I don’t know about you but as much as I love being at home it’s also nice to have a change of scene and a fresh perspective. Sadly the cost of living has meant people are really feeling the pinch, worry not- I have spent the day researching some super budget friendly options for a little mini Vay-Cay - also known as Staycation! Do you like my use of hip words for a short break? I digress- lets get to work and dig deep into the best that the UK has to offer in terms of a dog friendly budget mini break.

Choose your Location

Obviously it all depends on where you live- personally I don’t want to be driving for hours and hours to get to a destination if we are only going on a short break, also this does not tie into my idea of keeping to a budget- have you seen the price of fuel!

There is also the environmental issue to think about, with this in mind I try and look for somewhere under an hour away, its amazing once you start to investigate how many cool places are literally on your doorstep, even getting away for a few days and having a total change of scene can really boost your mood and energy levels- so give it a try. Perhaps there is a historic monument you have always wanted to see but you have never got round to it ?

My Aunty Rhoda had A ROUND TUIT - I remember it so well as a child, I it always made me laugh

I LOVE these stickers from Zazzle and regularly place them on notes and cards to my family and friends https://www.zazzle.co.uk/z/dzhvocui

There are two below so you now have no excuse !

So back to business , you now have a few Round Tuits and can plan with out further delay- if you are stuck for inspiration have a look at the websites at the end of this article - you can search by region so there will be plenty of choices, be a tourist in your own county or town - you really will be amazed at what is on your doorstep.

My ultimate Budget Break- The Stay Home Mini Break

If your budget wont stretch to a few nights away you could decide to have a holiday at home, or as I like to call it a SHMB (Stay at Home Mini Break).

Tell everyone you are going away and take a dog friendly day trip on each day and come back to a beautiful take out meal or perhaps prepare a slow cooker dish that will be simmering away when you get home .

The general idea is almost to pretend you are staying in a holiday home. We have done this many times- once I even hid my car at my neighbours house! I love pre planning these little stay Home Mini Breaks- instead of spending the money on accomodation etc I may treat my home (and ourselves) to a new duvet set or buy some beautiful shower gels and bath salts. I also stock up on some nice food and snacks, most of the time the dogs get a new treat or toy or dog blanket but the key is saving all these things for yor designated weekend or midweek SHMB.

Years ago my Mum’s friend and her husband were planning a night away in a hotel, but their TV broke and in those days you had them repaired in a shop. I remember that shop so well, it had yellow plastic in the windows to stop the sun bleaching the TV’s - anyway, I digress- the point is after the cost of the TV repair they couldn’t afford the trip away - this lady was AMAZING- I remember her showing us what she had planned instead. With the little bit of left over money she had after the cost of the TV repair she treated herself to a toast rack (something she had wanted for ages but never seemed to have the spare money) and a tray and new egg cups to serve breakfast in bed. She cleaned the entire house from top to bottom to make it feel like a luxury hotel, she made a cake for their own version of afternoon tea and she even asked the local newsagent to deliver their Sunday paper that weekend.

To top it off she picked flowers from the garden and made a beautiful meal in the slow cooker and planned a visit to some local attractions. The next week we asked her how her weekend had been and she said - “from now on I am going to be a tourist in my own town - it was the best weekend”. That always stayed with me- her inventiveness and making the best of a less than ideal situation.

Here are some ideas for a STAY HOME MINI BREAK - also called a SHMB (Stay Home Mini Break)

Pick a date when your SHMB (Stay Home Mini Break) will happen and block it out in the diary
Look at places locally that you have never visited and which allow dogs
Make a plan of where you will go
Prepare a picnic and drinks for your day out
Decide on your evening meal- make a slow cooker dish or grab a takeaway menu or two
Clean your home and put fresh bedding on your bed
Get a tray for breakfast in bed and decide who is going to make it!
Treat the dogs to a new toy each and keep it for your SHMB (Stay Home Mini Break)
Make a cake and serve afternoon tea

Budget Ideas to Consider

The Day We Took The Train

We really like taking the dogs in our car, they are happy and settled in the large boot and the convenience really works for us. However, if you don’t have a car or don’t want to spend a lot on fuel the train can be a really fun option. Travelling with your dog on a train can be really enjoyable and also great value but you really need to consider if your dog will be happy and comfortable travelling by this mode of transport- perhaps start with a short journey on a day trip and see how your dog gets on. There is some great advice for travelling with a dog on public transport at the bottom of this article

Plan in Advance

“Time spent on reconnaissance is never wasted” as my Grandmother used to say! (She also repeatedly told me her favourite quote- “every little helps said the old lady as she peed in the sea!!” Digressing again- sorry!

