The Best Staycation for Family Fun - Guest Post

Today, we welcome Michele from the Mommy Blogger Directory as our guest blogger.

With the economy at a stand still, more and more people are choosing to forgo their summer vacations. As a mom, I know how family vacations can be expensive so I am constantly seeking out new ways to entertain at home. Doing things together at home can create a fun bonding experience with the family, but it can also save lots of money!

There are many different ways to spend a vacation at home. Staycations do not have to spent indoors, watching movies, and playing games. My family and I have created an annual staycation that is incredibly fun and also inexpensive: camping! While we do not have a glamorous backyard space or fancy camping equipment, we've managed to put together a fun-filled camping staycation!

Camping does not require all the latest and greatest tents, sleeping bags, and camping tools. I managed to peruse yard sales and Craigslist to find all the camping essentials including a tent and sleeping bags which we set up right in our backyard. We used our firepit for roasting hot dogs and then for smores each night. To make things a little extra special, I hung lanterns around the backyard. I purchased them at a dollar store but they were great for our camping staycation. 

We spent the weekend camping out in our backyard and the total cost was less than $100 and fortunately i just used my debit card. The camping equipment was an initial expense but considering we will be having this camping staycation annually, we consider the expense an investment. Although my kids were a bit apprehensive about our staycation, they had a really good time. I was surprised when they asked if we could do it every year!