Welcome to the Daily 5, our lighthearted look at the business news that amuses us.
Today we turn to the Urban Dictionary, and a made-up word that's perfect for our troubled economic times: Staycation, or "a vacation that is spent at one's home."
We suspect this term could soon enter the common lexicon. Roughly 40% of Americans intend to change travel plans because of the worsening economy, according to a survey from the Y Partnership. Of those, 36% said they would cancel or postpone trips. (As if Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE:OWW), Travelzoo (NASDAQ:TZOO), and Expedia (NASDAQ:EXPE) weren't hurting enough already.)
Here are five not-so-serious signs that you're either about to join that 36%, or already there. Drumroll, please:
5. You just outsourced the family dog for meal money.
4. Filling your gas tank costs the same as a weeklong pass to a theme park.
3. Foreign tourists just offered pocket change for your house.
2. All of your ATM receipts read, "You're kidding, right?"
And the No. 1 sign you'll be taking a staycation this summer ... You frequently mistake your energy bill for your mortgage payment.
Don't forget the butter and salt ...
The good news? More couch time means more movies, and that's probably good news for Web movie broadcasters Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), and (maybe) Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX).
See anything we missed? Have a different take? Post your thoughts in the comments box below.
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