One of the luxuries most of us can't afford is a companion. Who wouldn't love having someone around for conversations when we get lonely? This becomes a worse problem as we get older or as our family members get older and need their own companions.

Companion services seems to be one of those areas that most people think is for the well-to-do - not something they or their loved ones could benefit from. But that's not the case. By doing an exchange (room and board for companion help, for example), you could have this type of service in your own home.

There are several forms of these services:

• Companion for seniors - After my grandfather died, my grandmother was extremely lonely for years because he really was her best friend. By bringing in a companion, we could have helped her not feel quite so lonely and could have more easily got her involved in other aspects of society, such as movies.

• Travel companion - I know lots of single people who hate traveling or going on trips alone. It can be scary but also very boring to have this great experience but no one to share it with. By doing an exchange, you could bring someone along to be your travel companion. They could see some fabulous sights and you'd have someone to keep you company along the way.

• Free Child Care - Most parents, myself included, don't like the idea of our children being at home alone even when they are clearly capable of doing so. My daughter is 17, and I worry about her even if I'm only going across town to do some shopping. Having a companion around for your child can be a real plus in this way. They can be a friend, confidante, etc.

• Helpers - Companions and homemakers make a great pair, too. A stay at home parent whose children have started school or left for college could probably benefit greatly from a companion to help ease her that loneliness.

Basically, with these are the types of services you don't want to have to pay for. But when you're making this type of exchange, it's much easier to see each other as a friend and less like an employee/employer.

Traveling overseas or across any borders really is something everyone, including students, should do in their lives. It combats ethnocentrism and helps them gain perspective on the world and their place in it. And you could help make that happen if you host a foreign exchange student.

While there are programs designed to help pair students up with their host families, going through the program here involves a lot less paperwork and gives you complete control over choosing which student you want to invite into your home. The two of you can meet and communicate through the chat rooms or through video conferencing and you both have the options of doing background checks on each other to provide peace of mind and security.

If you decide to host student travelers in your home, there are some definite positive impacts it can have on your life and the life of the student:

• Help learning English - If you or someone in your family wants to get better at speaking, writing, or reading English, bring in a student from an English speaking country and have them act as a tutor in exchange for the room and board. By teaching, the student will improve his or her skills and may even develop a desire to became an ESL teacher

• Cultural exchange - Through interactions between the traveling student and your family, you'll be able to learn a lot about one another's cultures and about yourselves. Sometimes the most fascinating way to see your own culture is through the eyes of a foreign person.

• Travel companionship - Because the student is going to want to see as much of your area as possible, you or your other family members will have an eager travel partner. The student will also benefit from the companionship, especially in an unfamiliar city.

When you bring a foreign exchange student into your home, it's a great learning experience for you both. And by offering your home in exchange for tutoring or some other service you could be opening the doors for students who might not be able to afford such a chance otherwise.