As we are talking proverbs- “The early bird catches the worm” I like being an early bird and pre-planning a trip really gives you something to look forward to. Sometimes we sit down for half an hour and decide a date to go away and a basic outline of what we would like to do and then I am off like a firework, researching, investigating, comparing prices, finding different things to see and do- I am sure my husband loves to suggest planning a trip because when I am in ‘planning mode’ he gets so much peace and quiet !

I like to use Trivago - https://tidd.ly/3YtNjAV This is my affiliate link, check them out, I partner with Trivago because they have excellent deals and a dog friendly option so you can search for the best deals.

Saving For a Trip

Sometimes if I am feeling really focussed I will set myself savings challenges, I will spend a month resisting ALL temptation for a hot chocolate or snack from a cafe or drive thru, I will use what’s in the freezer, I will have hermit days (I am really good at being a hermit) where I spend time working, cleaning, walking dogs, playing with dogs, cuddling dogs- excuse me I am in dog trance again- back to the point, I will use those days as NO Spend days and put any cash I have in my wallet into a jar, its that basic I just decide what I am going to not have and use the money for a little trip away instead, over time I have discovered that we actually prefer the taste of our own coffee and snacks. I use a fantastic journal from Know Thyself Blueprint www.knowthyselfblueprint.com which I believe is going to be launched as a downloadable version- I will let you know when it is available online. I will be doing some deep dives about mindful living and spending in future blogs and a new podcast so look out for those !

Pre planning a trip can really help because you can split the cost over a designated period of time.

I will add some further reading to the bottom of this article about budgeting.

Checklist - This is our checklist for travelling with our dogs

Fill up with fuel
Dog bowls, food, water bottles filled up
Check the dog guard is in the car and fitted
Make sure the dog bed for the car is clean
Biodegradable wipes for humans and dogs
Dog blankets
Dog toys
Dog treats
Confirm the route on Sat Nav with planned stops to take the dogs for a leg stretch
Our travel bags, wellies, coats
Dog leads and poo bags
Walk the dogs before leaving
Don’t forget the dogs

Further Reading About Taking Dogs on Trains

Paws and Stay- A LOVELY website worth looking at, this article about travelling with your dog is really interesting and informative.

https://www.pawsandstay.co.uk/blog/public-transport-with-your-dog/

As usual- the Dogs Trust is a fantastic resource for everything to do with dogs, their website is packed full of helpful information, the below link also has a very interesting video about preparing your dog for travel

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/training/outdoors/travelling

The Kennel Club is a constant go -to for me, I trust their advice and information and their articles are incredibly detailed. I love the way that they also offer advice to businesses about implementing a new or developing an existing Open Dog Policy

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog/caring-for-your-new-puppy/dogs-on-public-transport/

The PDSA - another fantastic and informative website.

https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/blog/things-to-know-before-taking-your-pet-on-public-transport

Once you decide that you are ready for a train trip with your dog dive into the following links where you can save money and plan your journey.

Trainline - https://www.thetrainline.com

Their website and app are easy to navigate. There is a section where you can find a destination by your budget https://www.thetrainline.com/en/trip-planner

I also like the area where you can explore the cheapest tickets available https://www.thetrainline.com/information/cheap-train-tickets

They also have some really good guides about how to buy cheap train tickets online https://www.thetrainline.com/information/cheap-train-tickets#how-to-get

My favorite section is cheap train tickets for UK popular journeys https://www.thetrainline.com/information/cheap-train-tickets#journeys

It is a great area to look at the price, location and duration of your journey

Further Reading About Budgeting

Visit Britain has some good tips

https://www.visitbritain.com/en/plan-your-trip/budgeting-tips

Dog Friendly Retreats - I like this site a lot, the articles are excellent and they have a lot of lovely accommodation options

https://www.dogfriendlyretreats.com/blog/how-to-book-the-best-value-dog-friendly-holiday/

Websites for Dog Friendly Places to Visit

Dog Friendly Days Out. Helpful site with lots of choices

https://www.dogfriendly.co.uk/days-out