Staycation, Holistay, Whatever. It Means You're Staying Home.
by Pam

When you give up that big trip because 4 bucks a gallon puts an uncomfortable crimp in your wallet or airfares are too ridiculous or that unexpected stint of unemployment took a bite out of your travel budget, it is not a staycation or a holistay, it's staying home. It's the chick flicks and ice cream bandage of financially wounded travelers, a day trip to the water park instead of a cabin at the beach for a week. Staycation? Holistay? Meh.

Me? I'll call a staycation what it is, a bummer! You can watch the embedded clip and surf the web all day during your staycation, but how would that differ from work? Actually, I take it back: Staycations are awesome, especially when you consider that next year due to a failing economy you'll be taking a workcation. You heard it here first.--Wallet Pop (Click through for the Daily Show on "holistays." Ouch.)

The marketing mails are thick and fast, folks trying to sell me an overnight at the Four Seasons in my own town to make up for the fact that the budget won't accommodate a much lesser hotel in San Francisco. There's no reality based math here, and hey, day trip to the water park for a family of four isn't going to leave you much change for souvenirs, either.

But with gas prices forecast to climb as high as $4 a gallon and recessionary fears fueling consumer uncertainty, the couple decided to scrap their travel plans and stay home.

So have some of their neighbors. The tightknit group of friends in their 20s and 30s said they are spending less time on the road in their gas-guzzling SUVs and minivans -- which are big enough to haul kids, a weekend's worth of toys and diapers, and coolers filled with juice drinks and snacks.--LA Times

 

Lowe's has also embraced the term, announcing that the concept "is gaining popularity with families who want a stress-free way to enjoy time together without breaking the bank".

The retailer, wrestling with the effects of the housing slump on sales, helpfully listed products such as barbecue sets and hammocks that could create "a paradise in your own yard".

The marketing push is based on growing evidence that Americans will travel less this year.

One sign of that came in a recent survey of more than 2,000 US residents by Rand McNally, the leading US road map publisher, which found that 57 per cent of Americans planned to shorten their holidays and stay closer to home this summer.--Financial Times

 

But let's face it, it is what we're doing this summer at my house, staying home. Why? It's a combination of things, but mostly, it's the fact that I have freelance work booked out through August and we're applying a certain ruthlessness to how we choose to spend our limited travel dollars.

At Gadling, they're unsympathetic, in fact, they think we're blowing it by not going ahead and traveling anyways.They're always high on the snark and they've got a point, but we don't know what their other obligations are. We suspect they're not quite as financially obligated as we are.

Are you kidding me? This has to be one of the lamest trends in recent memory. I understand times are tough but there are plenty of creative ways to make that trip to California or even, YES, Europe, happen this summer. Use your frequent flier miles. Cut back on that bottle of wine at dinner. Pack a picnic lunch instead of eating out. Skip a few trips to the bar. My point is this - travel is one of the most important experiences you can have during your lifetime. If there's a place you really want to visit - don't let finances or getting time off at work or fears of terrorism be your excuse.--Gadling

In principal, I don't object at all to the idea of enjoying your hometown to the fullest. And I think that a lot of the advice coming out around "staycations" is useful for people suffering the doldrums of sameness at any time of year. [Vagablogging - Strut - About] It's the frenzy of marketing that makes me a little crazy, the sugar coating of disappointment as an excuse to sell me more stuff I don't need. Hanging a hammock in my yard is not going to make up for missing Chinatown. I'm just not that simple.

While we like a nice nest to fly out of, we're driven by travel. Because it's our number one favorite way to spend our money and our time, we're extremely thoughtful about making our travel choices. The "staycation" is no substitute for adventure in strange new places, we are not fooled. But we do stay home, lots, because it makes it possible for us to get away later. We try to travel off season, when things are a little cheaper. We camp - that saves us lots of money on accomodations and food (and I'm a fine campsite cook, so there's no deprivation). We book when prices are low (again, typcially off season) and we make all of our household purchases from a carefully considered point of view.

Since we are always looking forward to the next adventure, staying home is not a deprivation, it's part of the process of getting away. It's not a staycation, it's not a holistay, it's just life.

Submitted by Pam (view blog) on Mon, 06/16/2008 - 11:21

Comments

 

Nocation

I grew up in a family rich in love and poor in cash and so we had no-cations in my life. We had other ways to have fun and I was an armchair traveler.

Still am - working in non-profits and having children young meant that I didn't go on many vacations when I was i my 20 and 30s.

