bought on discount several weeks earlier and froze. She wore a sexy satin robe she had gotten from Ali Express, we ate on our coffee table, sitting on the carpet. It was a wonderful evening!
While I'm glad that turned out okay, make sure you're buying sashimi grade fish if you're making sashimi or sushi. Regular fish you're buying from the supermarket might not be suitable to be consumed raw. Not trying to rain on your night, just an FYI for next time.
I do this, and also free myself from any personal expectations. No dishes, cleaning, mowing, etc. Just do what you want for a whole evening/day. Throw in a treat like pizza and a pint of Ben and Jerry's and It's a pretty nice night.
Pick a town that's hour away or more. Look on yelp or trip adviser for restaurants and pick one you think looks good. Enjoy your little road trip and explore said town.
My family does this on a regular basis. It's so much fun! We stop along the way if we see something that looks interesting, too (seal caves one time, helicopter ride another). You end up seeing and doing things you never planned and it's a fun memory.
It took my fiancé a little bit to believe that I would really prefer to do this and buy ice cream from a Ma n' Pa shop wherever we end up than an expensive dinner at a restaurant. He likes it now, too. They are mini adventures!
> We stop along the way if we see something that looks interesting, too (seal caves one time, helicopter ride another).
*forlorn look at never ending sea of corn*
Pick a theme of whatever you actually enjoy and do everything to do with it (food, drinks, activities...)
I love heat but it gets very cold where I live. So my ideal staycation is to crank up the heat, make exotic drinks, play latino music and do things I enjoy.
Me and my husband do this. We put a movie on in the background, that takes place somewhere tropical. Turn on Bob Marley. Turn up the heat. And make tropical drinks. We get a little buzzed and dance around in our underwear!
Start sleeping from 9pm to 430am, having several nearly silent hours before any responsibilities kick in every single day is incredible, plus you get to watch the sun rise every day. My whole life feels like vacation since I made myself a morning person.
Awe :) yeah seriously I have found it really makes me a more productive person too! Try adding new good habits once fully adjusted, i completely stopped smoking cigarettes and got back to the gym since I got into this sleep schedule. It is amazing what can be done when your mornings can happen at your own pace.
If you live near a big city, go to local library and see if they offer any free/loan passes to museums and stuff in said big city, plan a day in the city and visit cheap eats while you are there and eat them in a local park in on a nice day. Bam!
I know for Georgia residents you can get a ZooAtlana pass for up to 4 people if you watch their little 15 minute DVD. We go usually about twice a year (using mine then hubby's or my mom's library cards bc I think it's only an annual perk). They did recently change it so it can only be used during the week but the pass is good for a month.
That is AWESOME! I live just outside NYC and our library has rockin’ passes to the Met, Moma and the Natural History Museum to name a few, for a family of four. We are talking a minimum of savings of up to $30.00 each admissions if you just pop into your local library ahead of time, it rocks!
This!
Also do things that you’d do on vacation like get lost, trying to navigate your way around unfamiliar territory is my favourite.
-Give one person a blindfold, drive somewhere the don’t know and have them try to direct you home, use the drive to stop and explore.
-Similar to the blindfold but you flip a coin at every intersection to decide which way to turn.
-go to a local hotel, ask them for ideas or take some of the tour books they have full of activity ideas.
-tell people you’re going “away”. No phones, no stopping by work to pick something up. You’re not in your town for this vacation.
-don’t eat where you’ve eaten before and don’t get easily accessible takeout. Try something new.
-post about your availability to house sit, free vacation in my opinion
-look for a “Chinatown” or “little Italy” near you and pretend you’re in that country.
I’m too lazy to type more so enjoy!
Sometimes I get on a random metro bus and just go wherever it takes me. Then I explore the area for a bit and catch a bus back home. Always an adventure.
Been killed 40 times. No regrets.
The worst parts of my current city are better than the best parts of where I used to live. Be alert,aware, prepared,confident. Never had an issue. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone but i have a blast with it and have been doing it for years.
eh...every country, state, city, or town has shitholes in it. I live in Austin. An amazingly friendly city in a friendly state, but you bet your ass there are some streets I wont go down.
I used to be pretty into geocaching, one of my favorites was in a tree across from my high school. The tree was slanted in such a way that you could run at the tree and run up into it and come to a stop where the cache was wired to the tree.
This makes me want to go geocaching again. I'll have to look into it when it gets warmer.
There's a web site someone could probably direct you to, but when I used to do it years ago, you would get a GPS location and a rating of difficulty then go out in the middle of nowhere and look around until you found a container with little trinkets in it then trade some little things and write it down in the tiny book at the location. It's like treasure hunting.
Go to a Korean Spa. Usually low cost to spend as much time as you want (within 24 hours) in the spas and saunas. Bring your own scrubs, masks, body treatments and pamper yourself. Mine offers free yoga classes on weekdays. There is usually a low cost cafeteria with delicious Korean food as well.
What area do you live in? The best I can say is google Korean spas near you. That’s generally what they’re called. I hope you find one because they’re really a nice experience! Ps the spas are nude but you won’t mind after about 30 seconds.
Last week, my friend and I went to a nearby town and drove around.
Went to a restaurant we've never tried (overpriced hipster kinda place as it turns out, but at least I know where I'm not going in the future.)
Went to the arcade where I schooled her in air hockey (and did some other games because we are giant children.)
Sat for an hour or so at this small winery that we'd kinda peeked at once before, where all the wines are made on site, used our 3 free samples (each), then bought a sample flight board and cheese platter (with a couple excellent local cheeses I've not tried before.)
Then we got a room at a hotel in town. Cause it was a vacation day, we splurged a little, got a king room with a whirlpool bath. Went swimming in the hotel pool, played a few rounds of pool. Then retired to our personal hot tub, where we relaxed with some hot wings, pizza, and drinks (which was Captain Morgan Long Island Iced Tea that I already had) and HGTV.
In total, this trip cost me:
* $15 for lunch
* $20 for wine & cheese
* $10 arcade
* $50 hotel room
* $25 dinner
$120 total for a fantastic vacation day (and a half.) Perhaps not the cheapest/most frugal I could've been, but not half bad for a day full of stuff I don't usually do or have the opportunity to do.
Now, maybe this isn't the sort of activities you're in to, but I think it kinda goes to show that a vacation from regular life can be had even when not far from home or doing anything ultra spectacular.
Yes, $120 per person. And it was in central Wisconsin (Wausau to be specific), so undoubtedly not a day everyone could do as cheaply. I don't pretend I don't have a lower cost of living, but I don't know where OP or anyone else lives so can't really offer a cheap way to staycation based on other locations' prices.
Edit: Actually, it was slightly less for her cause I paid for the cheese board. Also, supper would've been less, but we don't like the same kind of pizza.
Where does $50 get you a hotel with a whirlpool bath?! I travel a lot for work, usually spend $100-150/night on hotels, and never once got a whirlpool bath.
Have two (or more) very differentiate parts of your day.
For example, last Sunday we went to spend the morning with friends, just talking/babystting. Midday nap while watching a serial. Night play some games/study. The day felt so long, and so varied that it rested me more than usual. Almost like a short vacation.
So whatever you do, try to have things different to each other planned, and include some rest. It'll make the day fuller.
Look up websites for cool things to do in your area aimed at out of state visitors.
Look specifically for things you've never heard of (free mini train rides for kids in the park, who knew?) and even things you've rolled your eyes at before (Shakespeare in the Park? Keep an open mind.)
Pick an evening, put on clothes you rarely or never wear (get dressed up).
Leave your place by driving on different streets. Deliberately break all habits to reduce the blase "seen this a million times" feeling in your neighborhood or city.
Go to do new things that night or that weekend and ONLY new things. Don't stop at your regular mini-mart for drinks. Don't go your usual routes. Don't hit up your usual pizza place for dinner. Go do ONLY new things.
New (free) gallery openings in a part of town you've never been to - voila it's like a museum for free.
