Money is tight these days so a summer vacation just may not be in your budget this year. Don't sacrifice family fun just because you can't get away! Follow these Convention and Visitors Bureau tips for a frugal STAYcation filled with old favorites and new adventures!

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1. The first thing you must do in order to make your STAYcation official and relaxing is to treat it just as seriously as you would a vacation. Vacations take planning to make them go smoothly, so give STAYcations the same treatment.

2. The best thing about a STAYcations is that there is no clear cut definition of exactly what it is. The term generally means a vacation spent close to home. STAYcations doesn't mean you stay right in your home, but it means you stay close to home.

3. Plan things that you normally wouldn't do. If you always go swimming in the summertime, a trip to the pool doesn't count in your STAYcations. Get away from the norms and be open-minded to try something different.

4. Do things that are free or cost very little. For example, take a hike or a bike ride, camp out as a family nearby home, or even go out for drive-in movie as a family. There are tons of options that are quite cost efficient.

5. Start out with a certain budget and figure out your costs in activities and estimate the price of gasoline and work backwards. STAYcations are much easier to plan on a budget than vacations.