If you like to travel but also need to save money, here's an idea for you.
Ever heard of couch surfing? For those of you who have never heard of it, it’s a social media website revolved around travel. The idea is that you can “surf” around the world on people’s couches. It is a free way to meet people and travel at the same time.
Users create profiles on couchsurfing.org. You find a place that you are attempting to travel to, and then find users who are in that area offering up a couch to stay on. You contact the people via the website, and they let you stay with them for free.
In return, you can offer up your couch to people traveling through, but you don’t have to. When you create your profile, you can choose from several options. You can state that you are not able to offer up your couch, or that you do have a free couch and welcome visitors. You can also say that you have an entire guest bedroom for visitors, or that you don’t have a place for people to stay but would enjoy showing visitors around for a few hours. There are many options available to suit individual needs. Nothing is forced, and you can always say no. You aren’t required to do anything.
I’m sure the first thing any rational person would be concerned about is safety. Safety is a huge concern for the Couch Surfing organization. Users can read reviews on other users, ensuring that the people aren’t serial killers. People are brutally honest in reviews that they write about visitors/hosts, because everyone wants to have enjoyable travels. Obviously, you wouldn’t stay with someone who has no reviews, only a few reviews, or negative reviews. There are profiles, a reference system, a vouching system, and a verification system. Couch surfing is a worldwide activity. My brother has been able to travel all over America, and even in other countries, with free lodging. He even traveled to Oregon over the summer with his wife and baby, and the entire family couch surfed the whole way there. It saved a ton of money in hotels, and also allowed them to make friends along the way.
For more information, visit couchsurfing.org