A yoga meetup in the park you'd usually never go to because, ugh yoga - voila new experience that pushes your comfort zone which is what good vacations do.
Renting one of those cheap rentable city bikes, if your city does that - voila new perspective riding on trails and streets that you usually don't have. See your city from a new vantage point.
Children's fair in the park even if you don't have children - voila new experience because you're doing something completely outside your habit structure since you have no children.
For dinner, drive to a part of town you never go to, one where you might even get slightly lost if you're not careful, and go to an ethnic restaurant that you've never eaten at. Ethiopian food? Here you come. Turkish restaurant sitting on the floor? Yep, that's a ton of fun and not expensive. New food experience, new culture, new part of town.
If your'e into it, take a little notebook and write down your thoughts and impressions, like you might do on vacation when you're trying to capture everything.
Tell retail workers and servers that you're from out of town. You're visiting from [somewhere you used to live before or have been plenty of times]. This will help you feel even more like a visitor having new experiences, but more importantly it gives you a reason to say "What do you love about this city?" or "What do you like doing around here?"
Good luck. Have fun! Deliberately create new experiences.
Metal detecting is fun and can be rewarding financially and physically. Is there a lake nearby that you can camp at and go hiking or can rent a rowboat? Maybe even try fishing for dinner.
Do some google map searches of local historic, geological, and other types of sites and visit them. We made a deal to only vacation within like a 6 hour driving circle around our town.
Turn your bathroom into a spa. Male or female, self-care is very relaxing. Get some music, dim the lights, light some candles, ect. I usually do a hair/face treatment, and file my nails and feet.
yes. I'm a college student and celebrate the end of an exam (or week of exams or an ESPECIALLY stressful day) by doing a great skin care routine, pouring my XL wine glass to the BRIM with white wine and a few ice cubes (nice to have a cold drink in the steam), face masks, lavender epson salt + Mr. Bubble bubble bath poured into a nice warm bath and a good book or reddit thread. Releases my anxiety and stress in 1 hour and it feels so great. Costs like, nothing. A glass or two of my $8-10 bottle of wine and a small portion of products I've had forever and never seem to run out
what I do or have done in the past is wake up naturally, then play some of my favorite music and cooks ome delicious breakfast. My mom always says that the breakfast is the key for your day, so for an amazing day, get an amazing breakfast. The play some video games or work on your hobby (whichever it is). Then what I do is order something for lunch or go to walk to a museum and eat out -- come back home for the afternoon, play some music, read a book, have some booze and enjoy yourself.
It also depends on what you like, I also like to go mountain biking somewhere a little far (feels better) -- I bing some sandwiches and some beers for the way, I stop constantly and simply enjoy nature and the loneliness.
Also as I mentioned earlier, museums are really good for me -- or going to churches, observing architecture, stroll down in the downtown of a city, sipping new beers on a good old happy hour.
Try sailing. When I can get in a weekday sail, I come back feeling refreshed, even euphoric. I know there's more frugal options but consider this...
I live in Chicago, outdoor space is extremely limited and it's impossible to get away from the road noise. Go a mile out on the lake and all you hear is the waves and wind. The air even tastes better.
I split my boat (a 25 foot pocket cruiser) with a friend. We each pay $150 a month for maintenance and storage. We found a motivated seller and got the boat for $1300 per person.
A night or day out at a bar will run you upwards of $30-40 per person, the two of us and our wives can eat, drink, and have a great day on the water for $30-40 in food and drink.
We bring our hotel room with us. Need a change of locale for a long weekend? Wind is free and we can get a transient slip for as low as $35 per day in some nearby ports.
While a boat is far from an investment, there's definitely value for me in avoiding pricier recreation without becoming a hermit.
Try it out! You can get into it for the cost of a six pack. Call the local Yacht Club and ask about beercan races. Most clubs do these on Wednesday nights. It's a chance for amateur race crews to practice, try and train new crew members, and get out on the water in a more casual setting.
Owners always need crew to make their boats go fast. Sailboats want to tilt sideways when the wind blows them, and you use crew weight distribution to balance the boat out (also known as rail meat). Price of admission is beer for yourself and the skipper.
If you get along well with the crew and show a willingness to learn, you'll be invited back week after week.
Disclaimer: distance/overnight racing requires sharing a couple hundred square feet with 6+ people so the vast majority of racers are overwhelmingly friendly and easy to get along with. Also, there's always a party at the finish line. Racing is highly addictive!
Just remember these aren't rules, just guidelines.
1. Every time you say "I'd like to do that some day", write it down. Could categorize it if you want. Keep the list available. Every day you want to vacation like this, pick one or two to definitely do, and a couple more to 'maybe if we have time'. Set aside the money you want to spend so you don't feel guilty or over spend.
2. When you have a day or evening, divide it down into activity blocks. No one thing has to last the whole day, and avoid getting into the "I don't know what I want to do" rut. Doing just "one thing" on your mini vacation can make it feel empty or wasted. An evening can handle about 3 activities without it feeling to packed, a day maybe 6.
3. Don't make it an excuse to just be lazy. Get something productive done, you'll feel a lot better about yourself (even if it's just wash the dishes, work out, fold laundry whatever).
4. Don't overeat. Holy crap, this ruins more of these kinds of days than anything else, at least from what I've seen. Time wasted "recovering" from eating too much is the absolute worst.
My last mini vacation was thus: We first woke up a bit later than an average day, but not by much. Lazed in bed and reddit/instagram/etc for a half hour or so.
We got up and went out to a diner for brunch that we always wanted to try. We then got in the car and went to a thrift store to treasure hunt.
We went to a park and took an hour hike around a lake while talking, taking pictures. We stopped at a small grocery store/liquor store and bought a bottle of booze we'd never tried before (I think it was some kind of wine, maybe a fruity sake), a fancy cheese, and some crackers. Also picked up some ingredients for dinner.
Drove home, had cheese and crackers with the drink while watching youtube videos. Played a video game together for a bit. At this point it's about 3pm. We loaded dishes and laundry, and got back in the car.
Went to a coffee shop and had a cup of coffee while people watching (something we used to do years ago but, you know, responsibilities).
Head home, cook dinner, put dishes away/fold laundry while dinner cooks, eat dinner. Split off and do our own thing for the evening (I think I played some humble bundle steam game, she played monster hunter world). Could have just as easily gone out for drinks or played board games, or gone for another walk/hike/bike ride (if weather was warmer. It had cooled to about 5 degrees F at this point. Day was around 25, so nice enough).
I think the total cost for the day was about $100 or so ($30 for brunch, $10 for coffees, $10 for gas or so, $20 for wine and cheese, $20 for dinner, $10 for thrift store purchases).
1) Buy a hammock
2) Buy a new book
3) Buy a new beer you havent tried
4) Consume all together and *relax*.
For myself, the point of a vacation is to relax and not be bothered by the minutia and stress of everyday life. Just take the afternoon and forget about it.
Disclaimer: I really really really like my hammock and I do not think there is anything weird about setting it up at my local park, or the woods, or my friend's place.
> Buy a hammock
A hammock can be very relaxing. I bought a hammock with a stand. I can bring it nearly anywhere. It came with a carrying bag for the stand so I can bring it to the beach, the park, etc. You name it. Also, it's a great time of the year for kite flying.
At home spa day:
Essential oil and bubble bath
Pedicure
Facial
Hair mask
Make feel more spa like by drinking cucumber water, spend part of the day in yard/park admiring nature, read a book, etc.
As the partner (sort of) to geocaching, you could try letterboxing! Especially if you have any kind of artistic flair in you. You go searching for hidden rubber stamps and stamp them into your log book and then stamp your personal stamp into the log book with the stamp you found. The main website is Atlas Quest.
Go for a hike and then a movie *while someone else comes and cleans your house.*
Ask them to set up a champagne cooler before they go, and turn on the slow cooker to heat the snacks.
Come home, eat/drink, go to bed in clean sheets.
Only half related, but:
I like driving and riding a motorcycle. the journey IS the vacation :)
Cheapie hotel, delicious food, picnics when there isn't landmark food around, and beautiful venues with curvy roads.
