I keep seeing this term "staycation" popping up this weekend. As in... gas is too expensive and the economy is in the toilet, so instead of a summer vacation we're going to have a staycation at home. I get where the idea comes from, but if I'm at home it ain't no vacation (there's always something to clean or paint or replace, which may mean my staycation will be more expensive than an actual vacation). Still there are some good tips out there for putting together a nice family staycation: Melanie Wells, an editor at Forbes shares the joys of her staycation in The Wall Street Journal:

It was a Fodor's-free holiday without luggage, hotels, airplanes or foreign currency. We vacationed in Brooklyn, N.Y., where we live, and our only rare luxury was a month of unhurried hang-out time. We basked in the comforts of home and, just outside, a city we typically don't have much time to explore.

Los Angeles Times blogger Kathy Price-Robinson offered some tips for proper home staycation prep:

Wash the windows....
Plan a few creative projects....
Buy a new outdoor grill....
Stock up on books and read them.

News10 in Indiana suggests checking out some of the fun things to do in your own community.

And for their part, stores are ready to help out with plenty of "staycation sales."

I'm still a staycation skeptic, but anyone try it out for the holiday weekend? Have any tips for making a staycation more like a vacation?