I live on a lake, and I consider myself lucky.
For years I lived in an apartment where every season past by just like the next. Spring turned into summer, summer turned into fall, and winter seemed to drag on for far to long.
Driving down my road today, I realized that home now feels like vacation. All summer I feel like I am at a lake side cabin, and in the winter I feel like I am in a ski lodge in the woods. The best of both worlds!
Think about how much time you spend in your home.
Work and home –the two places we spend the most time. Especially if you have a chronic illness and get a lot more bed time than most!
It is time to turn your house into a home. Take your vacation home with you instead of waiting for the next school break to take your family somewhere tropical!
- Fix your backyard.
Spend money on patio furniture, an umbrella, a gazebo, a pool. Decide to postpone your next tropical vacation so that you can make your backyard tropical. Imagine coming home and being excited to spend time on the patio. Margaritas anyone?!
2. Spoil yourself with your passion.
Enjoy movies? Buy a large screen TV. Enjoy reading? Install a book shelf and fill it with books you want to read in the next 5 years. I normally give advice on self improvement, and how media can take up to much of our time. This is the one time I will contradict myself. If you are really going to make your home feel like a vacation, you need to feed your passions and hobbies. The goal is to make you want to come home. The last thing you want to do is have a bad day only to dread going home.
3. Spend time with your family.
It’s a no brainer. Want your home to feel like you are on vacation? Most vacations are spent with the family. Don’t let your work take over so you spend no time with your children. Snap out of it. Enjoy your family time. Tough to hear, but the time you have with your family is limited in this life.
4. Hire a chef to surprise your husband or wife with a fresh cooked meal at home.
Even if you are great at cooking, imagine sitting on your patio with your own chef cooking you a private meal. Guess what? It is not that expensive. Try http://hireachef.com/ or even www. craigslist.com. You will be surprised at how low the cost is. Under $100 anyone?
5. Stock your bar.
No I don’t mean you should be an alcoholic, c’mon what kind of guy do you think I am! Here is the point: You like to dance? Set up a dance studio for yourself in your basement. You like to play basketball? Set up a basketball hoop so you can play at home. You like to play golf? Install a putting green in your backyard. Last but not least, you like to go out to bars? Set up a stocked bar in your own home. Invite all of your friends! I know not all of your drink, but if you do let us all be honest.
A) You will save money if you stay in instead of going out.
B) You will have more friends who want to come over.
Make your house fun for entertaining others. Make it the place to be. Make it feel like vacation every night. I recently bought a wine fridge. Why? So I can stock my bar.
Lets get real people. Your home is your sanctuary. No matter how much you try to avoid your real life with tropical vacations, the majority of time you spend is at home. Make it time worth spending! Start thinking of your home as an investment—an investment in your happiness. I hate to say it, but most people retire without enough money to travel or go on vacation. Why not make your home your vacation?
Leave a comment and let me know how you have made your home a vacation spot!
Thanks,
Dave
