Vacations get more and more expensive each year. Between airfare, gas, food and a hotel, it can be too much for teens to handle. Nowadays, there is a remedy for having a vacation when you’re broke: the Staycation.

My family has spent more than a few summers saving our money with a Staycation. It seems like a bore, but some of my favorite memories were created not far from my home. To have a successful Staycation, there are a few things to remember. Always try to find free or cheap things near you, do fun stuff at home, don’t be afraid to go with the flow and let your childish side come out. Follow these steps, and you are sure to make memories.

No matter where you are, there is a multitude of ways to make your vacay great, without breaking the pocketbook. Saint Louis is filled to the brim with adventures. Go to the history, art or science museums. Have a picnic in Forest Park. Get ice-cream on The Hill. Your options are endless.

Make every minute of your Staycation count. The fun doesn’t have to end when you get back from your day out. There is so much you can do without even leaving your home. Go to every room in your house and collect every spare blanket, pillow and stuffed animal. Get the chairs from the dining room, boxes from the closet and grab some Christmas lights. Then, build the most epic fort a child could dream of. Pop some popcorn, get comfy and enjoy any number of summer movies.

A lot can change in a matter of minutes, and the best way to get over it is to just go with the flow. You should always have a plan of where to go and what to see, but don’t close yourself off. If you are on your way to the Art Museum and run into the world’s largest tree stump, take a detour. After all, you never know what you can find just off the trail. Along with this, try not to plan where you go to lunch. Just see what happens when you get where you are going. You may plan to eat at McDonalds but run into the most amazing diner on the way.

Lastly, more important than anything else, let yourself be immature. The best part of vacation is kicking back and letting your worries fly away, and who has less worries than a child? Do silly things any grown person would never dream of doing. Build a fort, play hide-and- seek and sing in the middle of a crowded store. Let yourself go and I promise it will be a vacation for the books.

It is easy to get caught up in the glam of a trip to the beach or a weekend in Europe. Instead, take a Staycation and think of how many memories you can make right here at home!