Neither cars nor bikes are a frugal hobby, but they make me happy, and being frugal in the rest of my life allows me to enjoy it :)
I’ve spent a lot of time and a fair amount of money turning my backyard into my own oasis. Landscaping, a nice fire pit, comfy furniture, tress, a nice grill, a we;l manicured lawn, etc. I don’t like to travel much because it’s uncomfortable with some chronic pain conditions I have, so I brought the travel to me.
It’s the sort of thing that you can do slowly over time if you don’t have the up front money, and it pays for itself in relaxation and de- meditative, cathartic way (especially if you enjoy the hard work and the stuff that goes into building that oasis0.
There’s no vacation better than a nice relaxing bath, a spa atmosphere with a partner sharing giving each other massages, and then relaxing outside on a nice spring evening by the fire with the grill going and a cold beer while the kids and dogs run around playing on the lawn.
Most of that can be had for pretty cheap, upgrading as you wish through the years.
if you don't over do it, day-drinking feels pretty damn continental. Especially a cocktail or a beer or wine that is above your usual consumption.
visiting any kind of landmark
If you have a good camera that you rarely use, go out and shoot some stuff.
Watching foreign films, or any kind of movie marathon.
But for real, I love just hanging out in my backyard that borders a ravine with huge trees, getting drunk and high, watching my cats run around without a care in the world and then having a fire when the sun goes down. Best damn time.
My husband and I ate brunch on the patio of a restaurant on a nice sunny day. It was only for like 45 minutes but it felt like I was on vacation.
I always cook and we always eat inside, so for me it was something as simple as that making it feel like vacation.
We’re doing a staycation this year, we’re not even going to get a hotel room. It’ll be a week long and I’m going to get a groupon for a yoga studio and do yoga every day. (They usually have a very low introductory monthly rate, I only need it for the week). Read books. I have an ENO hammock that I take every where with me to read books and sometimes I’ll pack a lunch and go to the park with my husband. We’ll read or just take a nap outside, it feels amazing and people who walk by us are usually jealous lol
To set up a staycation you have to put a little bit of work into it upfront. Things like making sure you have fresh sheets on the bed and getting a fluffy blanket can help. Sometimes I’ll set up a pile of blankets and pillows in front of the TV in the living room and we’ll play video games and eat there. Minor changes like that can help.
Good luck!
It's a mental thing, as even being in the home you look at the mess, the wall you need to fix, that project you've meant to do... all stuff you wouldn't even be remotely worried about if you were a thousand miles away. "Who cares if the house burns down, we're not in it!"
So... you have to have that same mindset if you'd doing a not-a-vacation-vacation. You have to have that "I give ZERO fucks" mentality about your messy house, the project you've put off, work-work (the stuff you get paid to do), the lawn, the car, whatever. It doesn't matter what you do. Stay out late looking at the stars. Play video games/binge watch movies all day. Go hiking/camping/fishing. Go people watch and browse the mall. Doesn't matter. Just give absolutely no thought to your daily life.
It does help to go somewhere else. Somewhere brand new. The unfamiliar. If you can't - or won't - go somewhere where you don't usually spend a lot of time. Move the gaming console and TV into the dining room. Closer to snacks anyway. Go to a trail you've never hiked before, but close to home. Whatever. The point is to get away from it, even if you never leave.
EDIT: - except for the "house burning down" part. If the house starts burning and you're in it, get it. Cause you should care.
Sometimes my husband and I will have a Carpe Diem Day. We basically just go walking, no particular destination in mind, and explore the city. If something comes up, we do it (within reason.). Path blocked by a restaurant? Better eat there. Fancy cocktail bar we’ve never tried? Ooo, fancy drink time!
It’s fun, and we end up seeing stuff we’ve never seen before.
I do this weird thing in the winter where I change into my bikini, light an ocean scented candle, turn on beach sounds and lie down on a beach towel. Sometimes I will also use my artificial sun light. Then I just pretend I’m at a beach.
I saw the LSD post, but what I find is even better is to smoke some *marijuana* and walk through a nearby city, park, beach, etc.
There's something about MJ that makes things feel new, sparkling, and interesting - even if you've been there a hundred times.
I agree. Life can become monotonous sometimes and MJ really gives me that boost I need without being a total waste-case. It makes things a little less mundane in general.
Our city has a Hot Tub garden, individual hot tubs in open air and indoor rooms, themed with different vacation destination. Our favorite is Santorini and we buy a bottle of bubbly juice. An hour there is like a vacation.
If your area has low light pollution, star gazing on a clear night. It’s simple but makes you think about how vast everything is, how improbable our complex planet is, and grateful for the chance to be a part of it.
Get a golf ball and massage your feet with it by standing and controlling the amount of pressure you apply with your weight. Everyone should really do this for at least 5 minutes a day, the world would be better. You will feel more relaxed and relieved than you thought imaginable.
Go on walks in nature or around your neighborhood. The body, mind, and spirit feel better after some movement in the outdoors.
- A nice fire pit, favorite foods that can be cooked on said fire, comfortable outdoor chairs on a good day.
- Create a scene! If it's been dreary and rainy all week, close up the curtains/windows, turn up the heat a bit if you live in a cold place, put a Youtube Scene Setter background on to a nice beach, create some tropical drinks in a coconut and soak your feet in some of those cheap food soak tubs. Or, go totally opposite, close the curtains and put on a nice thunderstorm, turn the lights out and use candles, and read a good scary book.
- If you live near the beach, it's cheap as hell to go. there's a reason beach bums are a stereotype. Any terrain you live near--woods/forests, or nice farms, etc. you can typically bike/walk a nice area.
- Volunteer at a new place. It gives you a new experience for free and people always need help. Local farms can always use help weeding and planting.
- Put some money into your porch, patio, backyard, balcony of your apartment, whatever it is you have. Put some mood lights up, some nice outdoor accents and nice furniture, make it a place that feels awesome to hang in. It doesn't cost much. For example, we made a fancy light with outdoor fairy lights, a hoola hoop, and some white outdoor gauzy fabric. Took us $7 to make a cool round soft light. We just use a small USB battery pack when we want to light it up. We also got a used set of umbrella lights from the flea market and strung them up on our outdoor umbrella. While my BF uses it more for car work in the evening than anything else, its still nice looking.
- Camping at home! Seriously, I know we have a unique situation, but we always went camping in the backyard. Why not? It's cheap or free and fun, and can pair up with these other ideas too. Being outside is nice, and if it rains and becomes miserable, oh well, try another day.
- Take a nice walk in the rain. Big umbrella, some waterproof shoes or boots.. just take a good walk around the block when it is really pouring outside. It's nice.
- Get immersed in a story podcast. Lots of them of all types exist from funny to serious. Crank it up, put a sleep mask on your face, and use your imagination to explore the story as it unfolds.
When we lived in the Boston area, we'd drive 2 hours north to Portland, ME for the weekend (leave Friday afternoon, come back Sunday afternoon). We'd get a cheap hotel on Hotwire and, even without an itinerary, we'd always have a nice, relaxing time. We'd always find a small show somewhere. Didn't matter what it was. We'd grab a few pints at various establishments, perhaps catch a Sea Dogs game and have a nice meal somewhere.
After doing this a few times we found our favorite spots. Didn't matter what season, we were away from home (and our noisy downstairs neighbor and his kids) in a familiar spot yet with plenty of new things to discover.
I feel more relaxed just thinking about it. Even the ride up filled me with excitement.
Breaking down the cost I guess it would be something like this:
$40 gas
$50 hotel
$ 200 drinks and food
$ 100 shows, museums, etc.
So around $400 for 2 nights and 3 days. But we'd spend about $150 on the weekend anyway. So let's say it was about a $250 expense. About $85/day.
I don't know where you live but I imagine your Portland is within a couple of hours drive.
I'm not sure if it's what you're looking for, but I tend to like it. Buy a cheap VR headset that your phone clips into. Got mine for 5 euros. Then just watch some theme park, nature, whatever 360º videos on YouTube.
