8 Tools to Help You Travel Forever and Live Rent Free
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So you’ve decided to do it. You have a friend or family member who can store your belongings for an undetermined period of time, you’ve tied up loose ends, and your bags are packed. It’s time to start traveling long term!
But now what? You have a few family members and distant friends who have offered up a couch if you’re in their neck of the woods, but surely they won’t appreciate your arrival on their doorstep with no planned departure date in sight.
How then, do you travel long term and not run out of money? Hotels (and even hostels) are expensive over time, and finding rental accommodation in every city you visit is impractical. Heck - you don’t even want to pay rent at all!
© *sean
Here are eight handy resources to help you get started on your long term travel adventure:
Caretaker’s Gazette
By joining this service (annual membership is approximately US$30), you will gain access to a classified system of people looking for caretakers in exchange for rent-free living. The opportunities vary widely in scope from ranch hands, to organic farm workers, campground hosting, motel management, nursing for the elderly, to just plain house sitting. Locales for your next potential gig could be anywhere in the world, from numerous U.S. locations, to Australia, to Europe and even Micronesia.
Some are paying opportunities, while others are simply work-trade arrangements for accommodation. Others yet will supply an additional stipend depending on your experience and the work entailed.
This is what TIME Magazine had to say about the Caretaker’s Gazette.
Woofing
WWOOF is an acronym for a number of different phrases, the most apt of which in my mind is “World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms”. It is an international organization (located in over 70 countries) of organic farms, gardens, businesses, ranches, (you name it) where you can exchange your services for accommodations, food, and training.
Required services include basic garden and farm maintenance, as well as cooking, teaching, caring for children, and handy work. There is usually some work suitable for anybody willing to adopt this lifestyle.
Whilst surfing Wwoofing opportunities, you will likely also find links to volunteer organizations, and other similar work exchange opportunities. It’s a great way to gain valuable experience, friendships, and to cover your living expenses in a constructive manner.
Most countries require a subscription to gain access to their full listings and contact information of the hosts, and the subscription prices vary from area to area but are not over-priced for the value received.
House Carers
If you are happy to spend your vacation house-sitting for somebody else, you may find the right opportunity here. You will find lists upon lists of people requesting house sitters for periods of time from a few days to a few months, anywhere in the world. In many cases there are a few hoops to jump through in order to gain the opportunity with liability and bonding issues, and already living or traveling in the same country carries an added advantage.
You can choose from the limited free membership options or the full US$45 one year membership, depending on your needs.
Organic Volunteers
(http://www.organicvolunteers.com)
Much like Caretaker’s Gazette and woofing, you will find many worldwide opportunities to proverbially “pick blueberries for a living”. The prospects aren’t limited to organic farms though; you will find hostel management jobs, artist retreat internships, in addition to various agricultural and permaculture settings.
For US$20/year, membership will help you gain access to many great listings and a user-friendly system of contacting hosts and searching for opportunities.
Couch Surfing
Couch Surfers are a network of people who are willing to open up their homes and hearts to frugal travelers, as well as be those travelers when they are not hosting guests. The site prides itself on referrals and having only high quality members, and has a comprehensive program in place to ensure the safety of both traveler and host. But as with any chance to stay at a stranger’s place for free, a prudent amount of caution should be exercised.
Global Freeloaders
(http://www.globalfreeloaders.com)
Similar to Couch Surfing, Global Freeloaders is a cultural exchange program for hosts and travelers. Registration is free, but members are required to be able to host as well as travel, so unless you expect to be able to offer up your digs as a host within six months of signing up, you are politely requested to wait.
Servas
This is the original Couch Surfers and Global Freeloaders. Servas (meaning “serve” in Esperanto), is a non-profit non-denominational non-ethnic organization of good-will and cultural exchanges. It’s been around for at least 50 years, and is recognized by the United Nations. In addition to being a network to connect people and places, volunteers around the world work in relief camps and advocate for peace through various projects.
Hosts offer their homes and dinner tables for two nights (or more, at the discretion of the host) to travelers who contact them and who meet with their approval. Travelers must go through an exhaustive process which includes an in-person interview before being accepted to the program, as a way of screening for quality candidates.
Once travelers are interviewed and accepted into the program, they are given printed lists or booklets of the hosts in their destination country (Servas is moving towards an online platform, but is not there yet). There are also membership fees which vary from country to country.
Hospitality Club
(http://www.hospitalityclub.org/)
Free to join and internet-based, it appears to be the Servas of the online world. It is kept “safe” through a series of passport checks and online feedback systems with checks and balances.
These are just a few opportunities in the world of long-term travel, as you will discover with a little research. I don’t vouch for any of the services or programs, and a healthy amount of caution should always be exercised when accepting hospitality from strangers. However I think Servas says it best when they say: We are all friends. We just haven’t met yet!
