{"id":11661,"date":"2018-09-03T10:00:36","date_gmt":"2018-09-03T14:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/?p=11661"},"modified":"2025-12-12T11:38:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T16:38:21","slug":"the-creative-guide-to-free-or-cheap-accommodation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/the-creative-guide-to-free-or-cheap-accommodation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Creative Guide to Free or Cheap Accommodation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’ve been writing a lot of really big Travel Lifestyle Guides<\/a> lately, but I think I outdid myself with this one on free and cheap accommodation. It’s BIG.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? Because accommodation is one of the most important aspects of your travels; it dictates both your cost of travel, and your overall experience<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, it’s worth discussing….in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this guide, I will outline how to get free accommodation (something that has saved me over $100,000 since I started traveling in 2007), cheap accommodation, short-term rentals, apartments, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ll show you the pitfalls so you don’t have to fall into them, and I’ll help you get the best deals and experiences on every place you choose to rest your weary traveler’s head each night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide goes well beyond any traditional advice you could read about getting travel accommodation around the world<\/b>. So settle in, and learn from my decade+ of experience.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"This<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n

TABLE OF CONTENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 1: The 5 Forms of Free Accommodation<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 2: CouchSurfing For Sex (Yes, It’s a Thing)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 3: Best Countries to Get Free Accommodation In<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 4: Volunteering in Trade for Free Accommodation: Cautionary Tales<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 5: Paying for Accommodation: Hostel or Hotel? Not Always a Clear Decision<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 6: (Sometimes) Cheap Accommodation with Short-Term Rentals<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 7: Accommodation Options and Strategies for Digital Nomads<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 8: How to Decide Where to Live as an Expat<\/span><\/a>

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Chapter 1: The 5 Forms of Free Accommodation<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I started traveling full-time, I didn’t even know what I didn’t know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I was busy selling everything I owned in Canada, a woman who came to buy my couch blew my mind with one of the most valuable nuggets of information I could have gotten. In retrospect, had I known how that information would change my life and travels, I’d have given her the couch for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting with that moment, I systematically discovered (and for the most part, tested out for myself) five different forms of free accommodation that revolutionized my travel style \u2013 and budget.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"Jumping
Jumping for joy with all this free accommodation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n


VOLUNTEERING<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

What this woman told me about was \u201cWWOOFing\u201d – an acronym for Willing Work on Organic Farms. It’s a website\/membership program where travelers can find opportunities that allow them get free accommodation in exchange for work as a volunteer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ironically, I never did one official \u201cWWOOFing\u201d position. Instead, I discovered a whole industry that caters to connecting volunteers and hosts in this fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are often referred to as work-trade or work-exchange gigs; regardless of the location or task at hand, the basic premise is that you work a certain number of hours (generally 20-30 hours\/week) on the property where you are staying, in trade for free accommodation and sometimes food as well<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The variety of possibilities are endless. Here is a selection of work-trade volunteer jobs that I\u2019ve enjoyed over the years:<\/p>\n\n\n\n