Save configuration settings to a file instead of database: brainstorm

As a module developer who loves to make configuration options, I feel guilty every time I make one more variable_get() that's going to make yet another call to the database.

Proposed solution: every module we make (say, performance_enhancer.module) can have a configuration file (performance_enhancer.config) in it.

If that configuration file is copied to files/config (in wherever your files directory is located), that copy is used instead. (file_exists seems pretty fast.)

Does this make any sense to people?

BUT for the config file to be secure, it can't be PHP.

Which means it has to be parsed.

Which means we're at a far less certain of a performance benefit?