To think a 'staycation' will be nearly as good as a holiday?!

[Helpordont]

We live in the tropics. Lucky enough to have a house with a pool. We get 2 weeks leave at Christmas. We had planned on going away to Asia for a break but for one reason and another we've not been able to book until now and the prices are completely unreasonable. (4x the price for flights alone)
I want to stay home and have a holiday at home. DH thinks it won't be restful and is still keen to book.
I'm thinking of getting a cleaner, planning ahead with shopping, online ordering and making sure we go out etc everyday. Is he BU or will it not be the relaxing break I have in my head?

We have done awesome staycations, but always at local hotels. I have trouble feeling like I shouldn’t be taking some
Time to tackle a neglected chore or home improvement project if we are in the house with ample free time.

Staycation all the way! And given the climate crisis we are living through not flying if you don't need to is the moral choice. Also, you should be able to relax and enjoy time at home. It's an unhealthy mindset to be in to think that you can only relax and enjoy your time off if you spend lots of money on a trip away.

Local hotels are the same, it's school holidays and we are a tourist destination so staying local would be more expensive than going away. House is new, so apart from a couple of things we need to do before Christmas there shouldn't be any big tasks hanging over us.....

We did it when we lived in a holiday location although nowhere as amazing as you and I didn’t really get that feeling of relaxing that I get from going away as I felt I had to use the time to do all the jobs I never get round to both in the house and life admin stuff. Plus I was still trying to keep the house tidy and clean etc

You live in the Tropics in a house with a pool? In that case, what you should do, is organise a house swap with someone who lives in a small terraced house in the East of England. Am happy to oblige.

I know it won't be 'as good' as a holiday abroad. But thinking ahead we have a 2 week holiday in June/July - uk/Europe and hopefully a week in September to Asia.
Any tips to make it as relaxing as possible?

We love staycations! Do remember that if you did go on holiday, you have all the post holiday laundry/unpack etc. When you do staycation, you just spread the cleaning and laundry out a bit.

Go to local sights you don’t usually visit, chill out, play board games, have a nice meal out or cook a feast in...

I think it depends on the sort of person you are. DH likes satikgn home but when I have a staycation, my mental to do list never goes away. I keep thinking about and seeing things that need to be done, even if they are not urgent. When I go away,it disappears completely, which is the only way I can completely relax.

Why wouldn't you??!

I'm planning on a stay cation and it's gonna be minus 20, snowy and icy.

I plan on red wine, Xmas films, log fires and home cooking. Sledging with the kids 🍷😂🎄

It's perfectly doable, but you have to have the mindset that you are on holiday: plan days like you would on holiday, not like days off at home. Get books to read, get your fave cocktail ingredients in, don't do laundry or housework, go for a day trip or two.

I'm thinking of planning a couple of day trips to the beach. Going out to eat, marinading meat and freezing it so it's easy to chuck on the bbq with a bag of salad etc. Or ordering takeout for lunch. Getting stuff in for a buffet style breakfast.
Getting a cool box for by the pool (gift for DH for Christmas)
Getting a cleaner in, someone to do the pool/garden. So we can just relax........

You have to pretend you're on holiday. So eat like you're on holiday, shop like you're on holiday. Don't read emails, stay up late and play games with your children, drink cocktails at 4pm.

If you have a spare room maybe you could sleep in that to make it feel a bit less homelike?

I only ever staycation as, outside of work, I have a great lifestyle.

Generally most important thing to me is not to be rushed. Every day at work, I get up really early, rush out to the horse, rush through my time with him, get home, go to work, get home at night. ICK! On holidays, I never set the alarm, I make plans to see people I haven't seen in a bit, go to shops I'm too busy to get to normally and mist importantly, never rush. Get up, sit on the couch enjoying a coffee from my coffee machine, maybe have a second. Spend a leisurely morning with the horse. Do something of an afternoon.

I had 3 months off work when I got my puppy. First month revolved around puppy and what he needed. Second month, I painted the entire inside of my house, ceilings included. Didn't rush. Allowed a week per area, which equated to a couple of hours a day. Third month just rested and started preparing dogs for me going to work.

You can plan day trips to the touristy sites. You probably avoid them a bit normally. You can google to see what's on in your local area.

I think it depends on the sort of person you are. DH likes staying home but when I have a staycation, my mental to do list never goes away. I keep thinking about and seeing things that need to be done, even if they are not urgent. When I go away,it disappears completely, which is the only way I can completely relax.

This ^ is my thinking too. From your title I was going to put this.

The detail in your posts makes it more feasible - what is the likelihood of you being able to go somewhere in a couple of months time instead ?

@Areyoufree - I like your style

For DH & me food is the key. We had a wonderful holiday where we planned and cooked the food of the location we would have gone on holiday to.

It was lovely: the bed was comfortable, there was no packing/unpacking. We could do laundry as we needed it. We went to those places we had always promised ourselves we would visit.

Love a good staycation. When the DC were little and we didn't have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of, we often did 'staycations'. Relaxed the house rules, trips to a nearby lake, lazy mornings and late nights, 'not the best' food choices. Our 'night out' was a trip to a local drive-in theatre, one of the last of its kind.

But a house in the tropics with a pool? Sounds like heaven to me. Just relax the rules, unplug or turn off the phone, and enjoy!

If we had a staycation DH would inevitably work from home half the time. And I’d do jobs round the house or dick around on t’internet. If you and your DH will actually use the time for fun stuff then go for it!

During our staycations we go and do all of the touristy things you never normally do when you actually live somewhere.

We did a walking tour of all the chocolate places in the city (Dd loved it), got all dressed up and went to high tea, got the ferry to the city and went to a muesums

You can pretend all you like but no it wont be anywhere near as good as a holiday

I had 3 months off work when I got my puppy.

@k1233 Where do you work that you can take 3 months off for a pet?

Of course it can be as good as a holiday. I don't understand how the luxury of being at home and being able to do exactly as you please and as little as possible can be anything but restful.

They're off work, which is a big plus for most people, they get to laze around the pool, visit local attractions that they might not have got round to visiting, maybe see friends and any family that live locally, sleep in their own beds, not have to pack and deal with airports or research and book a holiday.

The OP says she's sorting cleaner, gardener etc and planning to eat like they would on holiday, plus go to the beach, sounds fabulous.

What about watersports, is that something available where you are and are interested in? You might already participate, but you could go scuba diving, paddle boarding or out on a boat trip?

As you aren't spending money by going away, you could take the opportunity to treat yourself to anything you like. Any day spas nearby that you could visit?

@Episcomama I took long service leave

Trying to get work to agree to international bring your dog to work day - still working on that!

I'm more relaxed at home, and I have my cats, so staycations are my favourite!

Staycations are shit... but I Iive in England, not the tropics so wont be so bad for you!