Never have you been more deserving of a vacay than during this super-stressed economic climate -- but the crunch also makes it hard to justify splurging. But there's plenty to do that can make both your brain and wallet happy. Ditch a couple days of work with these low-cost adventures.

1. Go to a water park mid-week
They're often cheaper than standard theme parks, so take a personal day when you know your workload will be light. You should never pay full price -- always search online for discount coupons. (eBay can be a good source for pennies-on-the-dollar gift certificates and vouchers.)

2. Take a few days off for a screams-and-s'mores trip
Amusement parks are more fun when you don't try to get to every ride in the space of six hours. Take a couple days to wander one near you -- many give a discount for multi-day passes -- and stay at a campground overnight.

Click here for more ideas after the jump.

3. Hit a bed and breakfast for a night
So many mom and pop operations are hurting because of the recession, it's almost criminal how many perks you can negotiate for your stay.

4. Go on a themed road trip
What's better than an odyssey of the best ice cream shops and mini-golf spots within 200 miles of you? Beats us.

5. Travel internationally on the cheap
Off-peak flights departing on Tuesdays or Wednesdays are a good source for amazing deals, thanks to the continued airline industry slump. (We got a flight to Barcelona recently for $227 -- including tax.) Start with Kayak.com's Buzz feature: It scans the best fares from your city to top cities worldwide. Once you find a good flight, go to biddingfortravel.com before you plunk down cash for a hotel on Priceline or Hotwire. That's where frequent users of auction sites post details about what hotels they ended up at, so you can basically figure out the name of the spot behind the nebulous description and star rating.

6. Learn something new
This summer, come back from vacation with something more than a bad sunburn: mad skillz. Take a local course on photography, culinary arts or Web design.

7. Do some good
Volunteer vacations are a sweet way to go somewhere you could never afford to visit and meet some kind, big-hearted dudes. Oh yeah, and there's that whole "helping other people" thing, too. Check out environmentally friendly trips at the American Hiking Society or ones to more far-flung destinations worldwide at Global Volunteers.

8. Look into an apartment swap
Close to a big city but too broke to actually stay there overnight? Scope the Housing Swaps category on Craigslist. You can trade accommodations with someone who might need to be in your area at the same time. There are more options on CouchSurfing, a list of security-verified housing worldwide.

9. Go with a group
The travel industry's grudge against solo travelers (e.g., that exorbitant double-occupancy minimum) is actually good for you and your girls. Many hotels are offering promotional weekend packages for groups of female friends with specials on spa days, drinks and entertainment. Check sites like Girls Guide to the World and Girlfriend Getaways for fun low-budget trip ideas with your pals.