How to Live Abroad Without Paying for Housing

Traveling without paying for housing takes a lot of strain off of your budget. Here's how to travel extensively if you don't have the money for rooming accommodations.

If you're young and you want to travel the world but don't have the finances then consider doing a work program abroad. There are different kinds that feature different kinds of jobs, but they let you travel the world on a very small budget. Rent or hotel costs can be the most expensive part of any trip and if you're able to live somewhere for free then you're cutting out a huge part of your budget. This type of travel is becoming increasingly common for people who want to take a gap year to travel or who want to spend an extended period of time in a new country. These programs have an extensive network that is set up everywhere in the world.

Some of these programs feature jobs that are seasonal and so they offer housing for workers that are only staying a short or medium amount of time. Because of the way visas are set up you can only stay in one place for so long and so these programs can come in handy because of their specific beginning and ending dates. Jobs like these can range depending on where you are traveling.

The jobs can range from housework to physical labour. You can stay at a hostel and work part time to live there for free. Nannies and Au Pairs are wanted in both rural areas and popular cities. Farms in the countryside like seasonal workers and farmhands who are willing to put in some physical labor. There are even odd jobs like landscaping, language teachers, musicians, animal care workers, and so much more. You can choose to explore based on country or by the type of work you'd like to be doing.


Here Are A Couple Of Websites To Help You Get Started

WorkAway

Work Away features every kind of job in nearly every country in the world. You can sort by occupation, country, or region to find something that works for you. You can read feedback by other people who have worked there and you can see the profile of the job posters. There are also dates posted for when they are looking for help as well as their overall reviews. They'll list a description of the job and the kind of work you'll be doing, the hours you'll work, the kind of accommodations you'll receive, and any other pertinent details. You have to sign up and pay a subscription fee to use the sight and make your profile.

AupairWorld

Au Pair World sets up nannies with a host family all around Europe. This site has intense instructions and information so you'll know what you're doing every step of the way. They'll help guide you in finding your family and help you navigate all the bureaucracy which can come with working in a foreign country. Different countries have different laws so you will have to see what each country dictates for Au Pairs. This could mean mandated time off, salary, required language courses, or any number of things. If you want to get an authentic European experience then this is a great place to start.

WWOOF

World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farming just about sums it up. This sight will pair you with a farm somewhere in the world that needs a helping hand. Their goal is to help people get more in touch with sustainable living and to help farmers around the world. They have an extensive network that covers the globe and you will most likely find a country in the region you prefer. If you want to get outside and get active while doing some good then this is a great program.

HostelJobs

This site is set up specifically for Hostel positions. Hostels are located in pretty much every major city and then there are many off the beaten track to explore. This is a great way to meet new people and get to know a new city while living there for free. This is more like an international job hunting website so take your time looking through where you'd like to apply and see if you'd like to start the process.

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Center Stage: Tips for Staging Your Home on a Budget

Between buying a new home and transporting yourself and your belongings to it, moving can be an expensive process. One often underrecognized cost of moving occurs before one's original house has even been sold, and that's staging the house. Homeowners often spend hundreds of dollars making a home appealing to potential buyers. To ease the financial burden of moving, here are several tips for staging your home on a budget.

Downsize Instead of Storing

The goal of staging a home is to create a blank canvas that potential buyers can imagine their own lives painted upon. To accomplish this, homeowners should depersonalize the home as much as possible, removing items that are specific to their family and eliminating clutter. This is where homeowners often incur their first costs as they rush to put as many older things in storage as possible.

To cut costs, focus on downsizing rather than storing items. Look for items that you can sell, donate, or give away. For remaining items, look for alternative places to store them, such as a friend or relative's house. This will also reduce the cost of moving your belongings when it is time to go to the new house.

DIY What You Can

There are times when homeowners should bring in a professional to manage home renovations and decorating, such as when a task requires specialized skills. These types of jobs, when done incorrectly, will incur even greater costs if attempted on your own. However, many of the home improvement tasks that go into staging a home are simple enough that the homeowner can DIY them, such as painting, installing a backsplash, or refinishing the deck. Doing these tasks yourself will save you a significant amount of money.

Don't Redo, Update

Homeowners are often eager to make their houses look as appealing to buyers as possible. However, recall that the point of staging is depersonalization, making a home presentable so buyers can mentally impose their own style onto it. When staging a home on a budget, focus less on completely transforming the space and more on making what is there look presentable. For instance, if you wanted to give your bedroom a facelift, trying to replace the furniture and flooring would be pointless unless it was damaged or unkempt. Simply organizing the space and replacing the bed's comforter would be sufficient.