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Nora Dunn is a Professional Hobo and Freelance Writer, having given up the daily grind to search the world for the greatest adventures and best stories. She can be reached through her blog, Life Happens.
Like This Post? You Might Also Like:
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- A Practical Guide to Vagabonding and Long Term Travel (Part 2): Money Matters
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January 14th, 2008
9:32 pm
Great list, Nora! I’d never heard of most of those.
I’ve had mostly fabulous experiences with Couchsurfing (and the ones that weren’t fabulous, were vaguely annoying at worst) and several of the surfers I’ve hosted have also said great things about Hospitality Club.
If I can be a little shameless, I’ve got some tips here about how to increase your acceptance rates when you’re contacting couchsurfing hosts: http://www.vagablogging.net/07.....couch.html
January 16th, 2008
6:38 pm
Wow! You have some really great travel for free information here!I bet you have seen some great places! Good luck and happy and safe travels!
January 16th, 2008
9:43 pm
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January 17th, 2008
3:24 am
This list rocks!
I just recently decided to take the plunge and travel abroad, “permanently.” (at least a year, hopefully)
Vagabondish, subscribed!
January 17th, 2008
7:56 am
Ah, if only there were a way to build retirement savings while traveling from couch to couch…
January 17th, 2008
10:19 am
8 Tools to Help You Travel Forever and Live Rent Free | Deliggit.com…
vagabondish.com
How do you travel long term and not run out of money? Hotels (and even hostels) a…
January 17th, 2008
10:27 am
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January 17th, 2008
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January 17th, 2008
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January 17th, 2008
8:03 pm
How do you travel long term and not run out of money? Hotels (and even hostels) are expensive over time, and finding rental accommodation in every city you visit is impractical. Heck - you don’t even want to pay rent at all! Here are eight handy resources to help you get started on your long term travel adventure. […]
January 17th, 2008
8:06 pm
Or you could teach and travel and actually save money while experiencing other cultures. In Korea, you make US$2000 a month minimum, plus an annual bonus of one month’s salary, free airfare, free furnished apartment, and a few other perks. I used to be a teacher in Canada, but I make more money here for a fraction of the work. Email me for more info if you’re interested.
eslteam@gmail.com
January 17th, 2008
8:10 pm
Oops! Wrong email addy!
teamesl@hotmail.com
January 17th, 2008
8:26 pm
Pretty good list, but I’d like to contribute my own little snippet of information. For anyone traveling in India (or anywhere in the world, for that matter) if you find yourself in a strange city with no money, find the local Sikh Gurdwara(temple, for lack of a better word) The Sikh religion stresses hospitality, so if you show up unannounced on the steps of a gurdwara begging for a place to stay and a hot meal, you’ll get one for sure in India, and probably everywhere else in the world, though I can’t say for sure.
January 17th, 2008
8:39 pm
Awesome article you got here. I will definitely bookmark this for future references. thanks
January 17th, 2008
9:08 pm
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January 18th, 2008
12:28 am
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January 18th, 2008
1:09 am
This is what I’ve been looking for. I’ve only known about couchsurfing.com, which I’ve had much experience with.
January 18th, 2008
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January 18th, 2008
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January 18th, 2008
4:47 pm
This is a really interesting blog—I’m a huge traveler, and also a student with a low budget. I’m considering taking this summer to make a long trip abroad but don’t necessarily have the money for it. This blog posed some good ideas that I’m going to look into. Thanks
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January 19th, 2008
12:54 pm
You should probably link to the main WWOOF site at http://wwoof.org
January 20th, 2008
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January 21st, 2008
12:30 pm
I have given my share of freeloading friends the opportunity to couch crash but didn’t know there were organizations dedicated to it. Great information and I might be willing to share my couch with some investigation.
January 21st, 2008
2:11 pm
Great list! Thanks for sharing!
January 21st, 2008
11:05 pm
I actually never really gave this a second thought as an option.
Thank you for putting this on my radar.
I am so happy for Stumble Upon to have led me to this valuable resource.
Thanks.
Monique Briand
January 23rd, 2008
5:07 am
This is what I’ve been looking for. I’ve only known about couchsurfing.com, which I’ve had much experience with.
January 23rd, 2008
5:08 am
Camere IP Supraveghere
I just recently decided to take the plunge and travel abroad, “permanently.” (at least a year, hopefully)
January 23rd, 2008
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January 23rd, 2008
4:28 pm
Thank you for posting this. You’ve educated and inspired me!!
January 25th, 2008
5:58 pm
What are the similar sites to help you actually get to places; online hitch-hiking?
January 26th, 2008
2:05 am
Actually Da, there is indeed a way to “hitch” a ride on an airplane! Take a look at Air Tech and Air Hitch for more info on that.
