Spring Break Staycation Ideas

Boarding a plane for Miami or Cancun might sound like the start of a dream Spring Break, but have you considered bucking tradition by taking a staycation instead? Perhaps that’s a less appealing prospect than party towns or beach breaks at first, but just picture it. Annoyances such as packing bags, changing money, getting shots, and enduring airport security are eliminated. Money will be saved, jet lag avoided, and you won’t arrive home the day before work or school feeling in need of another break.

While Fetch is always here to help you save on your next road trip or get the most from an overseas vacation, the allure of a staycation is hard to ignore. Learn how to use Fetch to make your spring staycation all the more rewarding, and download the app today to start turning your everyday purchases into free gift cards!

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What exactly is a staycation?

You’ve probably heard the term “staycation” thrown around a few times. A staycation is simply a vacation you enjoy from the comfort of home or your local community rather than traveling abroad. 

How many days until Spring Break?

Okay, there’s obviously no set answer here, and while you could always claim Spring Break is a state of mind to carry throughout the year, the truth is you’ll always be counting days until the official kick-off time.

Actually, you might just be counting the seconds.

So, how many days until Spring Break? It depends on your school district or college, but you’re usually looking at mid to late March. The latter two weeks of March tend to be the most common times for public and private schools, though schools in the northern states might have their Spring Break in April.

Find a firm answer by consulting school and college academic calendars, then start your countdown.

Tips for planning your spring staycation

Part of the beauty of a staycation is that there are no hard and fast rules: you get to enjoy the time on your own terms, doing whatever activities you find to be relaxing. That said, here are a few fundamentals that will help you get the most out of your staycation this Spring Break:

• Set a budget: Just like you wouldn’t go on an overseas vacation without first establishing some kind of budget, you’d be well-advised to do the same for your staycation. Decide on an amount that you can comfortably afford and stick to it, so when the time comes, you can really enjoy your vacation rather than spending time worrying about how much it’s costing because you haven’t planned or been keeping track.
• Create your itinerary: The comfort of one’s own couch or bed is hard to beat, but at the end of your staycation, you’ll want to feel like you actually got to do the things you were looking forward to doing. Map out the week of your staycation by coming up with at least a loose outline of activities you want to enjoy and when you’ll plan to do each one. To not overschedule yourself and accidentally make your staycation stressful (it shouldn’t be!), consider sticking to one main activity or outing per day, at most.
• Schedule some downtime: After your staycation, you should be returning to work or school feeling refreshed, not run down. The surest way to botch that is by planning too much and not giving yourself time to cool down, so be sure to deliberately plan some time to relax. Maybe even plan a day or two that are strictly “home days” that can be spent watching a movie you’ve been wanting to see or cooking a recipe you’ve been wanting to try.
• Establish boundaries to help differentiate your staycation from everyday life: Spending your vacation at home runs the risk of your staycation feeling like, well, every other day. Brainstorm ways you can break out of your routine while still not overscheduling yourself. For example, if you do a lot of your work in your office, try to limit your time there during your staycation and instead do things like bring a lawn chair out in the backyard, put on some of your favorite tunes, and simply enjoy your own little outdoor oasis.

How Fetch can make your next staycation more rewarding

Fetch makes it easy to earn rewards all throughout your time off. Whether you’re picking up ingredients you need to cook at home, ordering a new outfit to wear on a day spent on the town, or simply looking to spend some time gaming on your phone, here are the best ways to get rewarded over your staycation using Fetch:

• Shop your offers: Fetch offers are an easy way to earn thousands of points on every grocery store receipt. Be sure to consult your offers when putting together your grocery list to find all the ways to maximize your earnings on your next trip to the store.
• Order online through Fetch Shop: With Fetch Shop, you’ll earn points per dollar spent on eligible products from our partner retailers. Whether you’re ordering a new book from Barnes & Noble to cozy up with on a rainy day or picking up some hiking gear from Dick’s Sporting Goods to better enjoy the great outdoors, be sure to shop through the app to earn big!
• Play popular mobile games with Fetch Play: Some days, you might just feel like lounging in bed and having fun doing nothing in particular on your phone. In those moments, consider downloading and playing new mobile games through Fetch Play, where you will earn tons of Fetch Points simply for completing in-game tasks and leveling up.