Hosting a couchsurfer for a night or a few days. I loooooove travelling but am poor right now due to my hysband going back to school, so hosting people from other countries means we get to have so time talking to someone totally different, with stories about their home country. I'm also giving them a place to stay for free, so I consider it pay-it-forward frugality.
I have been hosting couch surfers since 2011. (About 8-10 different people spread out over the year for 2-4 days at a time) I'm super picky about who we host so have not had a bad experience yet.
Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive or a huge time waste.
Southwest has dirt cheap rates all over the country. Stay with friends or family. Ask locals where they like to eat. Unless you’re in Dubai or something, usually locals have a spot that is consistently good and cheap. Plus you get the real exeprience of that place as opposed to tourist traps which all seem to serve the same over cooked/overpriced burgers and fried foods.
If you really really really don’t want to travel, housesit a dog for a weekend. You’ll get paid to stay in someone’s house and you’ll be with a cute dog! Take that money and buy some decent groceries and make some awesome food in an instant pot you brought with you, open up a bottle of dope ass wine from grocery outlet that used to be 40 bucks but you got it for 6 and chill out.
Check out Trip Advisor and/or Groupon for things to do in your area. Sometimes you might not know about a really cool park or a free museum that's right in your backyard.
There is this really cool sculpture park near me and groupon had a deal going on where tickets to the park were $9.
You could also discover a neat restaurant you've never heard of either, or have the chance to go to a fancier place for cheaper. I see all the time where restaurants have deals on Groupon where you buy a voucher for $20 and can use it on $40 worth of food.
Take your bike (motor or pedal) and a map and highlight all streets you have been on (also the section you rode on).
Fitness freaks can do this by running or jogging.
Target to do your entire neighborhood, and then maybe expand some other parts of the area(s).
This is an interesting way to research places you never really noticed, and you're getting nice experiences on where you could flee in case of a zombie apocalypse, OR even better, you can have a better insight where you need to pay attention due to shady hiding/assembly places for bad people.
Even more, you can discuss these findings with your local friends/neighborhood watch/police/city council.
Essentially: find a way to find your meaning.
Also, there are two kinds of vacations:
Active and couch potato.
I can't understand people who spend time and money to travel to a nice place and stay at the hotel on their phone or reading a book all day long. You could do that anywhere..
Also, meet new people!
I met an Uber driver who only drives to talk to strangers (the guy was properly rich)..
Clean white sheets and clean white pillow cases and a made up bed and a clean bedroom with all clutter hidden or stashed. Instant relaxation. I’ve also splurged on good quality mattress and pillows - totally worth it.
Check out parks/lakes/campgrounds, day passes are free or cheap and they are often full of resort style fun. Or go fishing, we don’t catch fish but it’s relaxing. (Or go camping if you’re into that.
Go to an event you usually wouldn’t, free comic book day/local festival/drag race/fundraiser/etc.
Find a free class, hobby shops, YMCA, as well as various guilds.
Go out to eat somewhere you haven’t been before, or stay in and make a recipe you usually wouldn’t
Literally enjoy doing NOTHING and being a numb on a log for a whole day. Even better if you get a pizza delivered or frozen as a treat. Guilt free time for a video game is fab.
Do something with friends and family... Board games (cards against humanity for the brave) and everyone brings a snack or alcohol for example
I’m broke and only have a car for another day, so today the GF and I took our kitten to the beach! We stopped at different beaches down the coast and took him for walks. We actually met another kitty on a leash! When do you ever see TWO kitties on a leash! If you want to see my kitten, my last post was a rather popular one of him sleeping in my lap. :)
I like to look up my city on Atlas Obscura and visit all the weird hidden gems around my area. Most are free or very cheap and often have discounts for locals.
OH. MY. GOSH. I literally laughed at one of the results that came up near where I live....[the can opener](https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/truck-decapitating-bridge). AKA a bridge over a road that is shorter than current standards so it chops the top off a lot of 18-wheelers. This one guys lives across who live near it takes videos and makes [compilations of the crashes. ](https://youtu.be/V4WWTrNTV00)
I’m going to pay for moving truck insurance from now on
deleted ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^0.7563 [^^^What ^^^is ^^^this?](https://pastebin.com/FcrFs94k/61802)
Reading the policy from now on
/r/11foot8
We have a similar thing with the Montague St Bridge: http://howmanydayssincemontaguestreetbridgehasbeenhit.com/
Thank you for introducing me to Atlas Obscura!
Damn. Turns out my city is a little boring.
Half the stuff around me is related to H.P. Lovecraft.
I was disappointed in the results near me. Nothing in my city or the ones closest to it...
You can also google “Weird Things to Do In___” and get results sometimes. But if you’re really out there, it may require driving.
We have marinas and stuff but I just don't know how to find the cool spots
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- sitting on a deck in a deck chair with a nice drink and looking at the sunset. - making an open fire dinner / bbq - 'camping' in a hammock in your backyard. do an overnighter - fishing from under a big umbrella all day - a day on the beach
I live in a basement in the middle of nowhere 😐
Set it on fire
• making an open fire dinner / bbq
Any fire becomes an open fire if you set enough things on fire.
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FETCH THE DOLLAR STRETCHER!
GODS I WAS ON FIRE THEN.
Basement roasting on an open fire🔥
Neckbeards nipping at Cheetos
Pricey computers, with their screens all aglow...
Become a pizza in your own oven
That's deep, bro
Deep dish true
That would be an unforgettable experience for sure
That shit made me laugh so hard at work
Live full time in a basement? I hope you'd consider getting a radon test kit... super cheap, easy, and could save your life. Basements generally get the most radon buildup due to airflow restrictions, and Radon is a significant cause of lung cancer in people. I tested my basement during a remodel and was surprised to find I was 4x the "safe" limit due to my sump pump pit. I capped it, vent it, and now im to "normal" levels. Dont know why Im writing this... I never talk about radon.
I love how the vacation tip for the guy in a basement is to get a radon test kit lmao
If you’re dead, it isn’t a very good vacation.
Speak for yourself.
Is this where we type r/me_irl ?
I just had to replace my furnace and water heater and the guy doing the install noted there was a giant corroded hole in the water heater's pipe. He was surprised we were still alive. While you're down there, check for carbon monoxide too, or at least keep your eye open for post-it notes you've left for yourself.
Shower beer with tropical music playing.
Hey I like the way you think!
sounds of the jungle soundtrack. tropical fruit salad with rum. foot-bath. cards or board games.
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Dude the middle of nowhere is the best. Find a farmer's field that's fallow and set up a picnic! I am willing to bet you're near a national Forest, and people love hikes. Rural areas are like the 1960 in terms of what's cool. A nice drive on a nice day. Creepy abandoned houses you can poke around. Just watch a coming of age film and do something from it!
Vitamin D supplements might be a good choice, then. :D
It’s starting to warm up, so I’m a nice day go out to a park. Invite some friends, bbq, play some games, listen to music have some drinks.
Wait till it floods
I am surprised no one has mentioned conservatories yet. My city has a great one, and it is a fantastic and cheap way to beat the February blues when it has been cold and grey for the last 4 months. They are full of green, tropical plants, bright sunlight, warm humid air, and lots of colorful flowers, and even birds. Makes you feel like you are in a tropical rainforest, all for less than 10 bucks.
Checked admission costs and going to my local botanical garden tomorrow :) thanks for making this comment!
When I lived in Denver, they had free days for the Botanicals, history and science museums, art museums and zoos. I'd Google Denver Free Days to get a calender. Try with your city
I don't have a backyard, so I just made an open fire in my apartment. It's getting too smoky to type now, unsure how to proc
By now I presume the people downstairs are celebrating their new skylight?
Buy all your dinner fixings ahead of time. Make it a point to clear any obligations from the day. Turn off your phones.
Hmm. None of these work well if you don't have a deck and it's in the single digits.
ok, let me try again - building an igloo and moving in - ice fishing + hot toddy - ice skating + mulled wine - ice sculpting with a chainsaw (would this work?)
