You are probably aware that you can`t actually travel the world for free, but we got some excellent ideas to cut your costs to bare minimum. All that matters is traveling safe and having fun!
Trade Your Time and Labor for a Place to Stay
There are many work-exchange programs out there like WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), Work Away and HelpX, that offer a unique opportunity for immersing in foreign cultures and living with locals. These programs are very different from volunteering because in this case your currency is only hard work. If you don`t mind “putting your back into it” there are tons of interesting jobs from black pearl diving to sea turtle hatchery.
People that have worked in work-exchange programs like these claim that it`s a unique and very fulfilling way to travel with beautiful memories and new friendships to last a lifetime. Plus, you can always help out in your local hostel because many owners need an extra hand and are willing to trade a free bed for a hard day of work.
Before getting involved with WWOOF the first thing is to decide where you want to go and browse through the farms on the list. There are more than 60 countries to choose from including Canada, Italy, Ireland, Thailand, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia and United States.
In order to sign up you need to be at least 18 years old and sometimes if you want to view the final listing for a country you may have to pay a $72 fee. On the long run its money well spent because you will save more on accommodation.
So, choose a country, pack your work boots and hit the road!
House-Sitting Around the World
Guided from one simple idea a couple from Canada, Dalene and Peter Hack sold everything they had, started a website Hecktic Travels and published a book explaining how they managed to save $30.000 on accommodation by house-sitting their way. Just like pet-sitting, house-sitting is keeping a property safe and running while the owners are away. In the meantime you`ll get to stay in for free.
It`s a win-win situation, because the owners are peaceful knowing that their home (pets included) is taken care of, you`ll get to stay for free and save on food because now you have a kitchen. 🙂 You can stay anywhere from couple of weeks up to six months in which period of time you`ll get a unique opportunity to dig deep into a new way of living and experience new cultures.
There are number of websites like House Sitters America and Mind My House, providing listings for a $20-60 fee. In order to get the best deal apply on multiple sites and always plan ahead.
