I recently spent a lovely week in Washington DC with family. After 3 years with no travel due to Covid-19 concerns, it was a well-deserved break.
My lifestyle has allowed me to travel extensively over the past 13 years. I consider myself fortunate that my spouse, who I met in 2010, loves to travel as much as I do, and we made travel a priority in our relationship. In fact, we’ve visited over twenty countries together and hundreds of cities. But we also prioritize health, and since I have several autoimmune challenges, we decided to lay low instead of taking health risks. I’m happy we decided on this path, but I’ll admit it was a long haul.
Of course, the second challenge we all face is the rising cost of everything. If you are seeking a debt-free lifestyle, time off work and travel may seem out of reach. And frankly, it may be the case if you don’t have paid time off included in your compensation package. Even if you do have paid time off, it may not be a good time to squander your hard-earned dollars on a tropical getaway.
The Importance of Taking Time Off
The barriers to vacation time are many, but you should weigh the financial cost against the mental health toll working without a break can have. I found my recent getaway to be a perfect way to recharge my ambition, something that has to happen every year or so to help me continue being productive.
What are your options if you don’t have paid time off or if your budget is constrained? I have a few ideas. Understand that this is likely a temporary solution. Nothing is forever, and looking for less glamorous options for your annual break is a good idea if you need to recharge but aren’t in a position to book a European break.
First things first. If you don’t have a job that offers paid time off, consider finding a job with this benefit. If you don’t have the skills to land a job with paid time off, start upgrading your skills to become more marketable in a competitive job market.
Naturally, that is not an immediate solution, so here are a few ideas that might help.
Frugal Vacation Options for Limited Budgets
- Take unpaid time off, even if it is only two days surrounding your normal days off. This is expensive but worth it. You have to have time off to rejuvenate. When you hear people brag that they have accumulated ages of time off that they will cash in on when they retire, don’t think of that as a badge of honor. They are doing themselves a disservice.
Explore Local Attractions and Nature
- If you can only afford a staycation, that’s perfectly fine. Just make sure you plan to use your time well. Do not stay home and watch television 100% of your time off. While this is a good way to relax, you won’t go back to work feeling energized because you’re not being pulled away from your normal existence. Being separated from your typical activities is like jump-starting your imagination.
- Find a few things that are available in your area for free or at a very low cost. For example, I live within forty minutes of a historic library. It’s free to go in and enjoy the outstanding architecture. I can couple this with wandering the downtown streets and enjoying a simple food cart meal.
Take Advantage of Free Days and Local Resources
- Find out the free days for the museums in your area and plan your vacation time around this. Most museums offer a free day once a month or once a quarter. Take advantage of this and couple your time with a walk in a nearby park, a thermos of coffee or tea, and a good book.
- Take a day trip to a local attraction. If you can afford a ticket to the aquarium, a tour to your local “underground” historic space, or a ride on a downtown cable car, hop on hop off bus, or other attraction, it might be worth the cost. Crunch the numbers and see what you can manage.
- Go to your local convention and visitor’s bureau website to learn more about attractions in your area. If you don’t have a convention and visitors bureau in your area, check out your chamber of commerce website. Some of the best times I’ve enjoyed were walking around a location and photographing what the location has in interesting ways. I use my phone and choose fun or unique angles to capture a statue or graffiti. I use a filter to get a fun look at my photo or I use a filter on a video of a river or waterfall. Taxing myself to look at sites differently with a unique perspective is challenging and provides a reminder for myself of what I did that day.
Embrace the Great Outdoors
- If you enjoy the outdoors, plan to spend time at a park, in the hills hiking, or walking near a river or beach. Outdoor time is great for clearing your head and contemplating your creative side, romantic interests, or career ambitions. Distraction-free fresh air can work wonders on your attitude.
Unwind in National Parks and Monuments
- If you can spring for time away but it has to be domestic, I suggest visiting a national park or national monument. You can’t find a better value, and the sites are always a treat. I spent six weeks car camping with my spouse in the western United States and Canada. We tent camped and spent our days hiking, then in the evening, we chatted while I used a watercolor paint set to wind down in the early evening. Our strategy was to keep our camp set up simple and not waste a lot of time with cooking and food prep. Outdoor kitchen time is time-consuming, and unless you think it’s fun, just avoid it. Campsites in the United States are fee-based by and large unless you are backpacking. If you plan to car camp, be aware that there is a fee. Securing a campsite can be tricky. Some campgrounds allow reservations; some are first-come, first-serve. Check the website for the spot you want to visit.
- Speaking of first-come, first-serve, avoid the crowds and show up early. It doesn’t matter where you are visiting, the early bird catches the worm. This holds true for popular hiking trails, museums, restaurants, and more.
Travel a Farther
- If you are planning on a longer distance, know that travel in the United States is expensive. Hotel rooms are expensive, attractions are expensive, and food is costly. All this takes a bit of planning. Washington DC was a family visit for me and my spouse, so we saved money on a hotel room for a couple of days, we rode the train into the city, and we visited the free Smithsonian Museums. Washington DC is a great value. When we departed from family and carried on for the rest of our week on the East Coast, we selected a 2-star hotel. It was old and worn out, but it sufficed. It was not the most comfortable stay I’ve ever had, but it was fine, and it was only for a few days. Sometimes you have to be willing to compromise. Would I have preferred a four-star hotel? Yes. Did I need a four-star hotel? No.
- If you think you can swing a European vacation, I suggest Eastern Europe or Greece. You can find really great accommodations very affordably in many countries, whereas Western Europe is much more expensive. When we plan travel expenses, we normally have one person pay for our flights, and the other person pays for accommodations. This way we are sharing the burden and the joy.
- Do you want to get away to a beachy location? Go to Mexico. I’ve been to Mexico many times and its one of my favorite destinations. I prefer the Yucatan peninsula because I like the vast number of historic sites. Stay away from the resorts, they are expensive and not that fun. They will try to keep you on site so they can sell you alcohol, restaurant meals or souvenirs. If you do want to get off site, they will sell you a tour. In fact we had a concierge once tell us that Mexico is dangerous and that we shouldn’t “wander around” without a tour guide that he could arrange for us. We ignored his advice, grabbed a local shared bus and had a great time wandering around. My only regret was that I didn’t take the advice of a local food server when she clearly stated that the hot sauce was “caliente”. It was extremely hot, or “caliente” and my mouth was on fire for the rest of my delicious taco meal.
Off-Season Travel and Smart Choices
- Timing is crucial. If you are planning a vacation over Memorial Day, Labor Day or another holiday, you’ll spend more. If you plan your vacation over summer break, you’ll pay more. We decided to take time out the first and second week of May. Why? Because there are fewer crowds. Crowds equal limited supply and high demand therefore more expense. Be aware of local holidays when you travel as well. Greece celebrates orthodox Easter. Some communities have religious holidays that keep establishments closed. Take my experience as a warning. I visited the island of Tierra del Fuego over a religious holiday. There were five restaurants in the small town we used as our “headquarters” and none of them were open over the several days we were there. We ended up getting cheese and crackers from a local convenience shop and ate that for several days. Not terrible, but not ideal.
Remember to prioritize your health and take time away from your work space. Even if you only make time to read a good book in the park with your water bottle and a box of crackers, you’ll appreciate not having demands and the opportunity to think about your life and how to achieve what you need to carry on successfully.
Learn more about frugal living, buy my book “Never Worry About Money Again: Gain Financial Freedom By Becoming Better At Managing The Money You Have”