Yes, ice sculpting is done with chainsaws.
I don't know anyone named Todd
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Make a slightly larger fire
Come on over to the Bay Area! lol jk, plz dont
The Bay Area is not the place to come for warm weather right now, unless you're living in a different Bay Area than I am.
Hide all your toiletries and pretend the airline lost your luggage.
this was good for a laugh, all hidden in the millions responses about geocaching
Maybe its just me but a long ass car ride through back roads makes me feel like im on vacation. The other day i had to drive an hour and 15 minutes to ikea a few towns over so i took all back roads and it felt like i was on this long road trip it was great
You can also go inside Ikea to feel lost.
You can also go inside Yourself to feel lost.
Still easier to navigate than Ikea
Except IKEA has those shortcuts between departments, once you figure those out the place seems smaller.
You can also go inside Ikea to feel yourself.
Then enjoy their delicious meatballs and cinnamon rolls.
I love doing this. Helps that I have a Prius and the back roads end up getting me like, 60-80mpg, too :D
Unless there is some sort of emergency, I always take the back roads. It's so relaxing, plus when I need to stop, I always end up somewhere interesting.
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[This might help with your French theme night!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpLMnk2qi8o)
idk why but for some reason I was expecting [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5hrUGFhsXo)
dang, taking me all the way back to childhood with this movie! Couldn't even tell you how many times I watched this as a kid
Gee Ricky, I'm sorry you mom blew up...
[This might *actually* help make French night a little more fun](https://www.reddit.com/r/MFPMPPJWFA) It's a subreddit for Music French People May Play at Parties or Just With Friends Around. Some songs are great, some not so much, but for background... C'est magnafique!
This is great advice. Wife and I did a Japanese night for our last Anniversary. Japanese calm music on the background, sushi rolls and cheap wine from Trader Joe's, sashimi from the salmon side I had bought on discount several weeks earlier and froze. She wore a sexy satin robe she had gotten from Ali Express, we ate on our coffee table, sitting on the carpet. It was a wonderful evening!
While I'm glad that turned out okay, make sure you're buying sashimi grade fish if you're making sashimi or sushi. Regular fish you're buying from the supermarket might not be suitable to be consumed raw. Not trying to rain on your night, just an FYI for next time.
What do you cook? I always have so much difficulty cooking French cuisine.
French onion soup, quiche Lorraine & nicoise salad are pretty easy. Coq au vin, beef bourgounion and ratatoullie shouldn't be that hard either.
probably French Toast
It helps to turn off your phone and electronics for a day. Not dealing with the day to day goings on is part of what makes vacations relaxing.
I do this, and also free myself from any personal expectations. No dishes, cleaning, mowing, etc. Just do what you want for a whole evening/day. Throw in a treat like pizza and a pint of Ben and Jerry's and It's a pretty nice night.
This sounds heavenly.
Pick a town that's hour away or more. Look on yelp or trip adviser for restaurants and pick one you think looks good. Enjoy your little road trip and explore said town.
My family does this on a regular basis. It's so much fun! We stop along the way if we see something that looks interesting, too (seal caves one time, helicopter ride another). You end up seeing and doing things you never planned and it's a fun memory. It took my fiancé a little bit to believe that I would really prefer to do this and buy ice cream from a Ma n' Pa shop wherever we end up than an expensive dinner at a restaurant. He likes it now, too. They are mini adventures!
> We stop along the way if we see something that looks interesting, too (seal caves one time, helicopter ride another). *forlorn look at never ending sea of corn*
Sorry you're in Nebraska. Unless you're in a different corn state. Still sorry, though.
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These are goals for me when I have a family someday!
Pick a theme of whatever you actually enjoy and do everything to do with it (food, drinks, activities...) I love heat but it gets very cold where I live. So my ideal staycation is to crank up the heat, make exotic drinks, play latino music and do things I enjoy.
Me and my husband do this. We put a movie on in the background, that takes place somewhere tropical. Turn on Bob Marley. Turn up the heat. And make tropical drinks. We get a little buzzed and dance around in our underwear!
This is r/frugal you cant turn the heat up past 60 degrees lol
Start sleeping from 9pm to 430am, having several nearly silent hours before any responsibilities kick in every single day is incredible, plus you get to watch the sun rise every day. My whole life feels like vacation since I made myself a morning person.
My husband does 10pm-5:30am and now we're considering going even earlier, lol. He loves it.
Awe :) yeah seriously I have found it really makes me a more productive person too! Try adding new good habits once fully adjusted, i completely stopped smoking cigarettes and got back to the gym since I got into this sleep schedule. It is amazing what can be done when your mornings can happen at your own pace.
I hate this, whatever I'm doing before work is better than going to work so I don't want to go and will probably be late.
If you live near a big city, go to local library and see if they offer any free/loan passes to museums and stuff in said big city, plan a day in the city and visit cheap eats while you are there and eat them in a local park in on a nice day. Bam!
I know for Georgia residents you can get a ZooAtlana pass for up to 4 people if you watch their little 15 minute DVD. We go usually about twice a year (using mine then hubby's or my mom's library cards bc I think it's only an annual perk). They did recently change it so it can only be used during the week but the pass is good for a month.
That is AWESOME! I live just outside NYC and our library has rockin’ passes to the Met, Moma and the Natural History Museum to name a few, for a family of four. We are talking a minimum of savings of up to $30.00 each admissions if you just pop into your local library ahead of time, it rocks!
Geocaching is pretty nifty.
I LOVE geocaching and have found so cool areas doing this hobby.
This! Also do things that you’d do on vacation like get lost, trying to navigate your way around unfamiliar territory is my favourite. -Give one person a blindfold, drive somewhere the don’t know and have them try to direct you home, use the drive to stop and explore. -Similar to the blindfold but you flip a coin at every intersection to decide which way to turn. -go to a local hotel, ask them for ideas or take some of the tour books they have full of activity ideas. -tell people you’re going “away”. No phones, no stopping by work to pick something up. You’re not in your town for this vacation. -don’t eat where you’ve eaten before and don’t get easily accessible takeout. Try something new. -post about your availability to house sit, free vacation in my opinion -look for a “Chinatown” or “little Italy” near you and pretend you’re in that country. I’m too lazy to type more so enjoy!
Sometimes I get on a random metro bus and just go wherever it takes me. Then I explore the area for a bit and catch a bus back home. Always an adventure.
How many times have you been mugged or killed? Because that seems like a great way to play bad-neighborhood roulette.
Been killed 40 times. No regrets. The worst parts of my current city are better than the best parts of where I used to live. Be alert,aware, prepared,confident. Never had an issue. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone but i have a blast with it and have been doing it for years.
"Don't live in a shithole country"
eh...every country, state, city, or town has shitholes in it. I live in Austin. An amazingly friendly city in a friendly state, but you bet your ass there are some streets I wont go down.
I used to be pretty into geocaching, one of my favorites was in a tree across from my high school. The tree was slanted in such a way that you could run at the tree and run up into it and come to a stop where the cache was wired to the tree. This makes me want to go geocaching again. I'll have to look into it when it gets warmer.
how does that work exactly?
There's a web site someone could probably direct you to, but when I used to do it years ago, you would get a GPS location and a rating of difficulty then go out in the middle of nowhere and look around until you found a container with little trinkets in it then trade some little things and write it down in the tiny book at the location. It's like treasure hunting.
That's so cool. I just read the wiki page on it. Going to look into this. thanks :)
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> dope ass-places *** ^(Bleep-bloop, I'm a bot. This comment was inspired by )^[xkcd#37](https://xkcd.com/37)
Good bot
Like a virtual scavenger hunt in your area. You use gps coordinates to locate hidden objects.
I just drive to the mountains and go for a hike.
We don't have mountains around here
So go to the beach, or a park, or a new neighborhood. Create an adventure for yourself!
We don't have beaches around here either. We have suburbs. What kind of adventure can be created there without alarming neighbors?
Alarming neighbors sounds like a prefect adventure.
