Have a stellar staycation – on a budget

Between the global pandemic and possible financial uncertainty going into the new year, many Americans will be trading their annual holiday getaway for a “staycation.”

The good news is you can, in fact, have a great time at home this fall and winter, while keeping the family engaged and entertained. Best of all, you don’t need to break the bank.

If you’re home for the holidays, the following are a few suggestions to getting the most out of it, with a handful of tips to help you do more with less.

Cut the cord already

As USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham has covered in depth, providing a defense for cheap TVs and comparing different streaming services for their value, millions of people are saving money by ditching cable.

h There are several streamers to choose from, and if you pick only a couple – such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, or Disney+ and Apple TV+ – it’s still considerably less than a monthly cable package, which can be well over $ 200 a month.

h Also, consider AVOD services, which stands for “ad- supported video on demand.” Some of the more popular options include: Vudu, Tubi and IMDb TV, as well as YouTube, Crackle and Popcornflix – each of them offering thousands of TV show episodes and movies. You just need Wi- Fi and a device to watch it on.

h If you want to turn your regular TV into a smart one, and significantly enhance its audio at the same time, Roku just launched Streambar ($ 129). Simply connect the included HDMI cable and join your Wi- Fi to begin streaming content in up to 4K HDR ( high dynamic range) quality – if your television supports it. Some of its services are free, while others require a subscription.

h Another smart way to cut the cord is to consider an over- the- air DVR, such as the Tablo DUAL LITE ($ 149), which gives you access to live TV broadcasts – including news and sports – which aren’t available on most streaming platforms, such as Netflix. To use this, you’ll need an over- the- air HDTV antenna, internet connection, recording storage ( such as a hard drive), and a WiFi- enabled device such as Roku or Apple TV.

h Want free video games while cocooning? Who doesn’t? Look for “the 26 best free video games to play while you’re stuck at home.”

Borrow rather than buy

If you prefer thumbing through a great novel over staring at the TV, of course you can buy ebooks and audiobooks, but did you know you also can borrow them from your local library? Yes, for free.

You won’t need to drive to the library, nor are there late fees to worry about.

So long as you have your library card and the Libby by OverDrive app installed on your device, there are tens of thousands of supported libraries worldwide. On the day it expires, it won’t be accessible on your device – unless you extend the loan period.

And no, it’s not just classics available, but many of the newer New York Times bestsellers, too. Libby also boasts an impressive built- in e- book reader, graphic novel viewer, and audiobook player.

In fact, e- readers such as the Kobo Nia ($ 99) have OverDrive built in, allowing you to wirelessly reserve and download ebooks on your device. Because of its glare- free 6- inch screen, Kobo Nia is better for reading outdoors than tablets.

Also, your Amazon Prime membership ($ 12.99 a month) gives you access to free Kindle ebooks, as well as Prime Video ( movies and TV shows), Amazon Music, unlimited online photo storage and access to Twitch videos.

Free calls, texts

While this might fall into the “duh” department, remember you can keep in touch with friends and family, anywhere in the world – and with video, too – without having to pay for it. And you have a huge choice in services including Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Google Meet and FaceTime.

Services such as Facebook Messenger and Houseparty also support interactive games, so you can have fun while having a virtual happy hour with friends.

And speaking of saving money, did you know you can make free phone calls and texts, and even get a free incoming number? The TextNow app, for iOS and Android, lets you make unlimited calls to any 10- digit number in the U. S. and Canada, over Wi- Fi.

The ad- supported app first asks what city you’d like your number to be from and will find an available local area code for you to use. You also get free voicemail, customizable ringtones, call forwarding and other features.