Easy Living: February 2009

Thrifty & Fabulous

Money-saving trick

"I swap my house when I go on holiday"

Juliet Kinsman, 35, editor of travel guide publisher Mr & Mrs Smith (mrandmrssmith.com)

"House swapping enables me to live like a local without having to go to the expense of a hotel or an official rental – meaning I have extra pocket money while I'm away to splash out on a night or two at an amazing hotel. When my husband, our daughter Kitty, one, and I house swapped in New York last year, we treated ourselves to two nights at the Greenwich Hotel, and we didn't feel guilty about eating out or shopping. A house swap also immerses you in the local culture and you experience a place and its natives in a non-touristy way – it's less a holiday than a sociological experiment. I absolutely loved where we stayed in Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, and within a week was on first-name terms with the launderette and coffee-shop owners, plus we've made friends with the neighbours, who have offered their house if ever we want to do another trade."