My First Stay-cation

Since I've been thinking about resting for the past few weeks, I decided to take a weekend to do just that. I had planned to hop in the car and set out for places unknown. As the day of my departure drew near, I thought this would be a great opportunity to explore the idea of a "stay-cation" and share my findings with my blog readers. Instead of hitting the road, I stayed close to home and have to admit that I'm really glad I did.

If I was going to stay home, I knew that I had to make it worth my while. One of the best reasons to opt for a stay-cation is to reduce the expense of a vacation. I decided to attempt a 3-day adventure for the average cost of a hotel stay (approximately $80). I only actually had outings on Friday and Saturday, but managed to make it all happen for $57.31! That's what I call an inexpensive weekend.

What exactly did I do?  Here's the overview:

Friday

• Lazy breakfast at home and reading in the morning
• visit to the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art      
• lunch at Spaghetti Warehouse                           
• visit to the Benjamin Hooks Library                  
• movie rental - Quartet (Redbox)
• Dinner at home                     

Saturday

• All meals at home
• Morning of baking (for pleasure)                        
• Window shopping                                              
• Circuit Playhouse's production of Deathtrap      

Sunday

• Morning and afternoon with family
• Quiet reading

It's great to realize that it is entirely possible to find some relaxation without leaving home. Nothing I did was extravagant or terribly expensive. (The ticket to see the play topped the list at $35 and constituted over half of my budget.) In order to make it "feel" like an escape involved doing some things that were not typical for me in a normal week. I don't watch a lot of DVDs at home; that was a nice change of pace and a wonderful way to end an evening. I haven't been to the theater in several months; last Friday was my first visit to the Brooks. (I'll share more about the thrilling exhibit I viewed next week.)

I still love getting away from it all and visiting a new location. Taking advantage of the outlets that are available close to home is a great way to recharge your batteries without breaking the bank though. 

When you have time for a stay-cation, what's one of your favorite things to do? I'm looking for ideas since I am already planning my next weekend adventure in the near future. Share your thoughts in the comment section of the blog.