The Holiday Season is one of the most anticipated times by the young and old alike. For children, they look forward to the gifts they will be receiving. On the other hand, adults look forward to the long break from work and stress (well, some of those at least).
For adults, the holidays can still be a source of stress. Despite the break from work, there are several stuff to prepare for, including food for Christmas and New Year’s eve, groceries, and gift shopping.
To get away from all that, many people opt to go on vacations and spend their holidays in warmer and more laid-back places.
A holiday trip might seem grand and very inviting because it guarantees that you can entirely stay away from office work and home responsibilities (and the rates at this time are cheaper too!), but staying home during the holidays also has its advantages.
There are many reasons why it is better to stay and get cozy at home during the holidays because:
1. You get to save money.
Although airfares and hotel rates are generally cheaper during the Holidays, going on vacation will still entail a lot of costs because you still need to spend on food, gifts, new clothes, stuff and many more.
On the contrary, staying at home already eliminates all fare and hotel expenses, plus you can also save on food costs because it is cheaper when you cook and prepare the Holiday feasts yourself.
Now that leaves you with only shopping and gift expenses to worry about!
2. Avoid overly crowded areas.
You go on vacation because you want to relax, but once you get into the beach, pool place, or hotel cafe, there are crowds of people at every turn. Competing for space, enduring the noise and the lack of private time is hardly a relaxing time at all.
Staying at home, of course, avoids you from all this mess and extra stress. You get to have quality, private time at home, and you don’t even have to worry about strangers who get on your nerves.
3. Avoid the Christmas rush.
The malls at this time of the year is a frenzy. It is understandable, though, given that almost every store has a Holiday special deal – ranging from Buy 1 Take one promo to incredible 50 to 70% discounts.
Technically, you cannot avoid the Christmas rush, especially if you plan to buy gifts for your friends and family. Still, you can significantly decrease the amount of shopping time once you opt to stay at home instead of going on a vacation because aside from gifts, you need to look for extra stuff that you might need to prepare for the trip.
4. No need to stress about family safety and comfort.
Parents with toddlers would understand. Going on vacation is a nightmare when there are kids with you – you have to carry a lot of stuff, you need to keep an eye on them and discipline them to avoid accidents in public places.
It does not help either when the place is crowded. Safety will always be an issue, especially if you are stepping into an unfamiliar land.
5. Avoid unnecessary conflict.
Even the simplest things such as eating, drinking, and strolling need to be decided upon as a group on any trip. In a group, other people will inevitably have different plans and preferences, and it can easily be a source of conflict.
One might want to go to a fancier place, while the other might want to go for genuinely local cuisine.
Even the time for strolling and exploration could be debated because some might want to do it in the morning, while others would want to do it in the afternoon.
These conflicts and misunderstandings could be completely avoided when the whole family stays at home for the holidays.
6. Spend quality time with family, relatives, and friends.
When you are out on a trip, everyone (including you) would be busy trying to take all the surroundings and amenities your destination of choice offers. You want to spend time in a game room, watch a show, take a dip in the pool/beach, and many others.
All these activities can take you away from the holidays’ actual point – to bond and spend quality time with loved ones.
7. More time to do DIY projects with the family.
Staying at home may not seem as exciting compared to the thought of going on vacation, but it actually gives more time and opportunity for you and your family to do projects together.
This could start from the decorating stage – wherein you, your partner, and the kids can set-up a Christmas tree, decorate the fireplace with colorful socks, and even wrap gifts together with do-it-yourself (DIY) designs and stickers.
Many families even make a holiday tradition out of such activities – which you should do too!
8. Quality bonding over food.
Quality time and bonding are not just done over Christmas decorating and gift-wrapping; it is done over food preparation and feasts too! Staying at home undoubtedly allows you to plan and serve up your own meals for the holiday feasts.
It is the perfect time for everyone in the family to do their part in the preparation and bond over the whole process – right until the food is ready and served!
9. No need to ship gifts or carry them via extra luggage.
When you travel, your friends and family members back home would slightly expect you to bring back some goodies for them. You are yet burdened by the responsibility of shipping these gifts back home or bring them with you as extra luggage.
Either way, it will cause you to spend more, and you could be stressed out once again because of the whole process.
Remember, the cargo and shipping industry is very busy at this time of the year, and there is an increased chance that your gifts might not even make it on your intended timeframe.
Worse, it could be mishandled along the way because of the sheer volume of items that the shipping company has to handle during these times.
10. Enjoy a more personalized holiday experience.
All in all, staying at home during the holidays gives you a more private and personal experience.
You and the family can plan everything from the decoration, gifts, food, desserts, and activities (movie marathons and games) you need to do during this long break. It does not give you unnecessary stress. Instead, it allows everyone to contemplate and feel the Christmas and Holiday season’s actual meaning.
Many family traditions are also born out of the decision to stay at home during the holidays. During this time, you get to stay together at home for several days straight without the pressures and burden of work and school (for the kids).
Trips can still be made at another time of the year, and it is best to do it when the streets, malls, and hotels are not as crowded and jampacked as what usually happens during the holidays.