With the global recovery from the events of seven years grinding along at a maddeningly slow pace, your finances have yet to improve to the robust status that they held before the economy went off a cliff in 2008.

You’ve waited it out, hoping that things would get better, but now, there is no longer room in your budget to fly off to the Costa del Sol on a moment’s notice. Despite these hardships, things will only improve if you find ways to be grateful for what you do have, and by finding ways to cheer yourself up.

Travel can be done for a fraction of the price that the average Briton doles out on an annual basis, and with killer deals targeting domestic tourists lately, you can still have a joy-filled holiday in your own backyard.

To that end, here are three inexpensive staycations in the UK that will bring the light back into your life during the all too short British summer season…

1) Camping in the Lake District

Hotels and all-inclusive resorts can get ridiculously expensive, especially after you consider the cost of airfare and other ancillary expenses that aren’t covered by your package holiday.

Pretending to be wealthy by running up your card balance?

That ship sailed seven years ago when markets collapsed, shutting off the easy credit spigots.

With fuel prices lower compared to last year however, it’s high time to embrace the many outdoor spaces that the United Kingdom has to offer. Within several hours from Greater London lies the Lake District, one of this nation’s most stunning wilderness reserves.

Many of the campgrounds that can be found in this region are quite rustic, with one of the simplest (Syke Farm Camping Ground) only offering a tent pad, and fresh milk and eggs from the farm house in which your gracious hosts live.

With prices starting from £7 per night (£3 for children) though, this super inexpensive base will make a great home for those looking to go trekking in the hills, or explore the bucolic rural valleys and lakes that sit between the highest mountain ranges in England.

2) Hostel hop /AirBnB it across Scotland

Too much of a whimp to rough it in a tent? You can still explore destinations like Scotland on the cheap without resorting to expensive hotel stays, as there are many guesthouses and hostels that offer lodging for a fraction on what you would pay in the pricier place.

Think you’ll have to sleep in a crowded dorm with snorers and drunk sociopaths that think nothing of turning on the lights at 3 am? Think again, as most hostels offer private rooms where you can retain your privacy while saving a bundle.

Dead set against hostels? Airbnb offers rooms, flats and entire houses across a wide range of price points. Set your budget, determine what you are looking for in the ideal holiday home/flat, and get searching.

From Edinburgh to the Isle of Skye, there’s a gem of a country waiting to be discovered, so get out there this summer!

3) Experiencing the best that London has to offer

Wincing at the thought of shelling out any amount of money for accommodations? If you live in Metro London like 21% of the United Kingdom, you have one of the world’s most culturally and economically significant cities at your fingertips.

Go culture crawling at landmarks like the British Museum (which is free … considering it contains many of the world’s most precious archaeological treasures, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better deal than that anywhere), dine at some of the globe’s finest restaurants, and take in a nightlife scene that is the envy of many other major centres in the world.

By slowing down and noticing the immensely beautiful aspects of the capital of the UK, you’ll have a staycation that will rival many of the proper holidays you’ve gone on in the past.
This list was compiled by the bingo comparison site Great British Bingo.