When travelling abroad you usually have a specific budget, that you have allotted, depending on the forecasted expenditures that you might run into during your travels and considering your current income. Things, however, have a tendency to change, and though many things can be taken into account, there are also quite a few situations that may occur unexpectedly. This may vary from you wanting to extend your stay in one place or another, or wanting to change your life and travel onwards, or even finding the love of your life across the world from where you live. One of the important things to make this dream become a very real life changing experience, is having the money to support such a decision. And though initially it may seem very hard, and almost impossible, there are ways to continue to travel and work at the same time.

One of the options that has gained popularity in the recent years is home sitting. There are certain websites, or even ads in newspapers and real estate magazines that request the services of a person who will be watching a house while the owners are away. This is an excellent way of not only travelling to a different country, but also of securing your ‘free’ accommodation there. The work is not that delicate, it does not require a specific education and qualifications, but you must be responsible and adhere to any house rules that your employers will present you with.

Another idea of travelling somewhere and experiencing a different culture at a low cost is volunteer work. There are numerous ways in which you can not only give to the community, but also help others, meet interesting people and explore the world beyond your comfort zone. Think of helping kids in Vietnam, or being a dentist in Kenya, there are so many exciting projects to participate in that can enrich and improve not only your life, but also of others that you can influence. Volunteer work not only varies in the destinations that you prefer to go to but also the time period for which you wish to be involved.

A great way of saving travel costs of accommodation is the concept known as ‘Home Swap’ or ‘Home Exchange’. This involves listing your place on the well-known websites and contacting other hosts in order to swap your houses for your vacation. This is relatively safe and there are certain set guidelines that protect you in both cases – as the home owner and as the traveller. An older concept of Time Sharing, especially of residences that are parts of resorts all over the world, gives you the opportunity to exchange your week’s vacation in one country, for the same number of days in another place, subject to availability.

Sometimes our lust for travel and the interest to explore the world does not correspond with our funds and financial situation. Yet there are many other options to consider, such as joining the Medicins Sans Frontieres team, or helping out with the unfortunate families in Southeast Asia. And though you should not expect 5* accommodation and services provided to you there, what you will get is an excellent opportunity to see how people live in other parts of the world, get a chance to pass on your knowledge and make a difference in this world, even if it is to a small class of pre-school students in Sierra Leone.