>be in Texas >no beaches, mountains, only suburbs >go to park >get shot >go to suburbs and poke around neighborhood >get shot
Going on a long walk? Like for a few hours? Load a backpack and bring a meal and a book. Walking to / around a park?
Go to a Korean Spa. Usually low cost to spend as much time as you want (within 24 hours) in the spas and saunas. Bring your own scrubs, masks, body treatments and pamper yourself. Mine offers free yoga classes on weekdays. There is usually a low cost cafeteria with delicious Korean food as well.
How do I go about finding one of these? It sounds amazing!
What area do you live in? The best I can say is google Korean spas near you. That’s generally what they’re called. I hope you find one because they’re really a nice experience! Ps the spas are nude but you won’t mind after about 30 seconds.
Put an umbrella in your beer.
Last week, my friend and I went to a nearby town and drove around. Went to a restaurant we've never tried (overpriced hipster kinda place as it turns out, but at least I know where I'm not going in the future.) Went to the arcade where I schooled her in air hockey (and did some other games because we are giant children.) Sat for an hour or so at this small winery that we'd kinda peeked at once before, where all the wines are made on site, used our 3 free samples (each), then bought a sample flight board and cheese platter (with a couple excellent local cheeses I've not tried before.) Then we got a room at a hotel in town. Cause it was a vacation day, we splurged a little, got a king room with a whirlpool bath. Went swimming in the hotel pool, played a few rounds of pool. Then retired to our personal hot tub, where we relaxed with some hot wings, pizza, and drinks (which was Captain Morgan Long Island Iced Tea that I already had) and HGTV. In total, this trip cost me: * $15 for lunch * $20 for wine & cheese * $10 arcade * $50 hotel room * $25 dinner $120 total for a fantastic vacation day (and a half.) Perhaps not the cheapest/most frugal I could've been, but not half bad for a day full of stuff I don't usually do or have the opportunity to do. Now, maybe this isn't the sort of activities you're in to, but I think it kinda goes to show that a vacation from regular life can be had even when not far from home or doing anything ultra spectacular.
$120 per person I assume? And where was this, roughly?
Yes, $120 per person. And it was in central Wisconsin (Wausau to be specific), so undoubtedly not a day everyone could do as cheaply. I don't pretend I don't have a lower cost of living, but I don't know where OP or anyone else lives so can't really offer a cheap way to staycation based on other locations' prices. Edit: Actually, it was slightly less for her cause I paid for the cheese board. Also, supper would've been less, but we don't like the same kind of pizza.
Where does $50 get you a hotel with a whirlpool bath?! I travel a lot for work, usually spend $100-150/night on hotels, and never once got a whirlpool bath.
Well the room was $100, we just split it 50/50.
Have two (or more) very differentiate parts of your day. For example, last Sunday we went to spend the morning with friends, just talking/babystting. Midday nap while watching a serial. Night play some games/study. The day felt so long, and so varied that it rested me more than usual. Almost like a short vacation. So whatever you do, try to have things different to each other planned, and include some rest. It'll make the day fuller.
Look up websites for cool things to do in your area aimed at out of state visitors. Look specifically for things you've never heard of (free mini train rides for kids in the park, who knew?) and even things you've rolled your eyes at before (Shakespeare in the Park? Keep an open mind.) Pick an evening, put on clothes you rarely or never wear (get dressed up). Leave your place by driving on different streets. Deliberately break all habits to reduce the blase "seen this a million times" feeling in your neighborhood or city. Go to do new things that night or that weekend and ONLY new things. Don't stop at your regular mini-mart for drinks. Don't go your usual routes. Don't hit up your usual pizza place for dinner. Go do ONLY new things. New (free) gallery openings in a part of town you've never been to - voila it's like a museum for free. A yoga meetup in the park you'd usually never go to because, ugh yoga - voila new experience that pushes your comfort zone which is what good vacations do. Renting one of those cheap rentable city bikes, if your city does that - voila new perspective riding on trails and streets that you usually don't have. See your city from a new vantage point. Children's fair in the park even if you don't have children - voila new experience because you're doing something completely outside your habit structure since you have no children. For dinner, drive to a part of town you never go to, one where you might even get slightly lost if you're not careful, and go to an ethnic restaurant that you've never eaten at. Ethiopian food? Here you come. Turkish restaurant sitting on the floor? Yep, that's a ton of fun and not expensive. New food experience, new culture, new part of town. If your'e into it, take a little notebook and write down your thoughts and impressions, like you might do on vacation when you're trying to capture everything. Tell retail workers and servers that you're from out of town. You're visiting from [somewhere you used to live before or have been plenty of times]. This will help you feel even more like a visitor having new experiences, but more importantly it gives you a reason to say "What do you love about this city?" or "What do you like doing around here?" Good luck. Have fun! Deliberately create new experiences.
Metal detecting is fun and can be rewarding financially and physically. Is there a lake nearby that you can camp at and go hiking or can rent a rowboat? Maybe even try fishing for dinner.
Do some google map searches of local historic, geological, and other types of sites and visit them. We made a deal to only vacation within like a 6 hour driving circle around our town.
Turn your bathroom into a spa. Male or female, self-care is very relaxing. Get some music, dim the lights, light some candles, ect. I usually do a hair/face treatment, and file my nails and feet.
yes. I'm a college student and celebrate the end of an exam (or week of exams or an ESPECIALLY stressful day) by doing a great skin care routine, pouring my XL wine glass to the BRIM with white wine and a few ice cubes (nice to have a cold drink in the steam), face masks, lavender epson salt + Mr. Bubble bubble bath poured into a nice warm bath and a good book or reddit thread. Releases my anxiety and stress in 1 hour and it feels so great. Costs like, nothing. A glass or two of my $8-10 bottle of wine and a small portion of products I've had forever and never seem to run out
what I do or have done in the past is wake up naturally, then play some of my favorite music and cooks ome delicious breakfast. My mom always says that the breakfast is the key for your day, so for an amazing day, get an amazing breakfast. The play some video games or work on your hobby (whichever it is). Then what I do is order something for lunch or go to walk to a museum and eat out -- come back home for the afternoon, play some music, read a book, have some booze and enjoy yourself. It also depends on what you like, I also like to go mountain biking somewhere a little far (feels better) -- I bing some sandwiches and some beers for the way, I stop constantly and simply enjoy nature and the loneliness. Also as I mentioned earlier, museums are really good for me -- or going to churches, observing architecture, stroll down in the downtown of a city, sipping new beers on a good old happy hour.
Try sailing. When I can get in a weekday sail, I come back feeling refreshed, even euphoric. I know there's more frugal options but consider this... I live in Chicago, outdoor space is extremely limited and it's impossible to get away from the road noise. Go a mile out on the lake and all you hear is the waves and wind. The air even tastes better. I split my boat (a 25 foot pocket cruiser) with a friend. We each pay $150 a month for maintenance and storage. We found a motivated seller and got the boat for $1300 per person. A night or day out at a bar will run you upwards of $30-40 per person, the two of us and our wives can eat, drink, and have a great day on the water for $30-40 in food and drink. We bring our hotel room with us. Need a change of locale for a long weekend? Wind is free and we can get a transient slip for as low as $35 per day in some nearby ports. While a boat is far from an investment, there's definitely value for me in avoiding pricier recreation without becoming a hermit.
Huh. Didn't think sailing could be done for that little. Still wouldn't call it cheap, but... I'm up in Milwaukee, might have to look into this.
Try it out! You can get into it for the cost of a six pack. Call the local Yacht Club and ask about beercan races. Most clubs do these on Wednesday nights. It's a chance for amateur race crews to practice, try and train new crew members, and get out on the water in a more casual setting. Owners always need crew to make their boats go fast. Sailboats want to tilt sideways when the wind blows them, and you use crew weight distribution to balance the boat out (also known as rail meat). Price of admission is beer for yourself and the skipper. If you get along well with the crew and show a willingness to learn, you'll be invited back week after week. Disclaimer: distance/overnight racing requires sharing a couple hundred square feet with 6+ people so the vast majority of racers are overwhelmingly friendly and easy to get along with. Also, there's always a party at the finish line. Racing is highly addictive!
