How to Plan a Low Cost, yet Highly Satisfying, Vacation

We have an interesting relationship with vacations in our country...

We are notoriously terrible about taking time off of work. It doesn't help that most of use don't have paid time off, but many who do have PTO don't take it.

We can inadvertently make our vacations as busy + stressful as the rest of our lives, coming back more exhausted than when we left.

We can also feel shame about not going on vacation at all (often a class and status issue made ever worse by comparisonitis and social media...an emotion that credit card companies manipulate).

It can feel insulting, after a few years of little travel, to everyone who didn't have time/energy to plan, has no extra money (hi there inflation), or simply forgot how important this part of our life is, to see their feeds fill up with dreamy adventures, cool blue water and sunny beaches...

In July it can feel like it's already too late to make something happen.

While that initial emotional response may be real, you don't have to linger in the feeling that you are deprived of having this kind of time. You deserve time 'away' - probably more than anyone else!

We can celebrate - for ourselves, and one another - both the idea and reality of time off, time 'away', time to rest, time to replenish - on any budget of time or money.

We must. We are exhausted. Brittle maybe? These are challenging times - and it may not let up for a long, long time. We can't wait for the vacation fairy godmother to tap her wand on our heads.

We need to be skilled at taking time 'away' seriously if we are going to sustain ourselves (we must sustain ourselves).

The increases at the pump, the spike to airfare based on high demand and low supply are forcing an adjusment in our vacation planning.

Below I have a list of questions that I use to intentionally help design vacations (a clients + my own) - we had an incredible trip as a family this past Spring.

Our second choice (after our plans to travel to Mexico felt too complicated with Covid, etc) was incredible because we adhered to our overarching intention: to come home feeling rested and connected, on an adventure in a place none of us had been (Joshua Tree + Big Sur... dreamy!).

Your intentions will be different from theirs/mine/ours, and I want you to be clear about what those intentions are.

If you spend $100 or $10,000 on your next vacation, that money can be a waste or an incredible investment. It can be a waste if you are borrowing someone else's idea of a "fun" vacation, but it isn't really what you want or need...

Intention. Curiosity. Creativity - these will help you have an amazing time, no matter how much you have to spend, or how much time you have.

Perhaps the most important first step is to listen to your own current day truth.

Every morning, for many, many mornings I would write in my journal "I just want time... how can I find more time? time to just be. be here at home. uninterrupted, unplanned time. I am desperate for it"

Now, if you know me and anything about my life - you know that I work from home. I spend a good deal of time at home. Lol. I know. It sounds hilarious.

But this was my deep longing. And instead of judging it as ridiculous, I listened...and then I realized I had a week off coming up and we hadn't yet decided what we would do.

What I was longing for was a certain kind of time, and a certain kind of freedom - at home, yes, but also in this city. Realizing I could stay HOME!? Instead of packing? Driving? Flying? Traveling?

Deciding to stay right here, with a big twist of intention, was like diving into a clear blue lake of bliss... I started journaling about what I wanted this week to be - how I wanted to 'spend' these precious open days - resting, exploring, enjoying the beauty that already exists in the life we have, that already exists within the city we live in - a city people travel to all the time.

I prepared for it as if I were traveling - I made a list of lots of spots I have heard of, but never seem to get to (stores, cafes, restaurants). I made a loose itinerary for myself to follow on a whim, depending on my mood - museums, gardens, adventures. Our family went to our favorite spot for a leisurely breakfast... and it felt for an hour like we were back on our roadtrip.

I prepared for it as if the most lovely guests were coming - I made sure the house was spotless. I made bedside bouquets. I even bought a new set of sheets, because why not feel like your own bed is as glorious as when you travel? I lit my favorite candles for no reason. I made waffles with a compote made from garden rhubarb. I treated us like lovely and deserving guests.

I prepared for how I wanted to feel at the end of that week - rested. replenished. inspired. I finished a novel in a cafe I have been wanting to go to for ages (plus 4 other lovely books). I took several long, uninterrupted afternoon naps. I felt myself naturally drawn to spending more time cooking - because it felt lovely, not because I had to. I took pictures like we were staying in a rental. With ease I crossed a few things off of my list that have been there for a long time (re-potting all my indoor plants). It didn't feel like a chore, it felt like exactly what I wanted to do.

A staycaytion may be the farthest thing from what you want (we are all tired of staring at the walls, lol) but I want to illustrate how important it is to listen to what it is you need. What it is you are longing for.

I chose to stay home for all the reasons above, not to save money - but if money is one of your constraints, let me just say that splurging on new sheets was really the only 'extra' or unusual weekly expense.

That week was magical because I was intentional. This is how you design your life. A vacation is a beautiful way to infuse your life with creativity, to feel alive and replenished by all that you love.

The elevated mood and energy of the last week has remained - even though I am back at work and 'home'.

Let's get better at elevating our everyday lives, of infusing what we love - what makes us feel ALIVE - into our routines.

Here's to you designing a sweet afternoon off, or a weekend, or a week, or a month long trip abroad. I hope the questions below help you do just that! Because we are in the thick of something long and hard. Pleasure, joy, beauty, and inspiration are right there too.

If you want to use the tools that I use to plan and saving for your vacation (and all other non-monthly expenses) you may be interested in my FUND(ed) course.