I do think most of us figure out a way to do the things that are truly important to us and if traveling is one of the things essential to your being, you'll find a way to do it.  If traveling is just not possible because of family  circumstances, then I say make an asset out of your predicament and visit those nearby places.

For me that means taking public tranportation to Gloucester and Rockport.  Going to the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem.  I'm going to wear my T pass out and have fun until there is money to travel again.

Good and plenty!

Submitted by Candelaria Silva on Mon, 06/16/2008 - 17:17
 

Great post, Pam

I love to travel and this year in particular am grateful that I still have a little bit of extra cash left over to go to California for BlogHer and then to visit my sister in her new place in San Diego. And I do understand that some people are feeling the need to stay home this year...but like you, what I hate is the marketing that goes along with it. I blew enough at Target a couple of weeks ago to pay for a cheap plane ticket. It's all about mindfulness, much of the time. 

And is it okay that "staycation" makes my teeth hurt? ;) 

Laurie

 

Submitted by lauriewrites on Mon, 06/16/2008 - 20:24
 

So Interesting

I think it is interesting to learn how the rising cost of things is affecting travel plans. I realize that sometimes the money simply isn't there.

However, I like what Laurie said about spending enough at Target for a plane ticket. I will cut everything short of food and internet service to travel. We stick to a tight budget - little to no eating out, very little shopping. Travel is never the first thing to go when we have cut things out due to a shortage of funds. I'll cut out all forms of entertainment just to go someplace new for a week. I just have to have travel in my life!

Blondie in Brazil

www.blondieinbrazil.blogspot.com

www.fakefoodfree.com

 

Submitted by Blondie In Brazil on Mon, 06/16/2008 - 21:05
 

Bandaids for Nocationers

You do have to make the best of circumstances, regardless. And to plan, plan, plan, and yes, mindful consumption is key to saving for anything, anything at all.

We were talking yesterday about how a lot of cell phone plans are equal in annual expense to a roundtrip ticket just about anywhere in the world. We could go camping for six/eight weeks on the typical annual cell phone bill.  And yeah, a big trip to Target can surely dent the budget - though a run to target involves things like, oh, laundry detergent and socks and some kind of cookware that doesn't actually map to extravagent spending, it's just normal STUFF.

Because I'm a freelancer (and the primary breadwinner) sometimes there's no income - like earlier this year, for example.  And during those times, we hunker down at home, we don't eat out, we don't go to the movies, and I take constant inventory of what we're spending that we could be saving. Those periods aren't staycations, we're not swanning about Seattle seeking compensatory activitives. They're not a terrible drag, I'm used to it by now, I use the time to write, experiment in my kitchen, read lots, it's fine. But it's NOT a vacation of any variety. 

When you look at those who haven't ever afforded to travel, it just gets more and more annoying that marketers are trying to sell us the staycation. "Too bad you can't take the kids to Disneyland! Oh well!  What if you stayed home and watched Disney movies on cable instead! On your brand new flat screen TV!"

Um, no. Was anybody paying attention to the part where we said we couldn't afford a vacation?  Why do you think we can afford a new TV?

 

Nerd's Eye View

Submitted by Pam on Tue, 06/17/2008 - 06:48
 

Make it a priority

I went to Europe last summer. I did careful research and used my flier miles. It's a choice. My car is paid for and I skimp on other things. I only splured once in a while over there and took the public transport and tours. Check out my travel blog http://travelingwithtricia.blogspot.com/    I will be going back this summer shooting portaits for US visitors over in Paris... in US currency. With planning and research I had a wonderful trip and look forward to many more. internationalfamilyportraits.com

Submitted by Hulakitty on Thu, 06/19/2008 - 14:01
 

Boycott the Staycation!

I'm with Laurie -the media-invented word "Staycation" sets my teeth on edge. Travel is so important - it widens our worldview and provides for lifelong memrories that a daily grande latte at Starbucks cannot - that trimming budgets in other areas and paring down vacation plans to take any trip at all is my priority. Sorry, Starbucks!

That's why TravelingMamas.com (I'm MudslideMama) is throwing a summer long party, themed "Boycott the Staycation." There are giveaways, tips for budgeting travel, and ideas for making the most of nearby destinations. For example, those of you up in San Fran don't have to take out a second mortgage for a vacation in Tuscany, when Napa Valley is so close, and a really great substitute.

I guess what I'm saying, Pam, is that everyone knows times are tough, and I sure couldn't afford to go to Paris this summer or anything fancy like that, but travel/seeing the world is part of who I am. Much more so than daily visits to overpriced coffee shops! :)

 

 

 

 

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Submitted by Jen M. on Thu, 07/17/2008 - 13:38