Take A Break From The Holidays With This Budget Guide To Spontaneous Trips

The holidays can be many things: Festive. Fun. And, unfortunately, frustrating.

Sometimes they’re all of those things at the same family dinner.

(Ah, the joy of warm wine. Delicious and dangerous, all in one lovely glass!)

And since it is the time of the year you’re putting others ahead of yourself, giving gifts, cooking meals to be shared, and inviting guests over, you might begin to wonder when you’ll get a second for yourself again.

Our advice?

It’s time to Treat Yo Self. While you might be considering a nice massage, the outfit you’ve had your eye on (that’s lovingly discounted on December 26th!), or another splurge, there remains one go-to gift that’s sure to make you feel better.

Go on a spontaneous trip.

That’s easier said than done, of course, because with all the joys of the holiday season come a fair share of bills to be paid and budgets to be obeyed.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a few suggestions for how you can get away on a spontaneous trip using the cash you’ve got: maybe it’s what Grandma included in your holiday card, maybe it’s what you got from returning that ugly sweater (the ironic kind, we mean, this isn’t a commentary on your family’s style), or maybe it’s that holiday bonus burning a hole in your pocket. 

Five Budget-Friendly Spontaneous Trip Ideas

1. Under $100 - While some airlines might offer roundtrip flights for less, you’d be left with just about enough to buy a meal. So instead of scouting out faraway lunch locations, consider a night in an Airbnb or a hotel in a small town from where you live. Unpack, kick off your shoes, and walk around a completely new environment.
   
   
2. Under $250 - Low-cost flights and two-night hotel stays are now a reasonable option (as long as you’re not hoping to stay near Central Park in New York). Look for last-minute deals to regional hubs, and enjoy discovering a new city and grabbing a few nice meals.
   
   
3. Under $500 - Now the fun’s getting started! If you’re planning a trip for yourself, you can expand the range - or up the quality. Local trips with fancier meals and nicer digs, or longer flights to a few states away make this spontaneous trip a good one. Or you can start thinking about inviting friends or family on a shorter getaway. 

1. Under $750 - With airlines offering roundtrip flights to Mexico and Canada in the mid-$300s, you can start dreaming of an international getaway. Whether you’re looking for a spontaneous ski getaway, or just spontaneous non-freezing weather, you’ve got options.
   
   
2. More than $1,000 - Hey big spender! Looks like that returned sweater netted you a cool grand. If you’re traveling on your own, this unlocks the whole country and quite a few locales in Central and North America. If the point of a spontaneous trip is to do something spur-of-the-moment, there’s nothing like getting a new stamp in the passport to let you know you’re living.

Or if you have a more specific budget, try a tool like Wander to get your trip planned down to the dollar.

Though the inspiration for wanting to get away may be the stress of the season, there’s still something to be said about sharing these trips with others.

What about you? If you could take a break from the holidays for a weekend, where would you head?