I love vacations but I don’t always have the time, money or inclination to pack/find a pet sitter/be away from home for long, etc. And I know lots of people in my same situation. We’ve all heard of “staycations”, which can include visiting local attractions in your area or simply creating something at home. Here’s just a few ways you can have fun for less and not resent the vacation you can’t have this year. I personally feel that any vacation is more about how I feel, the company I’m with, and the memories created more than where I go.
All of these items are from Discover Goodwill at Circle. And remember, depending on the day, these items may cost even less since they have 30 and 50% off sales every single day.
GO ON A PICNIC –
Whether it’s in your own backyard, a local park or anyplace you can spread a blanket; a picnic can be a fun way to enjoy good weather and food with the family, your friends, or your honey. Three of my favorite places in the Springs to picnic at and that are free are Garden of the Gods, Palmer Park, and Helen Hunt Falls. In the past I have spent big bucks on “picnic paraphernalia” only to lose or break something, which can and does happen. Of course there’s nothing wrong with using paper products but why not make the picnic more of an “event” with some fun items that don’t cost a lot and won’t ruin the fun if something gets chipped or left behind.
Pretty plastic dishes that are cheap and won’t break are usually plentiful at thrift stores. The flower bowls and plates were 79 cents each, the picnic basket, which was in perfect condition was $9.99, the red tablecloth was $3.99, the tall blue plastic glass came in a pack of 4 for $1.99, the blue plastic wine glasses were 79 cents each, the steak knives were 79 cents each, and they have tons of forks, spoons and butter knives for 29 cents each. And remember, everything doesn’t have to match. This entire set-up cost less than $30 for 4 people.
Citrus slices will add flavor to ordinary water…this plastic gallon container is BPA free and cost $1.59.
$3.99 for the 7-section Rubbermaid Serving Server…perfect for veggies and dips, meats and cheese, fruit, etc. This was in perfect condition, included the lid and makes transporting food super easy.
Any basket big enough to hold what you want can become a picnic basket…this was $4.99. And I picked up the white towel to line the basket with for 79 cents.
I personally think this is a great picnic layout! You can find lots of serving utensils at Goodwill too. The black ladle was 79 cents and the tongs were 99 cents. Add a blanket for some nap time ($6.99) and an insulated cooler ($2.99), and just hang out and have a relaxing, good time.
WATER FUN –
If you have a local water park, beach or pool available, you can find very affordable bathing suits at Goodwill for every age and size. Water parks aren’t usually cheap but when you go on vacations, you do usually visit the local attractions so why not treat your own city as a vacation, and visit those places you don’t normally go to when you’re home. A lot of times you can type in the place you want to visit and find coupons. Or you can turn your backyard into a “water park” with an affordable smaller pool for the backyard and just have a silly, cooling day…who cares what the neighbors think when they see you “floating” in a kiddy pool! We do this for the grandkids, with them in the pool and me on the lounge chair. You can also find tons of plastic toys for the kids to play with in the water.
I love this little girl’s Swim School UPF50 suit that comes with a built-in flotation device ($3.99.) The woman’s suit is Maxine of Hollywood, which has similar suits that sell new for $45 and up but was priced at $3.99. The boy’s bathing suit is Maui And Sons (priced at $3.99 but on sale for 30% off that day making it $2.79.) Brand new, this brand sells for $30 and up. And the men’s bathing trunks are Speedo, which can sell for $40 to $50 but only cost $3.99 at Goodwill.
If you’re lucky enough to have a pool or perhaps a house on the lake, you can pick up inexpensive suits to have on hand for company too. And for those of you who don’t like to wear used clothing, chances are there were more than one person who already tried on that new item you buy.
You can also find accessories like this sunglass case, towel, or sarong.
Glass case 99 cents but on sale for 69 cents, beach towel $5.99 and the sarong is $4.99.
DESTINATION FUN –
There’s always a wide selection of travel books at Goodwill which are super cheap and who cares if they are “used.” You can use these to find places in your area to visit or choose a book with an exotic destination you’d like to visit if you had the funds. A lot of the books have descriptions, pictures, and information on what the locals eat, drink and wear. You can plan a whole “destination” getaway duplicating that information at home. Cook up a French meal with the family and let everyone wear something they think they’d see someone in France wearing, like a beret. Reader’s Digest Off The Beaten Track book $$2.99.
Another fun way you could choose a destination you’d like to duplicate at home is to find a coffee cup with that destination on it. Sounds kind of goofy maybe but there’s so many tourist cups available on the shelves, I think it would be fun to take the kids to Goodwill and let them hunt and discover a place they’d like to visit…based on what’s available. Makes just the shopping trip seem like an adventure. And while you’re at the store, you can “hunt” for other items you could pick up for your destination experience. Both the Niagara Falls and Bahamas mugs are 99 cents each.
