7 Tips To Save Money On Your Staycation

AD // I think it’s safe to say that staycations increased in popularity tenfold over the last 18 months. I don’t mean to brag but I’ve always loved a staycation and actually haven’t been abroad for almost a decade (mostly due to anxiety). For the period of time where I didn’t go abroad, staycations were a wonderful way to still get out there, explore and experience new things.

Photo by Julia Solonina on Unsplash

I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Norfolk Broads, Lincolnshire, Cornwall, Devon, Snowdonia National Park, The Lake District and Cumbria among others on staycations over the years and still have plenty of UK staycation destinations that are on my staycation wish list!

One thing I’ve always been aware of when going on my staycations is the price. They’re not cheap. You’d think going on holiday in your own country wouldn’t dent your bank balance so much but some elements of staycations can be surprisingly expensive.

In fact, when my boyfriend and I went to Cumbria back in 2015, I had to ring my Mum in a panic to get her to transfer some additional funds over to me because I’d literally run out of the money I’d saved to spend on that trip – eek!

Sadly, since COVID, staycation prices have risen even more. With some establishments going above and beyond to try and wring every penny out of families desperate for a short trip away after the stresses of the last 18 months. It’s quite disgusting really.

In this post I want to share 7 tips to help you save a bit of money on your staycation:

Try and go off-peak

Finding a quiet time to go on your staycation is a great way to save money on everything from travel to accommodation. Even avoiding getting stuck in traffic at peak times will help you save fuel! Traveling to and from your destination early in the morning or late at night can help with this but also going on your staycation during school time, if you can, is helpful.

Think about your accommodation

Accommodation is usually one of the main costs that are involved with staycations. You can certainly save on accommodation if you want to do a glamping trip for example but not everyone can and wants to stay in a glamping pod for a week. This is where other budget-friendly options, like Guest Ready, come in really handy!

Who is Guest Ready?

GuestReady offers airbnb management services in Edinburgh, Paris, Switzerland and over 30 cities across 5 countries. As a short term rental management company, they fully manage all properties on behalf of owners – or hosts – and help them make the most of their property while creating amazing guest experiences.

They offer this service to people just renting out their properties when they go away themselves, to people that have an extra property available, and to people that wish to invest and develop their property portfolio in the best possible way.

Guest Ready are a fantastic option for saving money on your staycation because the prices for renting out a property for your time on your staycation are usually much more affordable than most hotels.

However, if you’re interested in making more passive income yourself – to potentially go towards future holidays or saving pots – then joining the short term rental market could be a great option, if you have a property that’s in a prime location for those visiting the city you live in!

With 1,258 positive reviews on TrustPilot and the majority of their satisfied customers saying that their GuestReady airbnbs were “in the perfect location” and “a great place to stay in the heart of the city” then you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to booking your accommodation for your staycation! Here are some of the amazing Edinburgh accommodations they offer:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Think about how you’re going to get there

The luxury of a staycation in the UK is that you can likely drive to your destination but it’s 100% worth checking whether driving is the cheapest option for you. If you’re booking your trip far in advance then the train might be a cheaper option or if you’re heading to somewhere like Edinburgh, then you might be able to find some cheap flights.

Research free things to do

Before you even book a trip, it’s worth researching the area you’re going to to see how much stuff there is to do nearby that’s free. And I think you’d be surprised! If your staycation is by the seafront, then lazy days on the beach with a picnic and games are a great free way to relax and spend a day of your staycation. You might also look at National Parks or even free museums!

Look for vouchers and discounts on everything from food to attractions

There are vouchers and discounts everywhere if you know where to look! I’m not entirely clued up on where to find them but if you search for money saving bloggers online, then you’ll find a ton of advice on where you can find vouchers and discounts to help you save money on upcoming trips. You also might want to consider doing some things like Matched Betting or survey sites to help boost your savings for the trip.

Take your own food if you can

Eating out every day during a trip can seriously bump up the cost of your staycation. So if you decide to rent an airbnb for your stay with a kitchen, then it’s the perfect chance for you to do a shop before you go and take as much of your own food as possible. Perhaps treating yourself to one fancy dinner out and cooking back at the property for the remaining nights.

Try and budget for each day

Budgeting is your best friend when it comes to saving money on staycations. Which is why research beforehand is usually so useful because you can plan what you’re doing each day to see how much you’ll need. If you’re a planner like me, this will be really useful for you! Think about how much you’ll be spending on travel, food, attractions – even things like parking, each day.

Do you have any additional tips for saving money on your staycation? Leave them in the comments!