10 Easy Staycation Ideas That Don’t Cost Money  

Too many staycation ideas come with a price tag, and with rent and costs skyrocketing across the board – people need alternatives. 

When you spend so much of your everyday life at home, staying there during your time off can seem underwhelming. However, as the cost of living gets higher, it may be the most affordable option. Consider these free activities as part of your staycation or self-care routine! 

Main Takeaways 

• During your staycation, you can try new things by learning a new language, cooking and baking new recipes, and concocting a DIY spa face mask. 
• You can find free entertainment at home by accessing your local e-library, the Internet Archive, and Tubi, or hosting in-person or virtual events with friends. 
• Access events and attractions virtually by looking at Eventbrite and online museums.  

Staycation Ideas: Trying New Things 

As trusted property managers in Northern Virginia, we understand that as costs rise, tenants may need to prioritize their budget by limiting expensive trips. Luckily, you don’t have to sacrifice fun to save funds. If you can’t go out and see the world, you can bring it back home. That’s right—you can make memories to last a lifetime, right here in your apartment. Even better, you can do so without spending a penny. 

1. Learn a New Language 

What better way to spend your staycation than broadening your horizons to different cultures? 

Duolingo, Loecsen, and MIT Global Languages provide comprehensive language lessons for free. Whether you want to learn French, Spanish, or more, they can help! You could even use your small home office layout for this purpose. 

2. Make New Recipes Solely from On-Hand Ingredients 

Cooking and baking can be wonderful ways to express your creativity at home. You can make various dishes from cultures all around the world. What’s more, you can try out new recipes and techniques with ingredients you have lying around.  

Countless sites will do this brainstorming for you. Look at the below sites that narrow down cuisine options based on the ingredients you select.  

These sites include: 

• Supercook.com 

• RecipeRadar.com 

• RealFood.Tesco.com 

• RecipeLand.com (look for the “recipes by ingredient” section) 

• MyFridgeFood.com 

If you want step-by-step, visual instructions on how to make these recipes, YouTube may be helpful. With these tricks, you can craft a masterpiece.  

3. Make a DIY Mask 

It’s possible to get the royal spa treatment without putting hundreds of dollars down the drain. In fact, you can create your own spa experience from your cabinets! Honey, olive oil, and other kitchen staples can add nourishment to your skin.  

Of course, some ingredients might be unsafe for some people. So, you should always do your research before putting anything on your skin.  

Entertainment Staycation Ideas

There’s no need to buy a movie ticket or jump into a costly, gas-fueled car to find entertainment. Instead, you can grab a blanket, cozy up on the couch, and immerse yourself in imaginative worlds. All you have to do is search for these free sites: 

4. Online Local Libraries 

Your local library may offer an online version where you can access e-books, audiobooks, music, and movies for free. Some public libraries grant residents free access to Libby, Kanopy, Hoopla, and other online subscription sites. Even better, by using these sites, you support your local libraries! 

5. Internet Archive 

The Internet Archive is, quite possibly, the Internet’s greatest treasure trove. It boasts over 866 billion web pages, including ones that have otherwise been wiped off the web.  

Not only that, but they also have an expansive collection of media for your staycation use. You can borrow books, magazines, and graphic novels, as well as stream movies, concerts, and television. To boot, it’s even possible to download music, podcasts, and other audio.  

Where the Internet Archive really shines, however, is when you’re digging deep for lost media. The site hosts millions of software and games that are rare or out-of-print. For example, you can play retro PlayStation 1 games online, on demand. 

No matter what your hobbies and interests are, it’s virtually guaranteed that the Internet Archive will have something for you.  

6. Tubi 

Tubi is a popular site for streaming movies and TV shows for free. Their library spans the usual genres, such as horror, comedy, and romance.  

However, they also have some offerings that are more niche, like Telenovelas, Bollywood movies, western, faith, and martial arts movies. 

As of this writing, some of their offerings include Fast and Furious movies, the Jurassic Park movies, the hit show Scandal, anime, Dance Moms, Miss Congeniality, and others. You never know what you might find.  

7. Host an Event, Either In-Person or Virtually 

You could dazzle up your space and host a party in person at home. Or, if your friends live in scattered areas, you could organize a virtual get-together.  

If you want to do the former, it should be straightforward enough to plan. On the other hand, if you plan to go the virtual route, you should host it on Zoom, Google Meet, or another preferred video-calling platform. Either way, there are so many ways you could go about this idea: 

• Storytelling Hour: You and your friends could go around sharing personal stories. These could be everyone’s general favorite stories from their lives, or they could center around a theme or tone. For example, if you are holding an event during the winter holiday season, you could ask people to share their funniest holiday stories from years past.  

• Horror Story Hour: This would be a great option for Halloween or late-night events. People could share the strangest, eeriest brush with the paranormal they’ve ever faced (if they believe in the supernatural, of course). Or, they could tell everyone secondhand stories they’ve heard about.  

• Movie Night: Here is where all the above entertainment sites come into play. You could watch something from these sites with your friends! If you’re going virtual, the Teleparty web browser extension allows you to watch videos from various platforms with others, synchronized. Furthermore, Google Meet and Zoom allow you to screen share non-copyrighted materials, like YouTube videos.  

• Cooking or Baking Workshop: Speaking of YouTube, you could have a video lesson in the background while you and your friends try to replicate dishes of your own. If this sounds difficult to do in a small apartment, there are ways to get around that. 

• Karaoke Night: Shouting out YouTube again, the website has many instrumentals of popular songs you could play. By doing this, you can set up a cheap karaoke night! Remember, if you do this in person in a multi-family home, everyone should keep their volume at reasonable levels. 

• Game Night: With your friends, you could play trivia games, Cards Against Humanity, Scattergories, the Mafia/Werewolf game, or many other free games. 

Online Events and Attractions 

There are many online events right at your fingertips if you just look in the right places. Here they are: 

8. Eventbrite and Meetup 

It’s exactly what it says on the tin: Eventbrite and Meetup list events going on locally and virtually. Many of these events are free, so you should check them out! 

9. Smithsonian Online Exhibitions 

Now, you don’t have to imagine what it would be like to view a renowned museum from the comfort of your bed. The Smithsonian offers dozens of its exhibitions online, such as the history of the Special Olympics, US history spotlights, and more. This way, you can get your own self-paced, up-close-and-personal visit, all without the crowds. 

10. The Met Museum 

The Met Museum’s site professes to house over 490,000 art pieces that span 5,000 years of history.  Online, their “Met Collection” page holds a convenient database, pictures, and explanations of these art pieces. By checking this out, you don’t have to go all the way to New York City to see its premier attraction. 

Have a Better Time at Home with BMG 

During your staycation, you can branch out by learning a new language, cooking and baking new recipes, and concocting a DIY spa face mask. You can find free entertainment at home by accessing your local e-library, the Internet Archive, and Tubi, or hosting events with friends. Finally, you can access events and attractions virtually by looking at Eventbrite, Meetup, and online museums.  

There’s one catch, though: to have a truly fulfilling staycation, you first need the perfect place to have one. And if you live in a space that doesn’t meet your needs, you can’t get the rest and relaxation you deserve.  

Fortunately, at Bay Property Management Group, our team can help you find the perfect small apartment or home for your budget and lifestyle needs! 

As a full-service property management company, we collaborate with landlords and tenants to make sure everyone is satisfied with their home, sweet home. 

So, whether you are a tenant looking to refresh your life in a brand-new place, or a landlord who needs help overseeing your properties – BMG is here to help.  Contact us today or visit us online to learn more!