Food, Home and Style

Free-cation: House-Swap Getaway

Is there anything that gets struck from a tightening budget faster than superfluous hotel trips? I’ve got two words for you: house swap.

Track down another couple and do the old swaparoo. They spend a weekend at your house and you stay Friday night through Sunday afternoon at their place. It’s a lot better than some boring, old staycation. But there are a few ground rules that have to be established.

First: the campground rule is in effect (AKA leave things better than you found them).

Second: no snooping. No matter how well things are hidden, busybodies can find ‘em. Designate a room as “off-limits” for keeping valuables and private items (though some fetish gear you could probably just disinfect and leave in a conspicuously ajar drawer).

Third: prepare snacks for the other couple and leave takeout menus. Part of staying in a hotel, motel, Holiday Inn is not making food.

Fourth: bring your own towels. Let’s not even discuss this any further, just bring your own towels.

Fifth: mention to your neighbors that you are going to have guests. There’s nothing that can put the kibosh on a sexy caper faster than Johnny Law (except, perhaps, Johnny Taser or Johnny Neighbor Kid With A Video Camera). In fact, after move-in day, avoid the neighbors, you have no idea who’s weird, who steals and who the leaf-blower actually belongs to….

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–Written by Tom Miller for YourTango.com

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Tags: budgets, relationships, travel, YourTango