Along the same lines of the travel books, you can use cooking books for a “destination meal.” Make the meal even more fun by picking up local produce at a Farmers Market.
All three of these cookbooks are $3.99. Heck, you could pick up a cookbook, make a meal, pack it up in your picnic basket and make an entire day of it.
SPORTS THEME –
You can go to a minor league game in your area, which usually have discount days to save money if you are a sports fan. You can get into the spirit of things for less by buying a team tee, jersey, jacket or other sports apparel at Goodwill before you hit the game. I always see tons of sporting team items there.
Or set up a sporting event in your backyard with inexpensive sports gear like this soccer or basketball (both $2.99), bat ($3.99), or golf club $1.50). Set up a putting area in the yard or see who can hit the ball furthest. Lots of different equipment on a daily basis. There’s also a ton of affordable and in good condition bikes (from tot size to adults), bike helmets, skate boards, basketball hoops and balls…the selection does depend on what’s been donated and things really do change from day-to-day.
GAME OR MOVIE DAY –
Unless you’re actually out of town, it can be challenging to get the whole family together. In my mind, a “staycation” can include anything you don’t usually make time for, like a movie marathon or board game competition. I personally think this works best and seems more like a treat when everyone turns off any and all devices and you make it an event by blocking that time out so no one has a place they have to run off to…which can lead to everyone looking at their watches and not being in the moment.
I only buy games at Goodwill because they are so inexpensive. I’ve never got home with a game that had missing pieces but to be on the safe side, double-check. The Operation and Candy Land games are $2.99 and the Cranium game is $3.99. All three were in perfect condition. You can also clear off a table and have a puzzle-thon, dedicating a certain time to only working on it. Or time it and see how fast the family, working together, can complete one. (1,000 piece puzzle $1.99.) Serve up some ice cream, or make an ice cream bar for some added delicious fun. Ice cream bowls were 79 cents but 30% off that day for a cost of 54 cents per bowl. And just FYI, my tablecloth is also from Goodwill and cost $3.99. You can also pick up fun “prizes” for board game competitions while you’re shopping.
Most of the movies at Goodwill are $3.99 each and the ones I’ve bought, have always worked. You can pick a movie a night or, for “out of the norm” fun, turn it into a movie marathon and watch 2 or 3 in a row. It’s not being a couch potato or wasting time when you treat it as a “staycation.” Make sure you have plenty of popcorn and or treats. Shut the curtains, dim the lights and enjoy. (The bowls were 99 cents for all 4.)
ROMANCE –
When we go out of town, I typically choose a restaurant or place to have a drink based on the ambiance I’m looking for, which usually includes at least one romantic place. My very favorite selections have been ones with the romantic flicker of candles or cool lighting. You can set up your own romantic spot anywhere with candles, which always help set the mood. I found this bag of white candles, which looked like they had only been burned once, and not for very long at that, for $2.99 for all 6. I personally burn all our candles, even the “special” ones so I have no problem buying used candles…hello? I’m going to burn them once and then they will be “used.” And there’s literally hundreds of candle holders or glass pieces you can pick up. All of these ranged from 59 cents to $1.59. Cool glass bowls make great containers for candles too.
Getting ready for a relaxing evening, just waiting for the sun go down…
A nice glass of wine or cordial is nice to add to your romantic evening…wine glass $1.29 and the other glass, which is just like a collection I already own and was thrilled to find, was 79 cents. Lots of stemware to choose from.
This wine server is one of my all-time favorite finds at Goodwill. (Most of the items pictured were borrowed for this post from the Discover Goodwill location on Circle. Some I returned and some I bought!) This Lenox wine server was something I bought last year at the Kelly Johnson location. I paid $8.99 and thought it was a great deal, especially since it had the original sticker on the bottom, which was marked at $72.
And the relaxation and romantic evening begins…
And to remember your staycation fun, you can find photo albums and scrapbooks galore, for less of course! This scrapbook had never been opened, was still wrapped and cost $2.99.
719woman.com
I didn’t get a picture of all the camping gear but they have lots to choose from if you like to camp. Everything from tents to grills to campfire dining. I did all my shopping at Goodwill as I mentioned but if you don’t have one in your area, you can find deals at any non-profit, thrift, consignment store, garage sales or even pawn shop. If you don’t have the time or money to get away, create your own fun with some of these ideas and keep the cost down using “used” items.
Don’t forget to unplug and just take some time to have fun!