When I travel, I like to stay in countries long enough for me to learn about the culture and the daily lives of locals. What it is actually like on a regular day and how this country differs from my own. You can’t really do that when only spending a couple days in the same place. I’m now able to work and make an income abroad easily an ESL teacher, but it wasn’t always that easy for me to find a way to stay in a place longer, and for free. Before I started teaching, I would just backpack around, which is fabulous, but it also costs money. After I fell in love with traveling, I started looking into ways that would give me a chance to actually live in another country for a while.
Volunteering is a great way to do this, but most reliable volunteer companies I’ve found charge huge amounts of money to be able to support their volunteers. To save money, I’d be better off traveling the country myself, rather than spend a crazy amount of money for a month long volunteer position fee. So I had to look harder, and surprisingly, I found tons of opportunities that fit more to my budget and lifestyle. If you have an open mind, a couple weeks or months to spare, are willing to do basic jobs for no money, but receive free food or accommodations than I would suggest checking out the following companies and websites.
Workaway & Helpstay
Workaway and Helpstay are my go to websites when looking for a part time gig. If I have a couple weeks downtime between jobs, awaiting that next paycheck, or want to experience a country longer and live like a local, this is where I look first. Workaway and Helpstay are websites for travelers and backpackers like myself. There are thousands of listings for volunteer positions all over the world that last from just a couple days, or up to a couple months, depending on how long you’re available. These positions are volunteering positions that can range from teaching, landscaping, PA, hostel jobs, bartending, sailing, cleaning, babysitting, and the choices are endless.
Most people will give you at least free room and board, and if you’re lucky, free food. Some will even give you free “lessons” if you choose to help them for a good while. Also, if you’re lucky and do a good job, these can even lead to permanent positions if you’re able and willing. I’ve done a lot of positions like this all over Europe including waitressing, bartending, teaching, gardening, working at a petting zoo and at a home for disabled children.
Hostel Jobs
Volunteer hostel jobs are pretty easy to land if you’re a backpacker. You can look online on their website, but honestly it’s easier to just ask yourself. If you are short on cash and need a place to crash for a while, find a hostel. Most places are more than willing to give you a bed for a while in exchange for helping out around the hostel. Things such as front desk work, housekeeping, or even leading tours and pub-crawls are a great opportunity to live like a local for awhile all while saving money. I’ve landed the hostel jobs that I’ve had by making friends with the owners and current employees. Show them that you are willing to help and that you’re able to communicate with travelers and the opportunities you can have are endless.
WOOFing
I’ve never personally done this, but I know dozens of people who have. WOOFing is a volunteer company that will provide free room and board for travelers in exchange for a few hours a day working on land including farm work, gardening, planting or fruit picking. There is also a company similar to WOOF that will even PAY OFF STUDENT LOAN DEBT in exchange for the same type of volunteer work.
House Sitting & Couchsurfing
House sitting and couch surfing are easy ways to stay for free anywhere in the world, without having to do any work at all. If you make an account on trustedhousesitters.com, you can have a free house for a week or even more, all while doing very little work around the house. Watering plants, feeding pets, and just general housework is all you need to be able to do.
Couchsurfing is a perfect opportunity for travelers, and there are thousands of locals willing to let you crash on their spare bed or couch for a few days. In exchange, share your culture, cook home cooked meals, and they will do the same. If you have a cool host, they will take you around the area and show you the best hidden parts of the city that locals love. You can also meet up with other people in the same area couchsurfing by using the meet-up function on the Couchsurfing app!
Of course, there are other ways, you just have to have an open mind. I’ve met a lot of great friends in one country, who then later opened up their home for me in their own home countries, with no cost to me and they always show me a great time. I met the nicest couple ever while I was in Poland on a walking tour, John and Anna. They gave me their whole apartment for a weekend a couple weeks later when I was visiting in Hamburg, Germany. They explored with me around the city, showed me to their favorite secret places, and always took me out to dinner and never asked for a thing in return. They also helped me communicate and get me to my Uncles house later that week.
The more connections you make around the world, the opportunities, friendships, and experiences you can have while traveling are endless!