As the economy recovers, I have spent some time discovering alternatives for reducing the budget for travel. Two things I discovered - cross boarder travel is more economical with the stronger Canadian dollar, and http://www.airbnb.com. This was a great alternative for our accommodations on Orcas Island in the San Juans, in that we stayed in a cottage I probably never would afford to own myself at an incredible price! I highly recommend this to people who like to travel to be amongst locals or just to morph into the surrounding destination. Maybe in the end you are also helping someone keep their home.