Enjoy!
January 28th, 2008
2:03 pm
An excellent home swapping directory I found is KnowYourTrade.com. I lists all the HE clubs and rates them.
January 29th, 2008
7:31 am
I wish they had this in the late 90’s when I did a lot of traveling. Great resources. I did use Air Hitch for a memorable Europe at $275 round trip or was it each way. not sure. here’s another resource for travelers http://www.exploringabroad.com
January 29th, 2008
11:22 pm
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January 30th, 2008
6:06 am
Thanks for this great article! It’s really inspiring. Great value!
January 31st, 2008
3:14 am
@Greg -
I make 2x as much now per hour as I did working full-time for a startup.
My goal isn’t to stash a ton away for retirement, but it can be done.
I’d rather work 20 hours a week, live anywhere, be my own boss, and travel the world than slave away 60+ hours a week while saving for retirement!
I mean — can you really enjoy retirement all that much when you’re 65!?! =)
January 31st, 2008
8:34 am
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February 1st, 2008
8:18 pm
Very cool article, one of the things i would like to know is can you do any of these things in the UK? I mean the price of hotels, guest houses, hostels etc is all still expensive in my eyes so would be very refreshing to find out ways to travel & stay in the uk thats not as pricey.
February 2nd, 2008
5:40 pm
Absolutely, you can travel through the UK on the cheap! I haven’t any personal experience with any of the above services in the UK in particular, but I do know of others who have used Couch Surfing, Servas, House Carers, and Caretakers Gazette in the UK area. I’ll bet all the services mentioned have lots to offer. Check it out, and let us know!
February 2nd, 2008
11:33 pm
Fascinating! I’ve often wondered how other people live the lives they lead… any feedback from past travelers who have tried these accommodations?
February 4th, 2008
1:31 pm
Good stuff - I know several couch-surfers!
February 9th, 2008
5:29 pm
Who really wants a slacker living on their couch until they can score somebody’s else’s couch.
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February 13th, 2008
7:52 am
I just stumbled upon this link. I can vouch for what a great experience WWOOFing is.
I stayed in a farm in Korea and had a great time. It was an important holiday time of the year and he took us to meet his family and join in the party.
February 13th, 2008
1:27 pm
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February 14th, 2008
3:51 pm
Try crewing on a sailboat. This could be like a sailing yacht with a youth hostel atmosphere.
Sailing, surfing, snorkeling, spear fishing, beach parties, uninhabited islands….
Check out this link: Sailing in Greece
February 18th, 2008
10:04 am
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February 20th, 2008
10:29 pm
very informative and helpful list you got there..
February 28th, 2008
5:03 pm
If you plan to travel- you shouldn’t think about it. The more you think the more time you waste. I traveled plenty during school, but life gets busy afterwards.
March 20th, 2008
4:59 pm
What a great post! I would love to explore one or more of these options in the near future.
http://www.theALTERNAtraveler.com
P.S. - I linked to this article from my travel blog - credit given, of course. You are one of my favorite daily reads.
April 1st, 2008
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May 8th, 2008
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June 25th, 2008
6:03 pm
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July 2nd, 2008
8:46 pm
Fantastic post, I had no idea half these groups even existed.
July 9th, 2008
2:59 am
Fabulously thrifty post! I think it’s most travelers’ dream to travel the world and stay at places for free. I haven’t heard of a few of these sites. Thanks for sharing!
July 16th, 2008
11:33 pm
Interesting Blog - very informative
July 23rd, 2008
10:35 pm
Thanks very much for this info. Didn’t know any of these opportunities existed. Glad I found you through Stumble Upon.
Have a great day.
July 27th, 2008
1:00 am
What a great list! I had heard of some sites but hadn’t come across others (like Wwoof) before. Looking forward to taking advantage of these sites in my travels
July 31st, 2008
8:30 am
I\’m love this great website. Many thanks guy
August 17th, 2008
12:58 pm
What a great idea . . .will certainly be including some of these sites on our website when it goes live.
Thanks a lot
August 22nd, 2008
4:27 am
It’s ambitious to travel on close to zero budget I’ll say, but for those of you who manage it’s probably worth it!
September 29th, 2008
2:22 pm
This is a great post! Love it!
I will definitely look further into some of these sites. I’m trying to figure out ways to travel more than just once a year.
Thanks!
October 7th, 2008
6:17 pm
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October 28th, 2008
5:29 pm
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October 29th, 2008
10:51 pm
I bet that with the worldwide markets, this kind of info is going to be even more appealing to lots of people! I came across this site with another extreme - people living rent free in foreclosed homes:
http://livesafely.org/evasion/.....rent-free/
November 2nd, 2008
3:58 am
Some great tools in here. Nicely compiled. Thanks for the share. Linked from my travel site and Bookmarked.
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