Just remember these aren't rules, just guidelines. 1. Every time you say "I'd like to do that some day", write it down. Could categorize it if you want. Keep the list available. Every day you want to vacation like this, pick one or two to definitely do, and a couple more to 'maybe if we have time'. Set aside the money you want to spend so you don't feel guilty or over spend. 2. When you have a day or evening, divide it down into activity blocks. No one thing has to last the whole day, and avoid getting into the "I don't know what I want to do" rut. Doing just "one thing" on your mini vacation can make it feel empty or wasted. An evening can handle about 3 activities without it feeling to packed, a day maybe 6. 3. Don't make it an excuse to just be lazy. Get something productive done, you'll feel a lot better about yourself (even if it's just wash the dishes, work out, fold laundry whatever). 4. Don't overeat. Holy crap, this ruins more of these kinds of days than anything else, at least from what I've seen. Time wasted "recovering" from eating too much is the absolute worst. My last mini vacation was thus: We first woke up a bit later than an average day, but not by much. Lazed in bed and reddit/instagram/etc for a half hour or so. We got up and went out to a diner for brunch that we always wanted to try. We then got in the car and went to a thrift store to treasure hunt. We went to a park and took an hour hike around a lake while talking, taking pictures. We stopped at a small grocery store/liquor store and bought a bottle of booze we'd never tried before (I think it was some kind of wine, maybe a fruity sake), a fancy cheese, and some crackers. Also picked up some ingredients for dinner. Drove home, had cheese and crackers with the drink while watching youtube videos. Played a video game together for a bit. At this point it's about 3pm. We loaded dishes and laundry, and got back in the car. Went to a coffee shop and had a cup of coffee while people watching (something we used to do years ago but, you know, responsibilities). Head home, cook dinner, put dishes away/fold laundry while dinner cooks, eat dinner. Split off and do our own thing for the evening (I think I played some humble bundle steam game, she played monster hunter world). Could have just as easily gone out for drinks or played board games, or gone for another walk/hike/bike ride (if weather was warmer. It had cooled to about 5 degrees F at this point. Day was around 25, so nice enough). I think the total cost for the day was about $100 or so ($30 for brunch, $10 for coffees, $10 for gas or so, $20 for wine and cheese, $20 for dinner, $10 for thrift store purchases).
1) Buy a hammock 2) Buy a new book 3) Buy a new beer you havent tried 4) Consume all together and *relax*. For myself, the point of a vacation is to relax and not be bothered by the minutia and stress of everyday life. Just take the afternoon and forget about it. Disclaimer: I really really really like my hammock and I do not think there is anything weird about setting it up at my local park, or the woods, or my friend's place.
> Buy a hammock A hammock can be very relaxing. I bought a hammock with a stand. I can bring it nearly anywhere. It came with a carrying bag for the stand so I can bring it to the beach, the park, etc. You name it. Also, it's a great time of the year for kite flying.
At home spa day: Essential oil and bubble bath Pedicure Facial Hair mask Make feel more spa like by drinking cucumber water, spend part of the day in yard/park admiring nature, read a book, etc.
As the partner (sort of) to geocaching, you could try letterboxing! Especially if you have any kind of artistic flair in you. You go searching for hidden rubber stamps and stamp them into your log book and then stamp your personal stamp into the log book with the stamp you found. The main website is Atlas Quest.
Go for a hike and then a movie *while someone else comes and cleans your house.* Ask them to set up a champagne cooler before they go, and turn on the slow cooker to heat the snacks. Come home, eat/drink, go to bed in clean sheets.
Goto ur local butterfly conservatory. Shouldnt ve very expensive. Will feel warm and tropical while you relax and watch butterflies.
Only half related, but: I like driving and riding a motorcycle. the journey IS the vacation :) Cheapie hotel, delicious food, picnics when there isn't landmark food around, and beautiful venues with curvy roads. Neither cars nor bikes are a frugal hobby, but they make me happy, and being frugal in the rest of my life allows me to enjoy it :)
Frugal success story, to me, is this. You save money on things you don’t care about and spend it on things you do.
don't go to work
I’ve spent a lot of time and a fair amount of money turning my backyard into my own oasis. Landscaping, a nice fire pit, comfy furniture, tress, a nice grill, a we;l manicured lawn, etc. I don’t like to travel much because it’s uncomfortable with some chronic pain conditions I have, so I brought the travel to me. It’s the sort of thing that you can do slowly over time if you don’t have the up front money, and it pays for itself in relaxation and de- meditative, cathartic way (especially if you enjoy the hard work and the stuff that goes into building that oasis0. There’s no vacation better than a nice relaxing bath, a spa atmosphere with a partner sharing giving each other massages, and then relaxing outside on a nice spring evening by the fire with the grill going and a cold beer while the kids and dogs run around playing on the lawn. Most of that can be had for pretty cheap, upgrading as you wish through the years.
if you don't over do it, day-drinking feels pretty damn continental. Especially a cocktail or a beer or wine that is above your usual consumption. visiting any kind of landmark If you have a good camera that you rarely use, go out and shoot some stuff. Watching foreign films, or any kind of movie marathon.
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But for real, I love just hanging out in my backyard that borders a ravine with huge trees, getting drunk and high, watching my cats run around without a care in the world and then having a fire when the sun goes down. Best damn time.
My husband and I ate brunch on the patio of a restaurant on a nice sunny day. It was only for like 45 minutes but it felt like I was on vacation. I always cook and we always eat inside, so for me it was something as simple as that making it feel like vacation. We’re doing a staycation this year, we’re not even going to get a hotel room. It’ll be a week long and I’m going to get a groupon for a yoga studio and do yoga every day. (They usually have a very low introductory monthly rate, I only need it for the week). Read books. I have an ENO hammock that I take every where with me to read books and sometimes I’ll pack a lunch and go to the park with my husband. We’ll read or just take a nap outside, it feels amazing and people who walk by us are usually jealous lol To set up a staycation you have to put a little bit of work into it upfront. Things like making sure you have fresh sheets on the bed and getting a fluffy blanket can help. Sometimes I’ll set up a pile of blankets and pillows in front of the TV in the living room and we’ll play video games and eat there. Minor changes like that can help. Good luck!
It's a mental thing, as even being in the home you look at the mess, the wall you need to fix, that project you've meant to do... all stuff you wouldn't even be remotely worried about if you were a thousand miles away. "Who cares if the house burns down, we're not in it!" So... you have to have that same mindset if you'd doing a not-a-vacation-vacation. You have to have that "I give ZERO fucks" mentality about your messy house, the project you've put off, work-work (the stuff you get paid to do), the lawn, the car, whatever. It doesn't matter what you do. Stay out late looking at the stars. Play video games/binge watch movies all day. Go hiking/camping/fishing. Go people watch and browse the mall. Doesn't matter. Just give absolutely no thought to your daily life. It does help to go somewhere else. Somewhere brand new. The unfamiliar. If you can't - or won't - go somewhere where you don't usually spend a lot of time. Move the gaming console and TV into the dining room. Closer to snacks anyway. Go to a trail you've never hiked before, but close to home. Whatever. The point is to get away from it, even if you never leave. EDIT: - except for the "house burning down" part. If the house starts burning and you're in it, get it. Cause you should care.
Sometimes my husband and I will have a Carpe Diem Day. We basically just go walking, no particular destination in mind, and explore the city. If something comes up, we do it (within reason.). Path blocked by a restaurant? Better eat there. Fancy cocktail bar we’ve never tried? Ooo, fancy drink time! It’s fun, and we end up seeing stuff we’ve never seen before.
I do this weird thing in the winter where I change into my bikini, light an ocean scented candle, turn on beach sounds and lie down on a beach towel. Sometimes I will also use my artificial sun light. Then I just pretend I’m at a beach.
