How to enjoy an Irish staycation in five easy steps

Vacations create great memories but they have at least two strikes against them.

One—they are expensive. Airfare alone for a family of three can cost several thousand dollars roundtrip. That’s before you factor in the cost of food, accommodations, and the inevitable tourism expenses. Museums. Family attractions. Car rentals. Big city parking.

Vacations are also often not very relaxing. If you’re going to spend a few thousand dollars getting somewhere, you better make the most of it. That pressure can result in stress.

Staycations are the tonic. With a little bit of forward thinking, you can enjoy an Irish vacation that won’t result in nine months of credit card debt.

Figure Out Fun Activities to Do At Home

A staycation does not truly mean staying within the confines of your address. Still, you may wind up logging more time than you are used to at the old home base. Spend a little bit of time thinking about activities you don’t usually have the opportunity to pursue. They don’t need to be ambitious.

Maybe there is a long book you haven’t had the bandwidth to tackle. Maybe you love the idea of puzzles but haven’t gotten around to actually completing one in quite some time.

Then there is the old to-be-watched list on Netflix. Video games if you’re the type. Crypto poker if you enjoy the occasional responsible wager.

The time you spend at home doesn’t need to be ambitious or highly productive. In fact, it probably shouldn’t be. Figure out a few things you enjoy doing, and give yourself the time to pursue whatever activity strikes your fancy at the moment.

Eat well—and often!

So often, we remember vacation meals more than any other aspect of our trips. You can still enjoy an excellent culinary experience during a staycation. This is a particularly good time to bust out complicated recipes you don’t usually have the time for.

Don’t sleep on the occasional meal out either. Staycations are a great opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the local restaurant scene.

Involve People You Care About

We all have that friend. That person we sync up with so naturally it’s as if we were separated at birth. We don’t always see that person as often as we would like. In fact, sometimes months, or more can pass without even an exchanged text or email. But when we do reconnect? It’s electric.

Staycations are an excellent opportunity to make time for people you don’t often see. Friends. Family. Old acquaintances.

Consider arranging a lunch date, or even a dinner party. When will you have a better chance to spend time with people you love?

Pro tip: Consider planning this component of your staycation first. It can be really hard throwing last-minute get-togethers. The earlier you plan, the more flexible your vacation time will be. Talk to your friends and family about what dates would be good for them, and build the rest of your staycation around that.

Field Trip

“Staying,” can be a relative term. Consider getting out. Explore the Irish countryside. Visit that neat farmer’s market about an hour away. Go on a nice hike or enjoy a day of fishing at your favorite spot, an hour or so from your home.

Day trips can be great fun. Just make sure you have a good car trip playlist or podcast selection at the ready!

Be Open to Splurging

The average vacation in Ireland costs almost $10,000. Obviously, you won’t want to pump all of that right into your staycation. Still, you shouldn’t feel terrible about putting a few hundred aside for exciting opportunities you wouldn’t usually splurge on.

A sporting event. Maybe a big concert is coming into town. Maybe you live near a cool museum that you don’t usually go to because it comes with a big price tag.

Even simple expenses, like going out to the pub, or splurging on a nicer restaurant than you are used to are justified during a staycation. Here’s a guarantee: the best restaurant meal of your life won’t cost even 3% of the average expense you’ll experience on a big vacation.

If it helps, you can set a staycation budget. Earmark a few hundred dollars for local fun. It’s easier to feel ok about spending money when you have already planned for it.

There is no one-size-fits-all all staycation. It’s all about identifying your priorities and figuring out how you can carry them out at home. Here’s one final piece of advice that will be worth keeping in mind: Relaxed time frames are usually the most soothing.

You don’t need to plan out every minute of your staycation. Try to adopt a more relaxed time frame. The experience will be more refreshing if you do.