Enjoy a Summer Staycation

 

Trying to come up with a vacation destination that will top all the places you’ve already visited? Consider looking closer to home – so close you won’t even have to pack a suitcase. More and more Americans are taking staycations, or staying home and visiting local attractions or taking daytrips rather than flying to a distant destination during their time off. Staycations are good for your wallet, good for the local economy and they can be just as much fun as a more elaborate excursion.

Save big on transportation

One of the best opportunities for staycation savings is transportation, since domestic airfares average more than $380, and international flights cost even more. Keep in mind that seats for children typically aren’t discounted; so flying may run you more than $1,500 for a family of four.

Taking a staycation cuts out those expenses can reduce others dramatically. Attractions within walking or biking distance don’t involve any transportation costs at all, and if your area has good public transit systems, you won’t have to dish out lots of cash to reach destinations a little farther afield.

Even when driving is your only option, you’ll probably still come out ahead. With gasoline averaging $3.67 a gallon in the U.S., a 125-mile drive with the whole family will only cost about $18 for fuel in a vehicle that averages 25 miles per gallon.

Save on other travel expenses

The average vacation was forecast to cost $1,145 a person last year, and prices generally haven’t gone down. Airfare isn’t the only culprit. A U.S. hotel room averages $131 a night, and renting a car can burn through $45per day, plus fuel. Chances are you’ll also have to eat at in restaurants, inexpensive or not. Taking a staycation lets you to eliminate or reduce most of these costs, leaving you with the cash to splurge when you choose to, or not.

Factor in kids and pets

If you have a family and plan a vacation without taking the kids and pets, you’ll pay even more. Babysitters get about $14 an hour, on average, and more in larger cities. That can really add up, especially if you have to hire someone for 24-hour care. Pet hotels and kennels can cost from $35 to $90 a day. Even taking a few “adults only” excursions, child and pet care will be much more affordable during a staycation than if you took a long-distance vacation.

Now you can splurge – or not

Residents of Florida’s Atlantic coast don’t need much cash to take an amazing staycation. The region has plenty of beautiful beaches as well as other attractions, including amusement parks, raceways and museums.

With your staycation savings, you may want to partake of a few luxuries – a dolphin cruise, parasailing above the ocean or a jaunt to the Bahamas for a day. Enjoy a spa massage or treat the entire family to dinner at a fancy restaurant. If your budget needs a little boost to make your time off outstanding, your local credit union may offer personal loans that accommodate your budget.

Still undecided what to do with your time off this summer? If your budget isn’t as loose as you’d like, taking a staycation may be the best way to go.

Roberta Pescow, NerdWallet