Sydney has been voted the most expensive city to live in, the most liveable city and the most unaffordable city in the world in many (mysteriously anonymous) surveys. Owning your own property – or more accurately, paying a mortgage on a Sydney property can leave very little in the piggy bank for well-deserved holidays.
If you are feeling strapped for time and cash this summer, try setting yourself up for a holiday at home, or a staycation. There is an art to holidaying in your own home and if you don’t prepare properly, you might as well, umm, stay at home!
How to have an awesome holiday at home for a week:
Make a list
The list is vital to the success of your staycation. Write down the 10 things in your day-to-day life that you wish you didn’t have to do. Call this list The Daily Grind. For most women it will include things such as cleaning, cooking and chauffeuring children around. For men it may be the long list of household maintenance that needs to be done. Once you have your list, ‘solve’ each item by finding an alternative. Hire a cleaner at the beginning and the end of your ‘stay’. Choose to eat out several times rather than cook at home for every meal. Hire a some labour to help get the maintenance jobs done – call your local backpackers – travellers are often willing to do manual labour and are great value.
Plan the week
Schedule your week in the same way you would if you were going away. Look for activities that everyone will enjoy, places to visit that are on your door step that you never find the time to go to. Find out what shows, festivals and events are on that are free – Time Out Sydney is the ultimate guide to what’s on every where, all the time. Explore suburbs you would never normally go to – there are pockets of international flavour hidden everywhere. Go for a day trip to the South Coast, the Blue Mountains or the Hunter Valley.
Clear your schedule
Make sure you do all your mundane chores before you ‘leave’ for your staycation. Pay bills, go to appointments and run errands so your holiday week is clear of anything that resembles your normal life.
Coming home again
This is a vital step in the success of your staycation. On your last day plan to do something for the day away from the home. Organise for the cleaner to come in and clean the house while you are out. Eat out or pick up some take-away on the way home so you are not faced with the prospect of cooking – if indeed that was on your initial list – or cook a special meal for the last evening.
A good staycation makes you feel like you’ve had a break from the every-day, you’ve been refreshed and you’ve seen and experienced new and inspiring things – just like a real holiday!
Call Amanda On My Side if you want to find a home that feels like a holiday.