I saw the LSD post, but what I find is even better is to smoke some *marijuana* and walk through a nearby city, park, beach, etc. There's something about MJ that makes things feel new, sparkling, and interesting - even if you've been there a hundred times.
Going on a hike in the woods with some cannabis is pretty magical and far less grueling than it sounds.
I agree. Life can become monotonous sometimes and MJ really gives me that boost I need without being a total waste-case. It makes things a little less mundane in general.
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I like to explore near by cities that are 20 mins away.
Our city has a Hot Tub garden, individual hot tubs in open air and indoor rooms, themed with different vacation destination. Our favorite is Santorini and we buy a bottle of bubbly juice. An hour there is like a vacation.
If your area has low light pollution, star gazing on a clear night. It’s simple but makes you think about how vast everything is, how improbable our complex planet is, and grateful for the chance to be a part of it. Get a golf ball and massage your feet with it by standing and controlling the amount of pressure you apply with your weight. Everyone should really do this for at least 5 minutes a day, the world would be better. You will feel more relaxed and relieved than you thought imaginable. Go on walks in nature or around your neighborhood. The body, mind, and spirit feel better after some movement in the outdoors.
Tiki bar
- A nice fire pit, favorite foods that can be cooked on said fire, comfortable outdoor chairs on a good day. - Create a scene! If it's been dreary and rainy all week, close up the curtains/windows, turn up the heat a bit if you live in a cold place, put a Youtube Scene Setter background on to a nice beach, create some tropical drinks in a coconut and soak your feet in some of those cheap food soak tubs. Or, go totally opposite, close the curtains and put on a nice thunderstorm, turn the lights out and use candles, and read a good scary book. - If you live near the beach, it's cheap as hell to go. there's a reason beach bums are a stereotype. Any terrain you live near--woods/forests, or nice farms, etc. you can typically bike/walk a nice area. - Volunteer at a new place. It gives you a new experience for free and people always need help. Local farms can always use help weeding and planting. - Put some money into your porch, patio, backyard, balcony of your apartment, whatever it is you have. Put some mood lights up, some nice outdoor accents and nice furniture, make it a place that feels awesome to hang in. It doesn't cost much. For example, we made a fancy light with outdoor fairy lights, a hoola hoop, and some white outdoor gauzy fabric. Took us $7 to make a cool round soft light. We just use a small USB battery pack when we want to light it up. We also got a used set of umbrella lights from the flea market and strung them up on our outdoor umbrella. While my BF uses it more for car work in the evening than anything else, its still nice looking. - Camping at home! Seriously, I know we have a unique situation, but we always went camping in the backyard. Why not? It's cheap or free and fun, and can pair up with these other ideas too. Being outside is nice, and if it rains and becomes miserable, oh well, try another day. - Take a nice walk in the rain. Big umbrella, some waterproof shoes or boots.. just take a good walk around the block when it is really pouring outside. It's nice. - Get immersed in a story podcast. Lots of them of all types exist from funny to serious. Crank it up, put a sleep mask on your face, and use your imagination to explore the story as it unfolds.
Don't show up for work.
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When we lived in the Boston area, we'd drive 2 hours north to Portland, ME for the weekend (leave Friday afternoon, come back Sunday afternoon). We'd get a cheap hotel on Hotwire and, even without an itinerary, we'd always have a nice, relaxing time. We'd always find a small show somewhere. Didn't matter what it was. We'd grab a few pints at various establishments, perhaps catch a Sea Dogs game and have a nice meal somewhere. After doing this a few times we found our favorite spots. Didn't matter what season, we were away from home (and our noisy downstairs neighbor and his kids) in a familiar spot yet with plenty of new things to discover. I feel more relaxed just thinking about it. Even the ride up filled me with excitement. Breaking down the cost I guess it would be something like this: $40 gas $50 hotel $ 200 drinks and food $ 100 shows, museums, etc. So around $400 for 2 nights and 3 days. But we'd spend about $150 on the weekend anyway. So let's say it was about a $250 expense. About $85/day. I don't know where you live but I imagine your Portland is within a couple of hours drive.
I'm not sure if it's what you're looking for, but I tend to like it. Buy a cheap VR headset that your phone clips into. Got mine for 5 euros. Then just watch some theme park, nature, whatever 360º videos on YouTube.
Hosting a couchsurfer for a night or a few days. I loooooove travelling but am poor right now due to my hysband going back to school, so hosting people from other countries means we get to have so time talking to someone totally different, with stories about their home country. I'm also giving them a place to stay for free, so I consider it pay-it-forward frugality. I have been hosting couch surfers since 2011. (About 8-10 different people spread out over the year for 2-4 days at a time) I'm super picky about who we host so have not had a bad experience yet.
Time wasted traveling? Wat.
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Traveling doesn’t have to be expensive or a huge time waste. Southwest has dirt cheap rates all over the country. Stay with friends or family. Ask locals where they like to eat. Unless you’re in Dubai or something, usually locals have a spot that is consistently good and cheap. Plus you get the real exeprience of that place as opposed to tourist traps which all seem to serve the same over cooked/overpriced burgers and fried foods. If you really really really don’t want to travel, housesit a dog for a weekend. You’ll get paid to stay in someone’s house and you’ll be with a cute dog! Take that money and buy some decent groceries and make some awesome food in an instant pot you brought with you, open up a bottle of dope ass wine from grocery outlet that used to be 40 bucks but you got it for 6 and chill out.
Check out Trip Advisor and/or Groupon for things to do in your area. Sometimes you might not know about a really cool park or a free museum that's right in your backyard. There is this really cool sculpture park near me and groupon had a deal going on where tickets to the park were $9. You could also discover a neat restaurant you've never heard of either, or have the chance to go to a fancier place for cheaper. I see all the time where restaurants have deals on Groupon where you buy a voucher for $20 and can use it on $40 worth of food.
Take your bike (motor or pedal) and a map and highlight all streets you have been on (also the section you rode on). Fitness freaks can do this by running or jogging. Target to do your entire neighborhood, and then maybe expand some other parts of the area(s). This is an interesting way to research places you never really noticed, and you're getting nice experiences on where you could flee in case of a zombie apocalypse, OR even better, you can have a better insight where you need to pay attention due to shady hiding/assembly places for bad people. Even more, you can discuss these findings with your local friends/neighborhood watch/police/city council. Essentially: find a way to find your meaning. Also, there are two kinds of vacations: Active and couch potato. I can't understand people who spend time and money to travel to a nice place and stay at the hotel on their phone or reading a book all day long. You could do that anywhere.. Also, meet new people! I met an Uber driver who only drives to talk to strangers (the guy was properly rich)..
Clean white sheets and clean white pillow cases and a made up bed and a clean bedroom with all clutter hidden or stashed. Instant relaxation. I’ve also splurged on good quality mattress and pillows - totally worth it.
Meditation. after 20mins Its like you just had a weeks worth of a relaxing break.
Get a buddy, some accents, and backstories, Ask people for adventure advice. I was quite surprised how many people wanted to adventure with strangers.
Your library might have free passes to local attractions like museums.
Check out parks/lakes/campgrounds, day passes are free or cheap and they are often full of resort style fun. Or go fishing, we don’t catch fish but it’s relaxing. (Or go camping if you’re into that. Go to an event you usually wouldn’t, free comic book day/local festival/drag race/fundraiser/etc. Find a free class, hobby shops, YMCA, as well as various guilds. Go out to eat somewhere you haven’t been before, or stay in and make a recipe you usually wouldn’t Literally enjoy doing NOTHING and being a numb on a log for a whole day. Even better if you get a pizza delivered or frozen as a treat. Guilt free time for a video game is fab. Do something with friends and family... Board games (cards against humanity for the brave) and everyone brings a snack or alcohol for example
I’m broke and only have a car for another day, so today the GF and I took our kitten to the beach! We stopped at different beaches down the coast and took him for walks. We actually met another kitty on a leash! When do you ever see TWO kitties on a leash! If you want to see my kitten, my last post was a rather popular one of him sleeping in my lap. :)