E-Mail This Article to a Friend Tripped out Not going anywhere this summer? You can still enjoy a vacation at home. BY CHRISTINE JUNGE

So you’ve managed to score some vacation time this summer, but you don’t have any money to go anywhere. Not to worry; a quick trip downtown can get you outfitted with the goods that will at least put you in a vacation mood — for a lot less than a plane ticket to Europe.

For starters, you’ll need stuff to keep you entertained while you slip into relaxation mode. First stop: Virgin Megastore, for some vacation-themed DVDs. You’ll find Chevy Chase’s Vegas Vacation ($14.95), the sappy romantic comedy French Kiss ($14.95), and the classic The Accidental Tourist ($19.95), among others. If you want literary treats to help while away the time, try Trident Booksellers’ selection of fun beach reads, like Jennifer Weiner’s Bridget Jones–esque Good in Bed ($14), David Sedaris’s laugh-out-loud Naked ($14.95), or the latest from Sex and the City’s Candace Bushnell, Trading Up ($13.95).

Next you’ll need a vacation-quality item to lie upon while reading or watching the tube. Marshalls carries an array of colorful beach towels ($12.99) that will do the trick. If you want to get into costume, you’ll also find straw hats ($9.99) and sunglasses ($7.99–$9.99) in various styles.

A big part of any vacation is eating and drinking, and an at-home vacation should be no different. You might want to serve yourself an appletini or other island-type drink from Pottery Barn’s plastic pitcher ($13.99) and margarita glasses ($3.99), in fun summer colors. A snack might help soak up some of the alcohol, but you don’t have to struggle in the kitchen with a recipe as long as your suntanned arm. Instead, try making something from The Summer House Cookbook ($24), which provides stress-free seasonal recipes. It’s available at Barnes & Noble.

You might be wondering what you’ll have to show for your vacation at home. After all, half the fun of going away is flaunting endless pictures of the sights you’ve seen. If you’re crafty, you can make something to accomplish this goal that will showcase not only your fun time, but also your artistic abilities. Paper Source sells easy-to-use photo-album kits ($15.50/small; $29.50/large) that yield results interesting enough to show that they’re handmade.

If, after a hard day of relaxing, you need a bath, Lush sells all sorts of delicious-smelling soaps and bath products, including bath bombs ($3.95–$5.95), which are balls made with baking soda that add fizz, soothing oils, and fragrances to your bath at the same time.

Where to find it:

• Barnes & Noble, various locations; www.bn.com.

• Lush, 166 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 375-5874.

• Marshalls, various locations; www.marshallsonline.com.

• Paper Source, 338 Boylston Street, Boston, (617) 536-3444; 1810 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 497-1077; 1361 Beacon Street, Brookline, (617) 264-2800; www.paper-source.com.

• Pottery Barn, various locations; www.potterybarn.com.

• Trident Booksellers, 338 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 267-8688.

• Virgin Megastore, 360 Newbury Street, Boston, (617) 896-0950.