Staycation is sometimes the best vacation: 5 reasons why it’s all worth it

How many times have you said you wished you’d had the time to take a break from work and the world, but not for traveling? Sometimes you simply need to recharge your batteries, and the only way of genuinely doing this is taking a well-deserved time at home. For this reason, sometimes a staycation is a much better option than going on a vacation. 

Holidays are indeed fun and exciting. Seeing new beautiful places, whether you want to walk around in a city or spend some quality time on a soft white sand beach, is food for the soul. However, there are times when you don’t have the energy – or financial means, for that matter – to be going on holiday somewhere. If you choose to stay at home, it doesn’t mean you have to be stuck in your house. You can take advantage of this opportunity to explore the city in a different way than you usually would when you have a busy schedule or create a spa experience of your own.

So, if you’re still wondering if it is worth taking a staycation, our answer is: absolutely yes. Here’s why:

1. No planning required

When you are working full-time, it doesn’t matter your area of focus and field of expertise, the last thing you want to be doing is planning a vacation. Synced calendars and finding the best time to travel, deciding on an itinerary, buying plane tickets, booking flights, etc. – all these actions are time-consuming and require your undivided attention. Not to mention, if you are planning a holiday with many friends, trying to find common ground with a large group can be a challenge.

But when you decide to take a staycation, all these factors are no longer. You won’t have to consider anyone’s time but yourself – in case you don’t have children, otherwise the situation is different – and there is no planning required. As soon as the staycation begins, the world is your oyster, so to speak. You can spend every day as you like, whether you need to stay at home and just enjoy your favorite book or the TV series you have always wanted to but kept postponing, or perhaps you cannot wait to explore the city. Either way, you are free to do all the things you want without having to worry that you have limited spare time. 

2. You save a lot of money

Given that you aren’t traveling anywhere, it makes sense that you won’t be spending as much money during your staycation. Indeed, it is impossible not to spend anything. Even if you decide to stay at home most of the time, you will still need to go grocery shopping. So, saving money during your staycation means that the amount you spend will be significantly less than what you would spend if you were traveling.

Instead of spending money on flight tickets and accommodation, this time you can put them aside and maybe save for your next holiday or any investment you might want to make but never had the financial resources. During a staycation, apart from buying the essentials, your only expenses will be if you’re going to eat out more often or if you want to attend an event or concert.

3. Less stress, more relaxation

If you get rid of the stress of planning a vacation, the only thing you are left with is relaxation. You can enjoy your free time and get a much-need rest without having to spend any minute on the road and feeling tired from your travels. It might help to allow yourself some time alone to watch a good movie or TV series, read a book, paint, or do whatever else might relax you and let you clear your mind. 

Quality time with oneself is necessary and recommended, and it should be a habit that everyone should have. It is healthy to focus and take care of yourself. So, if you feel like sitting in bed one day and binge-watch a TV show, embrace it. Slip into the most comfortable women’s pajamas you have, curl up on the sofa and let yourself experience this time-off. Acknowledging your needs and acting on them is vital if you want to come back with total energy and motivation.

4. It’s an opportunity to (re)discover the city

A staycation is the best opportunity for you to discover the city where you live. If you have recently moved to a new place, whether it is a different city or even country, you will want to take the time to see what it has to offer. 

But even if you have been living in a particular location for the majority of your life, you might not have had the time to explore it properly. A staycation is worth it even if it is for this reason solely, as more often than not, people don’t act like tourists in the city that they spend most of their time in. You would be surprised by the things you might discover if you started visiting your hometown or place of residence as if you were on vacation.

Whether you decide to wander around the city or you start reading about its history more and decide you want to see something in particular, (re)discovering your city is highly recommended.

5. No packing, no travel – the staycation starts immediately

Even if you decide you want to rent a hotel room or an Airbnb and can afford to do this during your staycation, the packing activity will be much more hassle-free than how you have to pack when you go on holiday. So, you can forget about thinking of what clothes to take with you and make various lists to make sure you don’t forget anything.

No matter how you chose to spend this time, one thing is for sure – the staycation starts as soon as you leave work and your much-needed break begins. There is no traveling involved, which means you don’t have to worry about going on a last-minute shopping session or plan your time for packing so you are ready on time. The minute your staycation begins, enjoy it to the fullest.