I've been hearing this word a lot in the media recently and I suspect it's an occurrence that will only increase in volume as the chipperly named "Credit Crunch" continues to bite.
Basically people can no longer afford holidays abroad anymore. Even more basically people can no longer afford holidays in their own country anymore.
Bognor... Blackpool... Lyme Regis... Centre Parcs... Butlins...
All too damned pricey in this current climate, mate, and that's even before you've counted the cost of getting there, meals, ice creams every day for the kids, the odd spot of bungee jumping, the "penny" arcade, watching Roy Chubby Brown harrumphing his dead horse of an act across an unwashed, ply wood stage...
Much cheaper to stay at home. And more convenient. The kids can have the PlayStation: they're happy. Mum and dad can have a lie-in without the fear of having to mug up on the artefacts in the Museum / London Dungeon / Art Gallery that inevitably constitutes the compulsory "cultural" part of the holiday: they're happy. And the car doesn't break down on the hard shoulderless stretch of the M40: the AA are happy.
Nobody is really missing out on anything.
I must admit, Karen and I abandoned plans for a week away last August and instead pottered around the house, visited friends and tried to spend as little money as possible whilst extracting the most amount of fun from our time off together. I have to say I really enjoyed it.
Not that I've hated my holiday times in Wales, or Italy, or... er, the hundreds of other places that I've been to. But sometimes - let's be honest - holidays can be exhausting. How many of us have come back from a holiday so tired that strictly speaking we could do with another week off just to rest and recover?
So why not just have the week's rest? Why not have a week at home doing something that you rarely get a chance to do in life: enjoy being at home (without being "off sick")?
You could save more than just a few pennies. You could save your energy, cut down on stress and improve your health.
Now I realize I'm probably not doing my bit for the economy by discouraging people to spend their money and I'll be the first to admit I'm flicking my V's at the current batch of gormless Thomson's adverts that are doing the rounds on TV ("...go on, book a holiday with us, you're money is safe, honestly, we're not going to go bust...") but, much as I enjoy foreign travel (and I do), a staycation is just right up my street.
Quite literally.
18 comments:
All this idling does get a bit tiring at times - any suggestions?
If you feel like casting your eyes over pastures new I can recommend lying down behind the sofa... a change is as good as a rest, so I've been told.
Vacations are a bleeding nightmare especially with the kids so okay, yes I will follow your advice and set up a sun lamp in the front room, an ironing board will be a surfboard for the kids and a hairdryer set on warm will be a balmy breeze.
Smear dog faeces onto the soles of your feet and you're practically at Weston-super-Mare, Emma, only without having to listen to all the Brummie accents...
I love being at home. When we do go away, I always make sure I've got 3 or 4 days at home before I head back to the salt mines.
I'm the same, Meva, I hate returning to work immediately after I've come back from holiday... I need a few days at home to "settle" first.
My parents went to Weston-super-mare a few years back and came back saying there must have been a convention for obese people in town as everyone was seriously overweight. But they went back a year or two later and it was just the same. So now they go back regularly just to make themselves feel slim.
I am a great advocate of the staycation - travel is not relaxing particularly with children.
We are staying at home this year for the summer hols. I just hope the weather is a bit kinder than last year. The beaches are lovely round here but not when the sand is flying around like a manic exfoliator in the wind.
Hi Steve
Nice blog!
Have a great weekend,
Cheers
Kaio
www.meltingduvets.blogspot.com
Hi Gina, now there's a tagline for Weston's tourist industry: come to Weston - the weight watcher's paradise: we'll make you feel good about yourself!
Actually I have very dear friends in Weston and have quite a soft spot for the place. It was also the holiday destination of choice for us as kids - my grandparents would take us every year (in line with it being the Midland's beach).
Thanks Kaio - same to you too!
Thanks for dropping by Naval Langa: funnily enough I have been studying Indian literature in English at Uni this year so will try and take a look at your stuff.
Some of the best vacations we have taken have been staycations. Just being home from work and able to relax is so wonderful. We catch up on movies we missed all year then too. The only thing I miss staying in is the maid service...oh well!
:)
The maid service? But isn't that why people have kids?
the reason i like getting away is because my cell phone doesn't work in the UK...i know that sounds silly...but i have friends i stay with so i don't have that cost and only spend what i want to spend...i can get a flight out for $400 and as i am obsessed with my phone and cannot shut it off when it gets reception, it is perfect for me to get away from ALL of the stress...additionally, to be honest i see child abuse and neglect every day and to get away TOTALLY away from that is incredible!
I can understand the need to get completely away from it all, Daisy, especially if your line of work is so traumatic and stressful. I must admit what I like most about Wales is the mobile refuses to pick up any kind of signal at all as soon as I cross the border.
I couldn't agree more Steve. And now I'm about to be made redundant I daredn't splash out on too much I don't need (though I am just turning my Junk Room into a proper study with some new furniture - mind you that is to facitilate being able to work from home as well so hopefully it will pay for itself.)
Having said that, my weekend in Brighton/Lewes in New Year was wonderful and I could easily have not come back!
but if you stay home, you suddenly become inundated with peeps searching for their perfect summer at YOUR place - lol.
Hi Laura, so glad to hear you managed to have a good New Year - you deserved it. Hopefully you won't remain redundant for too long.
Kate, you'd be very welcome - especially if you brought along some of your wonderful cup cakes...!
Have been living outta a suitcase for ages now and am really looking forward to going home! I'm familied out, have shopped til I dropped and have tried far too many different wines to ever have a decent brain again. I'm broke and tired. But tanned.
Amanda, being tanned excuses everything.
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