Staycation or Vacation?

[tripods68]

I'm wondering any of you are planning a trip this year of any kind with your family. Do you plan doing stay-cation or vacation, or maybe scrap it all together based on the condition of the economy?

Where are you going?

How long is your stay/vacation?

How much is your budget?


Let me start. I've been looking forward to our family road trip in mid July, after my kids’ summer camp is over. Last year our trip was in San Diego for 7 days. This year, we plan to take our kids to Redwood National Park & Wildlife Safari up in Winston Oregon. And then we plan to hit the Oregon coast, driving on highway 1 south to return home for one night. Then take weekend trip to Santa Cruz Boardwalk & Monterey Aquarium Bay.

Our trip is for 4-6 days, changed from 7 full days originally. We changed it to cut cost by returning home for one-night saving hotel cost. Our budget was $2K shaved down to $1500. It's about 1400 miles total driving using a rental car. We just hate to add too much mileage on our Odyssey. Anyway, that’s our plan this year.

[disneysteve]

I took a week off in April during Passover. I do that pretty much every year. I stay home, help my wife with all the holiday preparations, cleaning, cooking, etc.

As for our next vacation, we are going to Disney World for 2 weeks in August. I just booked a 3-bedroom pool home. That will be $1,400 for the stay. We drive down, about 1,000 miles each way. Add in park tickets, other attractions, food, shopping, gas and such and we'll probably be in the $4,000 range for the 2 week trip.

Our fall vacation isn't planned yet. We'll do something relatively local like Lancaster, PA or New York or Baltimore. We might venture farther than that - not sure yet.

We're going away for a weekend in July to attend a wedding in NY near West Point. We decided to make a weekend of it so we're going up Friday morning. The wedding is Saturday evening. So we'll do some sightseeing while we're up there.

We usually throw in a weekend trip a couple of times a year, also.

[creditcardfree]

We're going to Disney World very soon for 7 nights. We'll be gone 9 nights as we are flying out of another town. Our lodging is free for those two nights.

I've estimated we'll spend about $3400. This includes airline tickets for 4, hotel, rental car, fuel, theme park tickets, admissions to the space museum, baggage fee, food, souvenirs, and pet sitting.

[tripods68]

Nice Trip Steve,

My vacation is actually for two weeks, but I'm using a week other to do chores around the house and some remodeling. I also forgot to mention, we plan to take my daughter to Disneyland in December for her 4th Birthday. We look forward to less crowds and nice weather this time around.

[MonkeyMama]

We just did a 9-day "staycation." Maybe $500.

It was less about money, and more that I just didn't want to do much. I am not a big fan of travel and we have been doing a LOT of trips lately (dh's family is big on travel).

We did a local campout, (had a minor league ballgame scheduled, but it got canceled), some school activities - my eldest had school half the week, did nothing for a couple of days, went to a local museum, visited family, went to an amusement park, and went to a water park. Also, lounged around the community pool, etc.

In the end we probably did more than I had originally planned - left me exhausted as any vacation. But visiting family (twice) in the Bay made it a little more driving than I would have cared for, for a staycation.

Our annual must is a 3-night family camping trip - which is coming up next week.

My spouse and I went to San Francisco for a weekend in January and are thinking Pismo Beach sometime in early fall. We try to get 2 date-weekends every year.

We only budget $1500/year vacation lately (with the whole one-income thing). BUT we can usually stretch it pretty far, since we can usually drive to our destination and get a free hotel stay. Last year we did a week in So Cal/Disney and 3-night camping trip in Yosemite with that budget. (Yes, that was for 4 people).

[kork13]

I'm mostly pretty small-scale... Probably 6-8 weekend trips and 1-2 week-long trips each year. In total, I suppose I spend about $1500-$1700 per year. (...wow. I never looked at it this way--maybe I should actually plan for this, and regularly set aside money for it.... I normally just take it out of my monthly pay, or dip into my short-term savings if necessary. hmmm.....)

I take the occasional weekend trips to Atlanta, Tampa, Birmingham, or wherever else, probably 1-2 times every 3-4 months. Basically, somewhere in driving distance. Costs me typically less than $100/trip, because I drive there and normally stay with friends, and only do a couple small sight-seeing things and alot of photography.

As for bigger trips, I typically plan a Thanksgiving snowboarding trip out to Colorado with friends, normally about $600. Maybe another bigger trip somewhere for Christmas, Easter, President's Day, or 4th of July -- again, less than $500-$600 there.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Haven't really thought about it. We do small things frequently, fairly locally. Lots of time on the boat. Haven't been to the Rockies since my child was little. Love those mountains. Would like to go again when I don't have to keep a little one from running off the edge of a cliff. Would still prefer to camp in mountains, or perhaps get a cabin rather than motel....Hmmm just writing this is making me want to go.

