More Bang for Your Buck: Vacation

WSVN--Consider it Florida's fringe benefit.

Living here, there's so much to do and so much to see, there's only so much time and money to enjoy everything.

Keith Kolbe: "I try to go and do something for two or three days. It's my mini vacation because I never have time to take a two week vacation."

When Keith Kolbe went searching for his next great escape, he found a new way to save by pure accident.

Keith Kolbe: "Every so often I'll do a search for vacations and get lucky."

His luck led him to a fledging website called FloridaVacationAuctions.com.

It works like E-bay -- except the only products up for grabs are getaways here in the sunshine state.

Doug Luciani: "Each auction listing starts at as much as 80 percent off the retail value of the package."

The site was created by a group of Florida travel agents to help boost tourism.

Doug Luciani: "It's becoming very popular, because the industry is seeing it as a new way to gain exposure for their products and services using the internet."

On the site, you'll see listings for excursions from the Keys to Marco Island to Daytona Beach.

But you can also bid on a day cruise to the Bahamas, a beach wedding, a dolphin and manatee boat tour, and sailing classes.

Doug Luciani: "Each week we get more and more packages that are added to the site."

Registering and placing a bid is free.

There is no cost to you unless you win the auction.

And best of all, there are no hidden fees or taxes.

Doug Luciani: "If you bid on the auction and you win the auction for 250 dollars, you pay 250 dollars."

Keith isn't hiding his excitement.

For three-hundred fifteen dollars, he recently won a long weekend at Hawk's Cay in the Keys.

It's worth fourteen hundred dollars.

Keith Kolbe: "I can use the aving to buy more auctions and take more vacations summer ofr fall."

Now, if you don't want to be bothered with the auction process, you can still save 15 to 30 percent by clicking on the site's buy direct link.

FloridaVacationAuction.com