Could you, your spouse, and your family really do with a vacation to recharge your batteries? How about taking them on a trip to Europe? Or maybe Mexico? Or if you live in Chicago or Boston or Buffalo (or anywhere with cold winters), how does enjoying some quality time together in the Florida sun sound?

I can already hear you saying ?Yes, sure ? I'll just go outside and see how the money tree's growing!? After all, you're going to have to foot the bill for airfares, hotel rooms or a vacation rental, a rental car, and numerous restaurant meals.

What would you say if I told you that there is another way, truly a bargain way? Scratch out the hotel or vacation rental charges, forget renting a car, and don't worry about most of the restaurant costs. And there's one web site that can even save you hundreds of dollars on your airfares as well!

That other way, the bargain way, is home exchange! It gets even better because not only do most home exchangers swap their homes, they swap cars as well.

Home exchange as a means of affordable vacationing was conceived in Europe more than five decades ago. It began with teachers in the Netherlands and Switzerland swapping homes for their summer holidays.

Over the last thirty years it's really taken off worldwide and the estimate is that in excess of 90,000 travelers worldwide will take a home swap vacation this year. Home exchange vacationing now has a vast army of devotes. So why not you?

With the current economic climate appearing fairly bleak for many individuals and families, most feel the need to make every dollar count. But, no matter how bad the economy does or doesn't get for every one of us, one fact remains unalterable in human nature: People love a bargain!

People who have exchanged speak of the comfortable home setting, usually located in a neighborhood away from "touristy" areas and city centers. They were able to unpack properly, eat when they fancied, had coffee, tea and snacks on hand. Valuables did not have to be taken with them where-ever they went.

For families with children it makes travel affordable and more easily managed. When families with children of similar ages exchange homes, all their facilities, playthings and local playmates are part of the deal!

As an exchanger you become a transplanted local - part of the neighborhood - and for many people, this transcends everything. Long term friendships are forged and remain there to be built upon year after year.

Home exchangers are often happy to feed each other's resident pets and even water houseplants and patio tubs!

All in all, home exchanging is a win ? win situation. It allows anyone to travel more comfortably, more often and significantly less expensively.