Decided to save some cash and take a vacation at home this year? Excellent plan! Make sure that you serve up these tasty staycation food ideas so that your holiday at home feels more restful and tastes better than if you’d jetted all over the world.
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They’re calling it the Great Travel Meltdown of 2026. Between global conflicts, reduced spending on security, higher fuel costs, and other issues impacting travel, it may not be in the cards to take your regular vacation this year.
With airfares shooting skyhigh this summer, it’s time to think outside the box when it comes to vacation planning. Why not do a staycation?
A staycation can give you the best of both worlds: a restful break from your everyday without the hassles and expense of travel.
Why staycation?
There are so many pro’s to vacationing at home, especially when it comes to feeding everyone.
- the pressure’s off for packing – whether it’s what to put in the cooler or what groceries and equipment to take to the vacation rental, you don’t need to pack
- you know the general vicinity so you won’t feel totally like fish out of water – this allows you to grocery shop the way you’re used to instead of wandering aimlessly, wondering where to find anything.
- you can hit up your favorite restaurants instead of wasting money on Jim Bob’s House of Mullet
- you save time and travel money by staying in a smaller zone
Planning a staycation is easy, and there are loads of super fun things to do on a staycation with the kids. But, one important part of the planning is the food.
You don’t want to waste your savings on mediocre fast food or trade your wait at TSA for the one at Texas Roadhouse. Plan staycation meals that you love, that are easy, and that will save you money!
How is staycation food different?
Staycation food is different than every day meal planning and prep. You want dinner ideas that everyone loves, recipes that are easy to prep, and some special tweaks to make your staycation food feel special and not anything like last week’s leftovers.
When you plan a vacation at home, you want to make sure the food tastes as good or better than it would if you traveled somewhere else. That’s one of the benefits of a staycation — you get to make your family meals exactly as you like them.
I’m offering the basics of staycation food ideas here, but if you wanna take a deep dive and really drill down, grab my Staycation Meals guide. It includes a staycation meal planner as well as dozens of meal plan ideas.
Tips for Great Vacation Meals
1. Stage your kitchen.
For it to truly feel restful, you’re going to want a clean and sparkly kitchen. Think about what you would do if you were trading homes with a friend for vacation. Make it nice for your guests!
Clear the counters; clean out the fridge. If you have visible clutter in your kitchen, box it up and move it out for the duration of your vacation.
Buy fresh flowers; stock your favorite drinks.
2. Cook ahead.
Every day feels like a vacation (sort of) when you have freezer meals at the ready. Do some cooking in advance and stash what you can in the freezer.
This easy chicken freezer meal prep is one of my faves as is having precooked proteins on hand. Other meals that work well for this would be:
You can also do freezer meal prep for snacks and breakfasts or just prep a load of veggies and fruits for snacking. Anything you can do before vacation starts will be a plus!
3. Serve no-cook meals
What’s better than cooking in advance? Not cooking at all!
There are so many cold dinner ideas that are easy to pull together and are just as filling as a real meal — without the hassle and mess.
No-cook meals are ideal for taking on the go, too. Pack the components away for a trip to the beach or a picnic at the park. Lounge by the pool and munch.
Don’t forget to tap the famous Costco rotisserie chicken for a quick budget protein on vacation — chick rotis is great for meal prepping! — or if you’re feeling extra boujie with your vacation savings, pick up a Whole Foods family meal.
As for Good Cheap Eats, I recommend these no or low-cook meals to make during your staycation or vacation:
4. Splurge on your favorites.
A steak dinner with all the trimmings — that you cook yourself — is infinitely cheaper than taking the family to a steak house. Even buying a few convenience items can make it feel like more while still helping out the budget.
Your homemade meal will be more relaxing and probably cooked just the way you like it. If your favorite restaurant isn’t in the budget, make your favorites at home!
My kids love Brazilian BBQ, but we approximate it at home for less with these kinds of recieps:
5. Enjoy some restaurant meals.
We are a family that enjoys eating out on a budget. Having a fun little treat makes the vacation more fun for all of us.
On vacation, dining out can be hit or miss, you might find a gem like the amazing little yakisoba restaurant we ate at in Kyoto…
or you might be stuck eating what my kids now call “basement hamburger pizza” – a mediocre delivery pizza that was hours late, its ground beef toppings (it was France!) stuck to the inside of the lid, eaten on the floor of our room in the hotel basement because the hotel didn’t want children making noise in the building.
Enjoy your restaurant meals, but vet them carefully, use discounts where you can, and go when you won’t have to wait for hours with hangry tummies.
6. Don’t forget to pack a cooler.
Thanks to the ridiculous high prices for fast food and restaurant fare in California, I am now a bigger cooler supporter than I ever was. Pack a cooler. Pack a cooler. Pack a cooler!
In anticipation of your staycation, locate your cooler, give it a refresh, check that the ice packs are in the freezer at the ready. Bonus points for putting together a picnic pack.
Don’t have gear you love? Check out my faves on Amazon.
Consider what foods your family enjoys on the go and plan for those during your staycation. These Lunch Box Ideas for Kids are a good start!
You might also enjoy:
A staycation can be a great way to enjoy a vacation without spending a lot of money. And if you plan your meals right, you can also eat well and spend less.
There are soooo many great meals and snacks to make on your staycation, it will be an absolute delight to stay home! Be sure to grab our Vacation Bundle that will tool you up with even more meal planning inspo and all the planning details so you can truly take it easy.
Budget Vacation Tips
What do you think?
Let’s chat in the comments!
This post was originally published on June 18, 2012. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Bethany
Is that the point loma I.n.o.? We are at the one off the 163 nearly every sun after church. It’s our “tradition” and about the only time we eat out with our five littles. Would love to meet your beautiful family in person sometime. love your ideas and have followed your blog for awhile. Your recipes are great for our growing family… with a non-growing budget. 😉
Jessica Fisher
I think that’s actually from an INO farther up the coast. But, I am hoping to have a San Diego meetup sometime this summer. Watch the blog. Would love to meet you, too!
Shannon
We stopped at In-And-Out on our whirlwind roadtrip from Washington to California in one week with 5 kids and I was surprised to see that their prices haven’t gone up! What a fun splurge.
Jessica Fisher
They did go up a little bit over the last year. Something like a quarter per burger. But, not bad. We can stuff ourselves for less than $25 for 8 people, so it’s definitely a good value. And one of the best burgers on the planet.
Johanna @ My Home Tableau
These are some great ideas. We’re planning our first vacation in a couple of weeks with kids. My oldest is 41/2 but this will be our first time! We are staying in a house near the beach so we will have a kitchen. I’m planning on making a few things ahead, like lasagna, quiche, and enchiladas, and freezing them.
I love your no cook meal ideas. Will be using those for sure!
Thanks, Jessica!
Jessica Fisher
I think I’m also going to come up with some desperation dinners, those quick meals that are pantry stable. I need to stay out of the fast food lane this summer.