Maximize Space

Another way to update the space without entirely redoing it is to rearrange it to maximize the space that is already there. For instance, pulling the furniture away from the walls will make a room appear bigger and allows more space for those touring the house. Using window trimmings that maximize natural light and incorporating wall mirrors can also make a room seem more spacious.

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Money-Saving Tips for Larger Families

Raising a larger family than most means that your lifestyle is going to change. Costs will continue to multiply as your family grows larger. However, just because your family is large doesn't mean your quality of life needs to suffer. It just means you need to make a few adjustments to help things work smoother and more efficiently. We've compiled a couple of money-saving tips for larger families to help you get the most out of your dollars.

Always Buy in Bulk

The benefit of having a larger family is that things you buy in bulk rarely ever go to waste. Smaller families can benefit from buying in bulk, of course, but your large family will see the most use out of shopping in large quantities. You'll want to avoid going to smaller stores for necessities such as groceries and clothes, as these places generally have higher markups on their items.

Buy Wholesale Items Online

If you want to take buying in bulk to the next level, one of the best money-saving tips for large families is to buy online from wholesalers. Buying online comes with a number of benefits that you won't get when you go to a physical store:

  • You don't have to drag your kids to the store with you
  • You have a lower probability of making impulse purchases
  • You can search for exactly what you need
  • Wholesalers sell in very large quantities for a lower price per item

Never Throw Away Something Useful

When you have to buy things for multiple children, your costs to replace items will be much higher. That's why it's so important to keep everything you can. Clothing is a big part of this. Hand-me-downs can prevent you from needing to replace entire closets every year. Try to repair or upcycle any clothes that may have damage, as this is usually much cheaper than buying brand-new items.

Stick to a Budget

When you support a large family, expenses can sometimes get away from you. Proper budgeting helps to keep the extra purchases that add up to a minimum. Budgeting correctly can save you a lot of heartache in the long run. It's up to you how much control you want to take; you can make your budget weekly or monthly, depending on how tight a ship you need to run. What's important to remember is that making the budget is only the first step—sticking to it is where you'll really need to enact some willpower.

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Tips for Selling a Home in the Winter

Spring may be the most popular time to list, but people need to buy homes in every season. Follow some simple steps to get your home sold in the winter.

Sometimes there is no choice—a home needs to be sold in the winter.

Spring may be the most popular time to put your house on the market, but homes do sell in the colder months. With fewer houses available, your home may be someone's only choice when house hunting in your neighborhood. As your neighbors hold out until spring, you'll already be done and ready to shop for your next house!

Here are a few tips for selling a home in the winter to get you on the right track.

Keep Paths Safe and Landscaping Fresh

Landscaping is the last thing on a homeowner's mind in the winter. Everything was cut back in the fall and may now be covered in snow. Still, take a walk around the house and yard to check everything out. Branches may have fallen from heavy snow, leaving a mess in the yard. Keep everything neat and tidy.

The last thing you need is a potential buyer slipping on the ice-covered walk in front of your house. Buyers often consider those moments bad omens, and this can affect their decisions. Shovel, snow blow, spread salt—do whatever you have to do to keep the driveway and walking paths clear, and don't forget the porch and deck.

Make the Inside Warm and Cozy

In cold weather, buyers won't spend a lot of time examining a home's exterior. Instead, impress them with the inside by creating an atmosphere which causes them to want to move in.

When there's time, leave wintery types of snacks and drinks, such as hot cocoa and cookies, available on a table during showings. This gives your home a welcoming feel to buyers.

Light the fireplace (if you have one) for a lovely ambience and set your thermostat to a comfortable setting. A warm home in the winter is much more appealing than a chilly one.

Make Your Home Less Personal

Understandably, this can be a tough thought for homeowners. After all, you've spent years creating memories in your home. To buyers, though, they need to picture it as their own. Too much personality makes that difficult.

It's always important to stage your home in a way that makes it look clean, comfortable, and move-in ready. Don't feel offended by the idea of taking family pictures down and replacing them with generic décor. This will help your home sell faster by helping buyers envision their own things there.

Cleanliness and Maintenance

Clean, clean, and clean some more. Make appliances, counters, and floors shine. No matter how old your home is, it needs to feel like new to potential buyers. If you aren't into dusting, now is the time to try. Don't forget window coverings that might need washing.

Be prepared ahead of time for home inspections by taking care of maintenance now. HVAC systems, plumbing, and electrical should all be up to code and running smoothly.

Use these tips for selling a home in the winter, exercise patience during the slower months, and your home will sell before you know it.

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