The American female tourist said that by staying at a local's house instead of renting a hotel, her wallet was "miraculously saved".
Hannah Docter-Loeb, from Washington DC, USA, shared with Insider on May 8 her tip to save "hundreds of dollars" during her 3-month independent travel in Europe. That is to sign up to stay at a local's house.
Loeb in Barcelona during a three-month European tour. Photo: Insider
Before her trip, a friend sent Loeb a link that connected travelers with people willing to host them. Guests would stay in a local’s home for free (while the host was away) and take care of their pets. To impress potential hosts, Loeb invested in a well-written resume. She then searched for people who were looking for house sitters, filtered locations by the times she wanted to visit, and read reviews of the hosts.
Before leaving the U.S., Loeb contacted free accommodations in Scotland, England, and the Netherlands. Loeb paid a $130 membership fee to become a member of the app. In return, she saved money on hotel rooms throughout the trip.
"I had 45 free nights in three months," she said. The place she saved the most on rent was in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. "I stayed there for 25 free nights," she said. She added that she could not have afforded to stay that long if she had to rent a room, even in a hostel, because Amsterdam has the highest overnight visitor tax in Europe.
She cooks for herself when staying at someone else's house to reduce costs. Photo: Insider
In addition to room and board, she saved money by cooking most of her meals instead of buying them. Each free house had a kitchen (since it was a private home) stocked with spices, oils, and other cooking essentials. Loeb cooked while she was there.
The people who hosted her were described as “very generous.” They even encouraged her to use whatever they had in their refrigerators. Many had stocked their refrigerators with food before Loeb arrived.
During her stay, Loeb was also able to use the internet for free. She did not have to spend money going to a coffee shop to use the internet, since her work was mainly done on the computer. This helped her save some money.
Staying at a local's house also helps her save money on laundry and ironing. The places she stays have washing machines and she is allowed to use them as she pleases. Besides, she also saves money on buying soap and detergents.
The places she stayed were mostly residential, suburban areas with few tourists. So she could experience life the same way as the locals, avoiding the tourist traps.
Loeb's places of residence are usually in the suburbs, so she doesn't see many tourists and stays away from expensive tourist areas. Photo: Insider
There are many ways to explore the world , depending on each person's financial ability to decide whether it is a luxury trip or a simple one. As for Loeb, she wants to share this new experience as a suggestion to help anyone looking for a "unique but cheap" way to travel.
She also noted that people should be responsible when looking after other people's houses, and that staying at other people's houses was a bit awkward at first. But in return, she felt more comfortable and saved money. Loeb plans to continue using this home-stay travel tip on future trips.
Anh Minh (According to Insider )
Source link
Comment (0)