Recently I saw a posting on Facebook “You can’t do everything for $300. How could I go to Chile for that amount?” This sparked an interest in me. How can you? It reminded me of an article I read about home swapping. This family traveled the world on a budget and they did it by trading homes.
I did some research. There are several “home swapping” websites. Some charge a membership fee and some are completely free. Home swapping has been going on for a very long time, with social media, it is becoming popular. There are several things to consider with a home exchange. The biggest thing is, is it right for you? I suggest to do some research. Understand the process and really think about if you are comfortable with strangers staying in your home.

There are 3 different types of home swapping. There is the full swap. This is where you stay in their home while they are staying in your home. There is the swap in which you can stay in a second home or a vacation home. There is staying at the home with the people there during your stay.

Allow time when decide to do a house exchange. There are many decisions to make and things to work out before the house swap. Think of the type of exchange you would like to do. Find the website you want to use (free or pay a membership fee). Decide where you want to vacation at and find a home you like. Will you allow the use of your car for the use of their car (this can save money on transportation). Cleaning the home, do you clean it yourself or hire a professional? Do you leave food? What do you need to put in a secure area? Do you leave animals for the guests to take care of?
Home swapping can save a lot of money. If it is a free swap or even a minimal fee swap, this could save you thousands of dollars. You can cook at the home and save money by not eating out. Some homes offer the car, bikes and other amenities; this will save you money on rentals. If you have sky mileage, you can fly for free or extremely cheap. This is a very frugal way to travel.

The possibilities are endless. One idea is if you are traveling with friends and you use your home for the swap, your friends could pay for the food. This will be their contribution. It will save even more money. Pair that up with sky mileage this would be a very frugal vacation.

Have you vacationed this way before? Do you have an extremely frugal vacation you want to share? I would love to hear about your experiences.