When you HOME EXCHANGE you do not pay for accommodations at all.

To the person who suggested downloading photos to an IPOD, don't do it. Everyone I know recently has lost photos. There is a problem with IPODS crashing from that.

I solved the film card problem by simply buying a 2 GIG film card. Holds so many photos, you won't use it up. No downloading to CD's, no crashes with IPODs.

I have to agree with Faux Ste Marie on the Ipod. No issues with the device in general, but was talked out of using one for photos by a rep at the Apple store itself. This coming from someone on commission who had no other unit to suggest. He showed me the insides of a couple of Ipod units and how there is very little shock absorbancy around the internal storage. Basically just a couple thin foam rubber pad squares at the corners. He recommended in no uncertain terms not putting anything on it that couldn't be easily re-downloaded again, such as music. I could see why. Think carefully about downloading photos to an Ipod that you will format over again on the original card. You stand a very good chance of losing the photos if you drop or bump the Ipod hard.

Imagine that! Someone agrees with me on Fodors! LOL.

During my recent package trip to Chile with elderhostel, one elderhosteler, did the business with the IPOD and the photos; we all thought she was so technology up to date. Then the device crashed and she lost all the photos from the first half of the trip. Basically the drive in the IPOD burned out.

Then I read a couple of similar stories online.

I have a camera with 4.1 megapixels (not the greatest, but how big are you going to blow up the photos?). The 2 GIG card will hold about 1,000 photos. I took about 600 hundred in Chile and downloaded them to CD's upon my return. Yes, it was an investment to buy the 2 GIG card, but it worked and I did not lose photos. I had a back up card with less capacity just in case but I never came close to needing it. It was great to just snap away without worrying about using up the card, etc.

My camera also tasks standard batteries. If I am in a place where I cannot recharge batteries, no problem buying new ones (I carry a bunch just in case). After one story in Scotland running around to get an "exotic" battery, I knew I wanted AA batteries in my next camera. Yes, they do weigh a bit more than the teeny ones, but you have to decide where the trade off is for yourself.

I got tons of great photos. 4 are enlarged and at the framer's. The rest are waiting to be edited on 2 CD's.

I am a convert to "budget travel" as it allows me to travel more often. I, by no means, stay in dumps or in unsafe areas, but I no longer pay insane rates to stay at top tier hotels, nice as they are.

It is possible to snag round trip tickets to europe for what one night at a true five star hotel costs. Matter of fact, recently there have been offers of five and six night air/hotel packages in Paris at perfectly nice hotels, including breakfast, together with round trip airfare on Air France for $650 and$750 inclusive of all taxes. The more expensive one threw in airport transfers, a city tour and a boat ride on the Seine. Pretty tempting.

When I want to go somewhere, I look for airline deals all over. Sometimes they are in the darnest places, like buried deep in an airline's emailed monthly newsletter - Swiss Air once buried a fabulous two for one deal that did not appear on its website. Why? Who knows. Sometimes great deals pop up if you call an airline directly - KLM this July - and sometimes working with a clever airline ticket agent on the phone - British Air and Virgin Air - and shifting dates a bit can save a fortune, but not always.

Newsletters from travel specialists mention deals. I grabbed a Thanksgiving round trip on Air France ($580 including everything) for my globe trotting daughter that I had seen offered on one of them.

I do a lot of research ahead of time to learn about my destination - that's half the fun for me. I also search for the best airfares, keep an eye out for special deals on hotels and air/hotel packages for wherever I think I may be a going next, as well as reseaching individual hotels. It's a game for me, I really enjoy it. And, it's amazing what turns up.

My poking around always saves me a bundle on transportation, tickets, hotels, etc.; plus it allows me to know what things can be expected to cost and helps me know what I want to see and what I should probably skip given my interests (Madame Tousaud's in London- it was awful. I knew better, but I went, sigh. Served me right.).

Like most people in this thread, I have found dozens of ways to be sensible when I go somewhere. I can manage perfectly well in the most expensve cities: London, Moscow, etc. Sometimes I splurge, most times I simply look for reasonably priced cafes or restaurants. Every city has them. Just like here, locals there like to eat out too.

I found that using FF miles works really well. I put as much of my normal expenses on my favorite credit card as I can, then pay it off faithfully each month. I have gone to europe several times with my family that way, paying only the tax on each R/T ticket ($180 each). Remodeling a house or kitchen can send you and yours on a great points trip, if you put as much as possible on one card!

I also discovered that some hotel chains have european partners that may not be listed - ask about them - and that points can be transfered through them to get free rooms at the partners. We stayed for points alone at the 5 star Sheraton Park Lane hotel in London, then at a more modest but very nice Scandic hotel in Copenhagen that partners with Hilton, both for free. The Scandic was filled with europeans, we were the only Americans there which made us very happy. The rooms were small, but clean, the bathrooms modern and the breakfast buffet one of the best I have ever had anywhere.

I too keep a trip jar for change and extra windfall checks - jury duty checks once. One year my son and I counted it up and were surprised to find over $900 in it - we went to New Orleans on it!

We are also trying to stay within a budget planning our trips. However, I have my 14 year old son along - and room prices go up fast when you add the third person on.

Trip Advisor doesn't want to let you search "hotels under $100" when there's "just a few." Anyone have any other good ways to search?

Moils in the House, try looking at TravelAxe - it's not perfect, but it would help you. Take a look at Accorhotels.com - they have options that include children for free in many European cities for Ibis, Mercure, Novotel, and Sofitel brands.

To be a budget traveler, you only have to know these two words:

HOME EXCHANGE