Family staycation ideas

An established fact of family life is that vacations bring more spending and stress than you could possibly foresee.

Good thing staycations exist to seriously cut down on those hassles. All the family fun, none of the negatives. That’s a win in anyone’s book, and there’s no shortage of family staycation ideas to help you create fantastic memories together without straying far from your own front door.

Just a few things to do on Spring Break at home with the family include:

• Themed Dinner Nights: Get creative together in the kitchen by making a meal with a foreign twist. You could order pizza or make tacos, but why not step things up with an Italian or Mexican themed dinner party, complete with decorations and music?
• Movie Night: Take watching a movie to the next level by organizing a marathon of family favorites or going all out with themed snacks, decorations, and costumes. Harry Potter is a great option for muggles with younger children.
• Local Culture: Odds are you don’t live next to the Smithsonian, but we’ll bet there’s a few small local museums or galleries within striking distance.
• Community Project: There’s never a bad time to teach your kids to make a difference, and community projects can also help you connect with neighbors. Think anything from planting a neighborhood garden to organizing a canned food drive.
• Game Night: Board games like Monopoly and Scrabble are classics for a reason, but you can also branch out and try something new. At-home murder mystery games or escape rooms could be just the ticket.
• Scavenger Hunt: A favorite for families of all ages, scavenger hunts can range across the whole house. Get everyone involved by having each family member do their own part of the hunt.
• Backyard Camping: You can sit out beneath the stars without leaving your own backyard, and this’ll be great practice for when you’re actually staking out your tent or boiling up noodles in the wilderness.
• Picnic in the Park: Weather-permitting, consider getting outside to enjoy a fun family picnic at a nearby park. Everyone can pack their favorite snacks and leave their smart devices at home (or at least in the car), so you can simply enjoy the gift of time together.

Solo staycation ideas

“You time” is something you deserve, and nothing goes better with time spent alone than a cozy staycation. Solo staycations are all about you, so there’s no wrong answer when it comes to what to do for Spring Break. If you want to spend each day sipping chardonnay in the bath, more power to you.

If you’re stuck for solo staycation ideas, here are a few classics:

• Create a Sanctuary: This is all about changing your home rather than your location, at least temporarily. Declutter and decorate one of your rooms to create your staycation HQ – you can even adopt a theme.
• Read a Book: Are your book collection’s unread volumes making you feel guilty? It might never seem like you have time to dive into new fictional worlds, but now’s your chance.
• Book a Stay at a Local Hotel or Airbnb: Getting away doesn’t have to involve much travel – you can attain that refreshing getting away mindset simply by unwinding at a local hotel or Airbnb. Better yet, our rewards app helps you save by collecting reward points that can be redeemed for Airbnb gift cards.
• Head to a Spa: One of the best solo staycation ideas ever, a local spa can massage away stress and leave you feeling pampered and relaxed. Tighter budgets can be accommodated at home with personal care products such as bath bombs, massage balls, and face masks.
• Take a Hike: Trekking to Machu Picchu or taking in the North Face of Yosemite might be on your bucket list, but we’re confident mother nature has plenty of great hiking routes within easy striking distance of your own front door.
• Tackle a Project: Doing nothing might sound nice at first, but there’s nothing more satisfying than indulging your creative side simply for the fun of it. Whether you’ve been wanting to start learning the piano or tackle a DIY project by picking up a few supplies from Home Depot, why not now?
• Meet New People: You can forge new friendships without stepping on a plane or heading to distant lands. Broaden your social horizons by checking out events and meet-ups at local community centers or restaurants and bars.

Use Fetch to earn rewards planning your next staycation

Staycations are all about enjoying your time off without breaking the bank, and Fetch helps take that even further by offering you endless ways to earn points and put them towards a host of rewards. Save up your Fetch Points to put toward gift cards to use over your next staycation, and earn tons more rewards on all your Spring Break essentials. There’s no wrong way to use the app! Download Fetch today to see how easy it is to save money on your next staycation with the gift cards you’ll earn.