The Summer 'NOT on Holiday' Challenge

The Penny Golightly NOT on holiday summer challenge 2026 thrifty fun

We spend most of our summer months NOT on holiday, even if we manage to get away somewhere nice for a week or two. We’re at home, and most of us are at work during the week.

But it’s still summertime. Why not make the most of all those other weeks?

It’s time to max out your summer, not your credit card, because we’re going to be creating that holiday feeling all weekend, every weekend. Ringfence your leisure time, and make interesting memories.

This new challenge will run every weekend from now until early August, plus a bit of optional prep this weekend if you’re in the mood.

There’ll be lots of ideas up on the site each week for inspiration, with plenty of free and afforable things to try.

Summer ‘not on holiday’ challenge schedule

Here’s the week-by-week schedule if you’d like to join in:

Week before: Getting ‘holiday ready’ (optional)

The week before going away on holiday most of us like to get prepared. Tidy up, water the plants, slap a bit of fake tan on, get a haircut, etc. Getting ready can be part of the fun.

There’s an optional ‘getting ready‘ activity on the site right now if you want to join in. You can even put together a quick capsule wardrobe that you might take on a city break to help mentally ‘pack that holiday suitcase’.

Weekend 1: ‘Unpack & find a restaurant’

The first part of most holidays is settling in, checking out the hotel and going out for something to eat. Then you start to relax and unwind over some great food, and maybe a drink or two.

Okay, you won’t need to settle in because home is the ‘hotel’, but you can have some delicious meals. Lots of cheap options here, including home cooking that gets you out of your comfort zone, BBQs, picnics, cafe trips, bars and restaurants.

Weekend 2: Go sightseeing

Wherever you live, there’s probably somewhere not too far away where you can do some sightseeing. A couple of day trips, or a wander around the nearest town.

That could be a natural beauty spot, a museum or gallery, botanical gardens or some interesting architecture. What’s nearby that you can go and check out?

Weekend 3: Spa / Adventure day

Because everyone’s different, on Weekend Three you get to choose between a mini ‘spa break’ and a little adventure holiday. Or do one day of each, up to you.

For the spa or pampering, you could have a soak in the bath, get buffed up, or do a pedicure or other home treatment. There may also be some affordable beauty services near to you to book in for.

If you’re choosing adventure, that could be going for a hike, visiting an activity centre, trying the climbing wall at the local leisure centre, or hiring a rowing boat in the park.

Weekend 4: Relaxing ‘by the pool’

There comes a point on most holidays where you get to sit by the pool and catch up on your reading. Maybe do a little people watching too.

The final weekend is about relaxing, maybe with some great music, a podcast or a new book. If the weather’s terrible, stay at home or run out to a nearby cafe. Or head to a local park, pond or lido if the sun’s shining.

That’s a whole month of weekends, or eight days in total. Plus you can rinse and repeat for a whole summer, if you feel like it.

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How are you going to max out your summer while you’re not on holiday? Might as well make the most of it!

The Summer ‘NOT on Holiday’ Challenge

Summer ‘not on holiday’ challenge schedule