Some friends of mine recently got engaged. At the immediate post-announcement drinks, I think the main thrust of what everyone was saying was:

“Congratulations how are you going to find a venue and cover all the costs.”

A little depressing. This here economic climate seems to be touching all areas of life, no matter who you are or what you might be doing (or marrying).

What we’re offering you at http://en.homeforhome.com in terms of weddings, might not be for everyone. Some people spend their lives dreaming of that one day where they adorn themselves in a white dress (or top hat and tails), skip down the aisle and celebrate their love with a a priest and a massive congregation of their friends and family. To be followed with a gigantic dinner and party and a band.

If that is your dream and your wedding plans have been hampered by the credit crunch crisis, then maybe it’s best to ride out these old hardy years and hold on until the ships of prosperity come sailing in.

BUT. If you’re not hung up on a precious and expensive white wedding, then there are plenty of options open to you if you want to get married in year 2009.

You can do home swaps all around the world, and as at homeforhome we currently have a large number of homes available for swapping, your destination options are very broad.

Eloping can be very romantic. It can take the stress out of the wedding and replace it with intimacy. It’s a very beautiful option for people who are looking for something different.

You can have a wonderfully chimerical private wedding in an idyllic location, and enjoy the precious moments of a holiday together in a very intimate, private and special homely environment.

Homeswap. Elope. Have the time of your life.

In 2007, the average cost of a hotel room in Europe was a staggering figure. One single night in a 3 star hotel in Moscow would have cost you £194*. So if you went with your family for, let´s say, two weeks, that would amount to a colossal £2,716. That´s nearly four thousand dollars - $3,911.21. Pretty incredible, huh? So let´s take a look at the cost for one night for some other popular European must-see destinations:

Venice £125

Geneva £109

Rome £104

Edinburgh £103

Oslo £103

Copenhagen £99

Barcelona £95

Milan £94

Amsterdam £92

Stockholm £93

Vienna £89

Nice £85

Frankfurt £82

So. You could say that staying in a hotel in Europe is a little on the pricey-side. So if you want to travel in Europe, you´ve got three options. You could make the sticky decision between staying in a Travellers Hostel - which is cheaper but you lack privacy and space - or, spending a phenomenal amount on your accommodation. Or, you could avoid all of these problems, and do a home exchange. To have a comfortable holiday, staying in a hotel in Europe could end up costing the earth. So why not amplify the comfort, the space and the imtimacy, for none of the cost! Home exchange. You know it makes sense. If we don´t convince you, maybe the list of hotel prices will…

(*All figures in this post are quoted from site: http://www.hotels.co.uk/press/hotel-price-index-2008.html#price_changes)

So, it looks like the credit crunch is making quite a few changes. Belts are tightening, purse strings are being bound to the point of breaking, and it´s all getting a bit depressing. It´s not only those who face the horror of job loss that suffer. There are a whole variety of problems to confront right now, with the current economic situation. But cutting down on holidays is, thankfully, not something you have to put up with!

When we have to cut back on luxuries, you would think that holidays would be one of the first things to go. They are certainly something that we tend to spend a lot of money on.

But it doesn´t have to be like that. When you do a home exchange with HomeForHome, the only thing you have to pay for is the transport. Other than that, you will have the same living costs as if you were staying at home. And whilst we are living in the age of cheap flights, now is the time, more than ever, to take advantage of what is available.

Let´s say that you book a cheap flight well in advance of the proposed holiday. So you get the cheapest offer available. And then when you get there, you do a vehicle swap with the family or person that you are exchanging with. The biggest cost of a holiday is often the accommodation. So, with the right organisational skills, you could end up paying very little for transport, and not a single dime for the accommodation. The savings would be enormous. That is why, in this particular economic climate, the home exchange opportunity is riper than ever. It can be the difference between having a substantial, wonderful holiday in a foreign country, or not having a holiday at all.

When you see it in this light, it´s all the more appealing. All you need to do is get yourself registered, upload the details of your own home, and then start looking for locations around the world that you´d like to spend your holidays in! It´s very exciting, and it´s certainly the smart choice to make. This economic crisis might cost us a lot, but we here at HomeForHome make it still possible to go have your dream holidays.

So how´s that for sending a bit of sunshine your way?