Accommodation
This most consistent draw on your expenses. Although it can be really cheap and really rewarding. Here are some ways to do it for free to next to nothing and at the same time gain amazing experiences… and I’m not talking about sleeping in a gutter.
- Friends Couch – Although extremely easy to do, often highly overlooked. Unless you’re a Hilton kinda person this can be the best thing to do! Besides hanging out with a mate and catching up with a mate. You get the local inside scoop and you get to meet there friends. Which in itself can be an amazing experience.
I’ve stayed in country towns that would’ve been pretty borrowing if I didn’t have a friend. Although it may be free you should atleast bring a great mood and buy them a beer!
Note: This is why I recommend Uni before travel, meet exchange students and exchange couches on trips 😉 - Couch Surfing – Similar to friends couch. Except it’s a new friend, that you met online. Same bonuses & rules apply as friends couch. Use the site Couch Surfing to search different areas.
- Work Away – Many hostels and places accept work for accommodation. Just requiring you to do a couple hours a day in exchange for a bed (AND breakfast! mate you’re laughing). Hostels also allow you to meet an array of new people everyday.
Alternatively there are many other jobs including, working on farms, boats or even festivals and they’ll include accommodation. You can have a geeze here on Work Away. - Camping – If you love camping, why not do it in a foreign country! There are plenty of cheap or free spots you can find. You may need some equipment, although hammocks work pretty well 😛
- Hostel – If you must pay, a dorm in a hostel will be the best option. Usually not over $30aud a night you can get legendary experiences in them. While you;re there ask if you can work for free accom 😉
That should give you a few options to have a pretty cheap & fun time while travelling around. Now lets get onto some grub!
Sustenance
Eating is an essential and extremely enjoyable part of every ones day. When you have minimal money it doesn’t have to make your meal bad!
- Grocery Stores – Going to the local shops and simply buying some easy to make food or some muesli bars is often over looked. You don’t need to eat out every day. Buying a box of cereal and some 2 minute noodles is an easy way to cure hunger cheaply over seas.
- Team up – Staying on a couch or a hostel? Ask someone if they want to do a combined dinner. half ingredients and you’ll be able to make a glorious meal for both of you with local ingredients!
- Markets – Local farmers markets are everywhere. Grabbing a couple of local pieces of fruit and going for a walk can be a easy cheap solution
- Street Food – The greatest invention before sliced bread! Get to taste the local cuisine and drool in it’s awesomeness.
- Table diving – Most unconventional means. Just wait for someone to finish there meal and then just go borrow their plate, atleast until the food is really finished. Alternatively you can ask them, most often people don’t like wasting food. Some cafeterias have a section where you return your plate when you’re finished, just hang around there for a bit.
- Fruit Trees – There’s a few sites where you can see growing fruit trees in the area. They’re even often just dropping their fruit all over the place. You may as well do a public service a grab a few fruits.
- End of the Day – A lot of places have specials close to close, strike then! There are also some great food apps where you can see specials that pop up in that area for end of the day food specials (apps specific to location)
- Deals – Often if you do enough research you can find some stupidly good meal deals especially if it is early week.
- Comps – Big stomach? no problem. Google the area, usually there’ll be a place with a competition thinking you can’t finish and if you do you get it for free… order 2 of them.
- Intermediate fasting – Fasting never hurt anyone. There are even studies saying its healthy. Skip breakfast and eat between 12 – 8 to ‘be healthy’. Or even skip a days worth of meals, and tell people you’re training
These are just a few ways and often meals don’t cost as much as you think.
If you have any unique tips or other ideas. I would be eager to hear them! … Cause I’ll need them! please.
Check how you can get cheap transport here