Uh, I've mentioned sometimes that we do not really budget, yet we do save and would be able to afford a travelling vacation. We both have hobbies that compete for that kind of money and sometimes we would rather spend the extra that way, rather than on travel.

[scfr]

We're kicking around the idea of taking a drive up I-35 to Wisconsin & Minnesota. A friend is getting married up there in early September, and I have friends in the area that I haven't seen in ages. No budget yet but it will probably be in the $500-700 range for 2 adults & 1 dog for a 5-day trip.

That's the cheap part of our stay/vacation plans this year.

On the expensive side, we have 3 rounds of house guests coming to stay with us over the next 7 months (many of our family members want to come see Texas & our new house) and there will be much much $$$ spent during those visits on local sightseeing, eating out, buying extra food, etc. I have tentative budgets for those of:
$200: first round of 2 visitors, 3 days
$400: second round of 1 visitor, 10 days
$4,000: third round of 5 visitors, 3 of whom will stay for about 1 week and the remaining 2 will stay for a full month ... The 2 are my in-laws coming from overseas and this trip is our retirement gift to them and we will be doing some domestic travel around the USA, not just hanging out here in Texas, on top of buying the international tickets ... hence the high price tag. DH & I have been planning to do something special for them for their retirement for several years, so this is by no means an unplanned for expense. FIL is not in very good health, and we know this will be his last opportunity to travel out of the country. So the expense, while a stretch, is something we really want to do. I will add, tho, that the extra 3 visitors (aunties & uncles who decided to tag along) have been a bit of a surprise and a bit of addition to the budget.

VERY expensive year as far as vacationing goes ... Our most expensive ever by a long shot.

[disneysteve]

I've mentioned sometimes that we do not really budget, yet we do save and would be able to afford a travelling vacation.

We're the same way. We don't budget either. But we earn enough and save enough that we are easily able to afford our travels out of current income and savings. Just one benefit of living well below our means.

[Brad VanGuard]

Haven't really thought about it. We do small things frequently, fairly locally. Lots of time on the boat. Haven't been to the Rockies since my child was little. Love those mountains. Would like to go again when I don't have to keep a little one from running off the edge of a cliff. Would still prefer to camp in mountains, or perhaps get a cabin rather than motel....Hmmm just writing this is making me want to go.

Uh, I've mentioned sometimes that we do not really budget, yet we do save and would be able to afford a travelling vacation. We both have hobbies that compete for that kind of money and sometimes we would rather spend the extra that way, rather than on travel.

I agree, the Rocky Mountains are awesome! Anyway, we're considering going someplace far for a vacation in place of Christmas. My biggest concern is that my kids will wonder why "Santa" didn't bring presents to our hotel or where ever we might be. I think that a Christmas trip would have to wait until my kids are older and can understand.

[kork13]

I agree, the Rocky Mountains are awesome! Anyway, we're considering going someplace far for a vacation in place of Christmas. My biggest concern is that my kids will wonder why "Santa" didn't bring presents to our hotel or where ever we might be. I think that a Christmas trip would have to wait until my kids are older and can understand.

nah.... my family did a Mediterranean cruise one Christmas when we all were living in Germany and still pretty young... My parents simply explained that Santa wasn't aware that we had gone on vacation, so he had left everything at home. Sure enough, we got home on the 28th (-ish), and there's gifts and stockings waiting for us. It was great. (I later found out that apparently our neighbors had set everything out for my parents while we were away)

[mommyof4]

Just got back after a week in the Black Hills with my husband, kids, and a bunch of inlaws. Absoulutely beatiful out there.

[stressedmama]

We're actually doing a lot more this year than last. My DH and I took our 2 boys to Disney World in May this year. Airfare, Disney hotel, park tickets, meal plan, and extras all totaled up to $3300. Since we haven't done a really big vacation in a couple of years b/c our boys are young, we decided to do something a little bigger this year and enjoyed every moment!

We are also doing a 4 day "staycation" in the metro area in August. We'll take the kids to the City Museum, water park, etc. I plan that we will spend about $200 on tickets. Plus we usually drive to Branson MO or Kansas City for 2 nights b/w Christmas and New Years and go to an indoor water park and sightsee with our kids.

It's great to have a smaller house, live under our means, and have the ability to be able to take these types of trips.

[spicy14lingo]

I'm always WANTING a vacation but due to being broke as a joke a Stacation is my only option! If you have any great ideas let me know please....

[GREENBACK]

We're kicking around the idea of taking a drive up I-35 to Wisconsin & Minnesota.

We recently returned from vacation in Minneapolis(from Ohio) to visit friends. It really didn't involve a whole lot more than gas and entertainment. I think we spent less than $700 for the entire trip. One great money saver is that they own dogs and were more than willing to let us bring ours along. Cheap six day vacation for 3 people and 2 dogs, and we all had a great time.