I got married and moved away from my hometown three years ago. It was the first time I had left home and I miss my family and friends more than I could ever explain. But, I have a new home, a husband in the military, and have met awesome army wives. We live on a budget. It is hard for us to take trips to our hometown, which is ten hours away. Especially when gas was on the rise, we did not get to visit at all. There is a much easier way to see my family without physically being there. I have missed two family reunions, birthdays, births, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. I can actually see and talk to my friends and family for free through ooVoo. ooVoo, is free video chat for 3-way or six-way video chat sessions ($10/month). If you were an ooVoo Super Plus user (paid plan of $10/month) you could connect with up to five additional people for no cost or download required. All you need is a microphone and a webcam. The video quality is beyond amazing, it is like you are in the same room with the person you are talking to. I wish I would have been able to do something like this when my husband was deployed to Iraq, so he could’ve seen everyone at the same time! Here are five tips of how ooVoo can cut back on costs:

TOP FIVE TIPS THAT SAVE BIG AND STILL SHOW FACE:

1. Family torn apart living paycheck to paycheck? Start a routine every morning at breakfast with your children video chatting with their daddy who may be commuting far from home. Now it’s possible to still have the whole family sit around the kitchen table – even from a far.

2. Can’t afford that family reunion trip this year? Now Grandma and Grandpa can blow kisses goodnight to their grandkids in New Jersey while relaxing in Boca.

3. If you’re a new mom and can’t get out of the house but still want to hang with the gals? Schedule a weekly “gal pal video video room” – or better yet, a “bitch session video room” with as many as 5 of your closest friends. Now it’s possible to have a glass of wine and gossip with your friends, from the comfort of your own home!

4. Are you or a loved one currently unemployed? Cut back on travel expenses and save time on long commutes for job interviews via ooVoo’s video chat that allows file sharing, recording, playback and can host up to six participants at one time – connect with executives from across the globe. Impress your potential business colleagues with your tech savvy too!

5. Alternatively if you’re not close to public transportation and are in a bind with a commuter job (and no car!) or must go to an on-site job interview that can’t be avoided – keep it green (and save your green!) through global car rental company Vroom Vroom Vroom (www.vroomvroomvroom.com). The site allows rates and amenity comparisons for all classes of vehicles from major car rental companies-Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty-with a lowest price guarantee. And no matter what the needs of your trip – a hybrid or compact car for better fuel efficiency, or an SUV to fit the family and your luggage–the site offsets carbon emissions for every car rented through the site, at no cost to the customer. With a lowest online price guarantee, Vroom Vroom Vroom will not only refund them the difference in price, they’ll give them $10 for their trouble.

I think this is a wonderful invention and I am going to use it whenever I possibly can. I miss seeing my family and I am glad ooVoo gives me a chance to do so.