Saving money and cutting costs are a top priority for a lot of Mid-South families right now, but that doesn’t mean that you and your family cannot enjoy summer time. Instead of packing up and leaving town to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for travel expenses, lodging, meals and entertainment, why not try a Staycation this year. Save money, have fun and spend tons of time with family and friends. What, you may ask, is there to do in Memphis and the Mid-South during the hot summer time that won’t cost an arm and a leg and will be entertaining for all members of my family? The following ideas should help keep you, your family and friends entertained on the cheap while staying around your home.

• Have a beach party – without the beach. Now is the perfect time to try out that yummy fruity recipe you found on Pinterest. Buy a cool water sprinkler and let the kids have fun in the water the way you used to do when you were a kid. Spread out beach towels, fill your water cooler with drinks, make some homemade ice cream and put on Jimmy Buffet for a day on your backyard beach.

• Backyard camping – throw up a tent and spend the night under the stars with your kids. Roast hotdogs, make s’mores, tell ghost stories and stargaze. You will see your backyard in a whole new way. Don’t forget the bug spray! Discover how creative you can be with a simple pop-up tent and sleeping bags.

• Discover the city that is in your own back yard! MEMPHIS! Tourist travel from all over the country and the world to come to Memphis for its musical heritage, southern cuisine, and the historical Mississippi River. Catch a ball game and see the Memphis RedBirds play at AutoZone Park, eat world-famous barbeque on historic Beale Street or sit in the Peabody Hotel and people-watch.  CLICK HERE for a list of the Top Ten Must-See Attractions in Memphis.

Click here for a list of activities in Memphis that are very vacation-like and are absolutely FREE. Just remember that the point of the Staycation is to relax and enjoy time with family and friends. Turn off the phone, close the laptop and take the time you deserve to rejuvenate and replenish your spirits and to make happy memories with your family.