Traveling indeed, can be quite expensive. And most people think they need a large amount of money to do it. But what if I told you that there’s a small but growing population of people out there that are traveling around the globe and enjoying life on the road with very little money?
Money is definitely a necessity for survival. Well you could live in a cave, become a hermit, or move in the highlands, plant and grow your own food, raise animals, etc. But who wants to do that, right?
When it comes to traveling, money provides a lot of convenience. But you definitely don’t need to be rich to explore places and wander through different cities. All you have to do is make it a priority, because if it’s not a priority for you, you will always find things to spend your money on, and will never have “enough” money to travel.
So how do you really enjoy a life of adventure with little to no money? As said earlier, many people around the world are actually doing it, and here are some of their tips.
Work remotely
This is probably the most common solution out there. Millions of people around the world are actually becoming a digital nomad – they work on their laptops while enjoying a life of travel. It’s a location-independent kind of setup, which means, you get a regular job with fixed income from anywhere. All you need is your computer a stable internet connection.
There are tons of choices out there, such as RemoteYear.com, which is a group of digital nomads traveling and working together for a year. There are also a bunch of other websites that offer online jobs that you can try. Most common jobs are website design, social media management, writing, teaching, encoding, transcribing, translation jobs, virtual assistant jobs, etc.
House sitting or pet sitting
The idea is pretty simple – stay and take care of other people’s home while they’re away, feed their pets, water the plants, etc. People like the idea of knowing their house is being taken care of while they’re traveling. And you can get the benefits of living in their home for free. You can even get paid for doing it. Try websites like HouseCarers.com, MindMyHouse.com, and TrustedHousesitters.com, they have lots of opportunities for you.
Couchsurf
Couchsurfing has been around for quite some time, and it’s popular among young travelers who don’t want to pay for expensive hotel accommodations. The idea is pretty simple; you search for a host online, connect with him/her and stay at their home temporarily. Since you’ll be staying for free, you would have to make use of improvised sleeping arrangements.
Couchsurfing.com is an international hospitality and social networking service website (and app) that lets you meet people online, arrange homestays, and offer or avail free lodging and hospitality. Millions of people are actually using this kind of setup, and what is good about this is that, you will get to meet new friends along the way. Of course you could also return the favor too, and become a host for couchsurfers who wants to visit your city.
Volunteer to get free accommodation
If you’re good at something don’t do it for free, right? When traveling, especially overseas, you can actually make use of your skills, knowledge, time, and effort in exchange for accommodation. Many people around the world do this – they build or teach something in exchange for free room and board.
This is called volunteer + tourism and it’s quite popular in travel community. Basically, it’s about going to a specific place where you mingle and help the locals. It can be anything, from teaching, help in building houses and schools for communities in need, and in return, stay for compensation. Some websites you can check are GlobeAware.org, ProjectsAbroad.org, and Voluntourism.org.
Make sure you do your homework and research well about the organizations and companies you want to volunteer before you go.
Try Farming with WWOOF
WWOOF or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms is a vast network of non-profit national organizations around the world that would connect you with local farmers. The idea is pretty straightforward – lend a hand on their farm and stay however long you want. It’s labor in exchange for accommodation.
Though you need to get there by yourself, you will have free room and meals when you get to the farms. No farming experience required. This offers an excellent way to combine travel and work on the cheap, plus, you will get to learn farming too.
Find a job where you can stay overseas
Are you a fitness buff? Why don’t you get certified and then travel and work as a fitness instructor overseas? Good at yoga? Find a job and teach a class. You can also work on a cruise and become an au pair. FitBodiesInc.com lets you teach and earn on your vacation, while AuPairWorld.com lets you earn while taking care of kids. Good at teaching academic subjects? Work as a tutor or as a language teacher. You can even do it online, through Skype.
There are loads of jobs all over the world that can fit your skills and qualifications. WorkAway.info is the biggest community for working, volunteering, and cultural exchange, making it a great place to start your search. Here you can find jobs where you can have the opportunity to share your culture, skills, and language with the local communities. You will be surprised by the amount of opportunities you can find out there.
Use your credit card points
If you’re one of the few people out there who is smart about your use of credit card, then you most likely have racked up tons of points. Instead of using those points you’ve accumulated for more purchases, how about you save them up for an airline travel? Many people are actually traveling overseas for absolutely free.
Check out ThePointsGuy.com for tips, they have everything you need to know on how to max out your frequent flier miles, and cool hacks on how to do things the right way.
These are just few of the countless of options out there that you can do to explore the world with little to no money on your pocket. Of course, moving from one place to another will require some cash. For this, there are still countless of options for you, such as using the public transportation for cheaper fare, renting a bike, hitchhike, etc.
To save on your food, you can visit local markets and buy your own supplies so you can cook your own meals. You can also indulge on street food, which is quite popular in countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, Belgium, South Korea, etc.
What are you waiting for? Grab your bag and go out there! Explore the world!
