Like most people, I’m sure you have the itch to travel. You want to see the beautiful sparkling waters of the Caribbean, the rustic architecture of Europe, explore the tropical rain forests of Costa Rica, and ski the slopes in the French Alps. My God, doesn’t reading that sentence alone make you want to quit your job, pack a bag and go travel for a few months straight?! People always say to me, “You’re so young, get out there and explore the World…get out and TRAVEL.” My first thought is, “ummmmmm, ok…great idea. Now do you want to pay for me too?!” ‘Cus…..
The oh-so-wonderful bank account! Just when I get tempted to head over to good ‘ol Expedia to book myself an awesome, jaw dropping, memory making trip, this little thing called my Bank Account quickly reminds me to wake the hell up and back awayyyyy from the computer. *majorly bummed face*
I save and I save, but always seem to find one expense or another that is more “important” to pay for than my wonderful trips! So I sit and sit and sat and sat, thinking of different ways to make this happen for myself. After internet binging one night, I stumbled upon an article this woman had posted. She, like myself found herself in the same situation of wanting to travel, but not quite having the loot to do so. She divulged all of these beyond amazing tips and tricks for travel for little to nothing. That’s right, I said NOTHING! Read below to soak up this incredible knowledge for the poor traveler…
Tips & Tricks for the Starving Traveler…
Camille, who is the beautiful, happy, and carefree woman you see above… is the person who has been and currently travels the world and will walk us through how to do the same!
::Step 1::
Sell Your Stuff, Man!
The first step in quickly getting money to be able to travel, is selling your belongings. This will help fund your trip and get rid of the inner hoarder in you too. If you don’t have any stuff, you don’t need an apartment to keep it in. You don’t need a storage unit to store it in. You have one less thing connecting you to a physical space. Voila! Say bye, bye to your things!
::Step Two::
Couch Hopping
Well not that kind of couch hopping, according to Camille, “One of the simplest and most popular ways to sleep for free is through couch hopping aka, couch surfing . If you’re not already signed up with couch surfing get on there now! You can search for hosts offering a free couch, a free bed, sometimes a free bedroom, with no expectations in return. Some hosts will even cook you breakfast and show you their favorite parts of the city. Let me say it again, FOR FREE! It’s particularly helpful if you want to travel in more expensive cities like Singapore or London, where even dorm beds can cost as much as $50 per night.” She advises potential couch surfers to really look into their hosts before hopping on someones bed/couch. Make sure they have good reviews and they are reputable. Visit this site for more info: Comprehensive Guide to CouchSurfing
::Step 3::
Camping
While this one will definitely NOT be and option for me, all you tree huggers and nature enthusiasts this one is for you. There are tons of places all over the world where you can camp for free. Travelers can backpack with lightweight tents and either pay a small fee to pitch their tent at hostels or camp in the wilderness. A great option in the tropics is to simply travel with a hammock and a mosquito net. Once again, safety is certainly something to consider, and be sure that you’ll be secure where you choose to camp. Refer to this cool site for more info: Travel by Camping
My idea of camping 🙂
::Step Four::
Babysit the house!
The most luxurious, comfortable option for free lodging is housesitting. Lots of people have afforded long-term travel by looking after people’s vacation homes. In Costa Rica home owners will leave during the rainy season and have long term travelers stay for free in their home during that time. Many travel bloggers, particularly families and single parents, travel and live abroad through housesitting opportunities across Europe, Bali, Thailand, and Mexico. Check out this site to learn more and sign up: Trusted House Sitters *This will be the option I personally will be looking into 😉 *
::Step 5::
Trim Weed in Cali…Hmmm, what?!
Camille states, “Disclaimer: I’m in no way endorsing that you do something illegal, I’m simply letting you know what’s out there. One extremely monotonous, though extremely lucrative way to earn money for travel while having a new experience is by trimming marijuana in the good ol’ USA. Humboldt County in Northern California is the epicenter, where it is indeed illegal. I’ve met many many many many more people than you would ever imagine, who fund all of their travels by trimming weed for just a few months of the whole year. How much money you make depends on how much you trim, so it’s possible to make a thousand dollars a day if you’re really fast, $200 a day if you’re really slow. Your experience will vary wildly depending on where you decide to trim and how you plan ahead. I’ve heard many horror stories, but I also know people who trim at very laid-back farms run by families. If you do decide to trim, try to find a personal connection through friends to ensure that you’re in a safe situation.” More info here: Reality Sandwich
::Step Six::
Show Some Folks Around…
A really fun way to travel and earn a living at the same time, is by being a tour guide. Yes, you will still have to work, but you’ll get to experience a lot of different places, meet people from all over the world, and make a decent income. Camille suggests Contiki for young adventurers, Beach Travelers is a great choice if you’re into the island party lifestyle, and Stoke Travel focuses mostly on festivals all over Europe. Other popular tour companies to contact include G Adventures and Intrepid Travel. Insert Tour Guide Barbie…
There you have it. Six creative and extremely cost effective ways to make your travel dreams come true! Waaaa Hoooo! Personally, I fully intend on looking further into this whole free (nearly free) travel thing. I hope you all do too! Here’s to happy, healthy, jet set like I’m rich, passport completely filled lives!
For even MORE steps on how to Travel the World for Free, visit Camille’s blog! Click here please 🙂
::Subscribe|Share|StayHappy::
1
Very good article, i think you can make theblogery.com go
viral easily using one tricky method. Just type in google:
Skelap’s Method To Go Viral