-- Lower Costs: It was definitely less expensive for us to stay at home. Obviously, there were no airfares, no garage fees or rides to the airport, no baggage fees, and no hotel costs. We even ate some of our meals at home and then ventured out in between. That meant we spent less on food overall and still had some fantastic meals while we were out. All the money we saved could then be used on fabulous activities and experiences, or just kept in the kitty for later.

-- Reduced Hassle: When it came to airline travel, this summer was one of the busiest ever, but we didn’t have to deal with it. We didn’t have to get up at 3:30 a.m., fight the crowds in the airport, squash into a tiny seat, and arrive exhausted to do it all again on the return trip. We also didn’t have to plan and shop for plane tickets or hotels. No one lost our luggage, no flights were late, and we didn’t miss a connection. We never had to pay for an extra night in a hotel or sleep in the airport because our flight was cancelled. It was easy.

-- Reduced Travel Time: On a related note, we didn’t need to spend any of our precious holiday time actually traveling. Well, we took the occasional train or bus or short drive, but that was all. We maximized our fun time and rest.

-- Local Spending: Since we stayed home, the money we spent went back into our local economy. We supported local businesses by eating and doing activities in our own area. The people who own these businesses pay taxes and provide jobs for our neighbors, and they contribute to the uniqueness and charm of our communities.

-- Plan ahead: We were very intentional about planning things to do throughout the week. We bought tickets and made reservations as necessary and made a list of everything we wanted to do each day. We built in downtime, too, so we could just relax and not feel rushed. The one thing we wanted to avoid was waking up each day, looking at each other, and saying, “What do you want to do?” “I don’t know; what do you want to do?” and then winding up watching TV or cleaning out the garage.

-- Stay locally: We didn’t do it this time, but if you’ve saved all that money on airfare, why not splurge on a night or two at a fabulous hotel or resort? I’m not telling you to spend the same amount you would have spent if you went away, but there’s probably a happy medium. If you don’t go in for fancy, you could always go camping or stay in a yurt or a glamping tent. There are also a lot of quirky, remote motels and local rentals out there. Again, you’re putting money into your local economy and having a unique experience at the same time.

-- Or stay home: While you’re home, turn your bedroom into a fancy hotel room, turn the bathroom into a spa, or camp out in the back yard for a night or two and cook weenies and S’mores. Do something different to make your stay exciting and fresh.

-- Choose a theme: Our staycation could loosely be called the Seattle booze and food trek. Maybe you have specific goals, like starting a leaf collection, doing a digital detox, or spending at least an hour each day outside. Maybe you you’d rather do Home Spa Week or try out three new recipes. Great! Go full-on with your theme: decorate, prepare the relevant food, burn the candles, watch the movies, buy the socks…whatever is consistent with your theme. Keep reading for more ideas to make sure your staycation delivers what you need and want.

-- Be a tourist: We often find that we skip the local tourist attractions, but experiencing your area in a new way can be both fascinating and fun. Expand your activities to nearby locations you don’t visit frequently and see what’s going on there. Discover a new restaurant or bar or have a look at the world’s biggest egg. Check out the parks, museums, and historical sites. Take a tour or ride the light rail from end to end.

-- Support the arts: We’ve been enjoying a lot of plays recently, but try whatever is available in your area. There might be a symphony or opera, or maybe you have a high school chorale or theater company. Check out your local galleries or attend an outdoor concert or film.

-- Go to a festival or fair. Summer is a great time for festivals, and you can also find a range of events during the other seasons. Check out the Scottish Highland Games or a music festival, or head out to Frozen Dead Guy Days if you’re in Colorado. This summer, we went to a wine and beer festival, a blackberry festival, and a small county fair. Believe me when I say baby goats are very, very cute.

-- Have a theme party at home: You could do a comfort food night, a tiki party with a 60’s beach movie and grass skirts, a murder mystery evening with classic cocktails, a full British breakfast with Union Jack plates and napkins, a cozy hygge party with sweaters, a game night, a movie marathon or TV series binge, a crafting day, a Sherlock Holmes party on Jan. 6, or honor your favorite celebrity or character with a birthday party. The world is your oyster.

-- Schedule chill time: If you like to pack your holidays with activity, have at it. But we like to build in time for relaxation. Work it in with your theme and choose your own special versions of relaxation. Do you like playing games? Reading? Watching films? Just lying in the sun or cozying up in bed? Make a list of ideas for just relaxing.

-- Get outside: We’ve all seen the plethora of research telling us how good it is for our mental and physical health to be outdoors. Now is your chance! Check out your local trails, take an urban hike, dust off your parkour shoes, paddle in a lake or river, climb a mountain or hill, go to a botanical garden, or just put your lawn chair outside for a while. I feel more relaxed just thinking about it.

-- Have a learning adventure: There are any number of in-person and online courses you could take during your staycation. My husband and I recently did an online coffee and chocolate pairing, and it was great fun. You might take a cooking class, learn to crochet or juggle or tie knots, take an architecture tour, go to that Sip and Paint shop, or finally finish up that online course in Astrobiology. Think about which subjects interest you and ask other people what they’ve tried.