10 tips to enjoy the summer "vacation"

Have you ever come back from a vacation feeling exhausted? There are benefits to traveling, but sometimes a quiet week at home is simply the most relaxing and restorative option. Many Americans are choosing to save money and reduce their carbon footprint by taking a “stay away vacation.”

Stay is a key piece of lingo these days. As you probably guessed, it’s a hybrid of the words ‘stay’ and ‘vacation’, which is actually what the noun describes: a vacation that involves staying where you are or staying close to home.

It is important to choose a real beginning and an end to your stay. Just because you stay home, it’s still a vacation and it’s very important to have that mindset.

Don’t get stuck with the idea that you’ve been there just because you’re limited to a 100-mile radius. You probably haven’t even scratched the surface, so do it with a positive attitude.

A stay at home doesn’t have to feel like second best to a getaway. With a little planning, your frugal week could be everyone’s favorite “trip.”

10 tips for the holidays

1. Do you have a friend with a pool? Offer to bring hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone. You have provided the food, they have provided the pool: everyone enjoyed the day.

2. Movie marathon: rent your favorite TV series and watch the entire season during one weekend. Serve do-it-yourself pizzas, set up a sundae bar, and keep bowls of buttered popcorn on hand.

3. Be a shutter fly. Take photos of your hometown from a visitor’s perspective. Climb to the top of the tallest building in your city and admire the view. If you take some especially great photos, you can always enlarge and frame them for gifts.

4. Check out the local country flavor. Join the watermelon seed spitting contest at the county fair, cheer on the local minor league baseball team, and make a splash in the community pool.

5. Camping in one’s backyard offers the sights and fears of sleeping under the stars, but without the hassles of lugging gear and four-wheeling into the mountains. To make the experience as authentic as possible, make the house off-limits to everything except going to the bathroom.

6. Pamper yourself. If you can’t afford the time or money it would take to go on a traditional vacation, you can spend a fraction of the money at a day spa for a heavenly massage that will leave your body relaxed and mind clear.

7. Be a hotel guest. It is not necessary to get off a plane to stay in a hotel. It’s surprisingly relaxing and you get to enjoy all the fun things most of us don’t have in our own homes: room service, new little soaps, hot tubs, pools and saunas, fun attractions within walking distance, maid service, etc

8. Offer your house to a student on a summer exchange program.

9. Volunteer at a senior center and you’re sure to meet people with fascinating stories to tell.

10. Get a season pass to the local water park, zoo, or amusement park.