When I talk to people they always tell me that they love travelling, but at the same time I always hear excuses about not having time or money. I completely understand those excuses but it has never stopped me before!
This blog will be about how to travel with none or hardly any funds. There ar many ways to travel and use very little money or to make your money while you are at it! In this blog I will name and explain four of the most awesome options.
Work Away www.workaway.com
Work away is an option that I discovered on one of my last trips through Rene 
I really loved my work away experience because it put me in touch with many locals, as well as other travelers. The possibilities with work away are endless. The concept is in place in almost every country in the world and there are many ways to contribute! You’ll almost always find a host that is looking for someone with your particular skillset! You can use work away to enable you to travel around a country, you can use it to practice a language or use it to learn new skills and meet new people.
I tried the work away concept last summer. I traveled to Las Vegas and ended up working on several projects at a really awesome ranch that was undergoing a massive overhaul. I ended up staying over two weeks, working five hours a day, in return for which I received free food and accommodation.
What a great way to travel with hardly any budget... And just look at that place!
Some well deserved downtime
Working holiday https://www.google.nl/#q=working+holiday+visa+australia+canada
The option that I have used the most during all those years is what is commonly referred to as a working holiday visa. This concept allowed me to live and work in both Australia and Canada for over a year.
Australia
The working holiday visa for Australia permits you to stay in Australia for 12 months from the date that you first enter the country. You may leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you wish during your twelve month stay.
If you are willing to work for three months as a specified worker in a designated area of Australia you are even able to extend your visa with another year. How awesome is that?!
During your stay in Australia you are only allowed to work for the same employer for six months. Another requirement is that you have to be at least 18 years of age and can’t be older than 31.
On this Visa I first worked for G-Star (A Dutch clothing brand) in Perth for six months and landed a job at one of the most beautiful dolphin resorts in the world at Monkey Mia, Western Australia as a bartender.
The best part about all of this? I ended up leaving Australia with more money than I came with! So if you are an American, Canadian or European resident (the countries that they mostly accept), then what are you waiting for?!
Canada
There is a working holiday visa for Canada as well. Citizens from 35 different countries are able to apply for this visa. Unlike the Australian visa, this visa has a quota; a limited amount of applicants they accept.
For US citizens it’s a requirement to have a job lined up in advance. For the other 34 countries, this is not required and you can start looking for a job once you arrive in Canada. This was a great option for me not only to extend my travels but to fulfill my dream!
When I was younger, I always wanted to go to an NBA game, but my father repeatedly told me that it was too expensive and not worth flying to the US for. Being from the Netherlands it’s almost impossible for me to live and work in the USA, but luckily Canada gave me the option to live and work there for a year! Fulfilling my lifelong dream, I settled down in Toronto working for the same Dutch clothing company that i worked for in Australia and got myself a season ticket for the Toronto Raptors!
New Zealand
Even though I have never used the working holiday visa that New Zealand offers, it’s out there for everyone who wants to work and live in this beautiful country. The same rules as for the Australian visa apply however, for some nationalities you are eligible to apply for the visa up until you are 35!
I owe a lot to the Working Holiday visa and I think it’s awesome that these countries gave me this change. It’s the best way to travel with no money and it opens up the world to you!
Woofing http://wwoofinternational.org/
If you are more into the organic lifestyle then WWOOF might be something for you. It enables people to live and volunteer on organic properties. Like workaway, the host will provide you with food and accommodations. There are 100 countries to choose from and in today’s day and age where healthy living has been taking more of a prominent role, WWOOF is quickly becoming increasingly popular.
TEFL http://www.teflonline.com/
Okay, I admit this one is not completely free but for around $300 you can participate and get your TEFL certificate; Teaching English as a Foreign Language. The course takes around three months and after you pass the exams you are able to use the certificate to teach all around the world (except for North Korea maybe…). Japan, China, Malaysia and many more countries are waiting for you! Pretty appealing option, no?!
Always remember; coming back is not the same as never leaving.
I hope you liked my first travel blog, please feel free to comment below in order to share stories and learn more about each other. If you have any questions or require additional information about any of these options, be sure to hit me up too!