If you’re willing to be a little flexible, you can actually go on vacation for free—or almost for free. My favorite way is to change houses. I’ve been doing this for years.
I exchanged my home with others from different countries to have a free vacation in a beautiful place. This is great because you only have to pay for the ride and food while you are there. Some exchanges (especially with Americans) even let you use their cars or boats!
Ms. Moneysaver aka Jasmine Birtles said: I swapped my house with other people’s houses from different countries to have a free vacation in a beautiful place.
I also made friends by changing houses, especially Carolyn, my friend in Boston, USA, whom I exchange every year, and the lovely Bruce and Marie-Ellen, with whom we chat regularly, and became such good friends in Paris. telephone.
I also kept in touch with Anna in Croatia, whose family moved with me when she was a student in London. I also had nice conversations with a woman who has an apartment near the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
But you don’t need to go abroad. My friends exchanged a few ideas in the UK over the debates that started at the National Birth Trust forum when their son was young – both families left their children’s stuff for each other, so they took less with them (and of course, you don’t even get one). To travel to the UK you have to pay for flights).
I originally found all of my exchanges through a website called Home exchange.com, which added up to £146 per year. Other home replacement sites include UK-based LoveHomeSwap.com, which charges £7.60 to £11 per month, and Homelink.org, which costs £115 for one year or £250 for three years. After paying the registration fee, everything else is free.
If you’re willing to be a little flexible with house swapping, you can actually go on vacation for free.
But you have to be careful. After all, you’re opening your home to a stranger, so many regular home changers have them barter with people from other families who have lots of good references and close your valuables.
It’s also helpful to have a phone call, or better yet, a video call, just to get to know each other better before trading.
The websites listed above do not have built-in insurance for replacement, so if you have or are in your other family home, it’s a good idea to talk to your home insurer before making the exchange to make sure you’re covered. extra expense cover. You also need to be flexible as you may have to change the vacation dates according to the family you are changing.
While I was looking for someone to trade in Boston, I reached out to several different people and Carolyn got back to me and said she wanted to trade but I didn’t get the exact time I asked. However, she had a spare room, so she offered to let me stay there for my appointments and use my flat during the year.
It worked for me. I stayed in his guest room, we got along very well, and when he came later that year, I had booked another vacation somewhere else before then, so he had the whole flat.
Of course not everyone can be that flexible so it won’t work for every holiday. And not everyone is completely comfortable with a stranger at home. But for those worried about someone messing with their sock drawer, I’m assuming house swappers like me don’t care about other people’s socks. They’re in the city and living big instead!
Even if you really want to go to a hotel or resort, instead of staying at someone else’s house, you can get your home for free while you’re away by renting it with friends or by advertising on Airbnb. com – or OneFineStay.com if you have a luxury seat.
That’s what my friend Tira does in her apartment when she goes swimming in Italy for three weeks in August. While he was away, he called his friends and invited them to rent his house, and he was able to rent the house for the two weeks he was on vacation. This covers most of your vacation expenses.
If you don’t have a home to trade or rent, it’s worth checking out Couchsurfing.com. With Couchsurfing.com you can travel the world for free for a night or two in a row on someone’s couch or guest room. In return, offer the same to travelers arriving in your area.
Sure, it’s more appealing to Gen Z and Millennials than older travelers, but it can be a fun option if you’re adventurous and open to new experiences.
There is no cost to join Couchsurfing.com, but to get the most out of it, it’s a good idea to meet with Couchsurfers to attend some of their activities and learn more.
You can make money on Instagram at any age
It’s not just social media-loving celebrities like the Kardashians who can make good money on Instagram. People from all over the world make a living from the platform or even run a business.
Some sell products, others get paid to review products or get free offers from brands for promotion.
And don’t feel like you have to be a young man or computer expert for this to work for you. It’s about creating engaging content and engaging an audience.
Go to Instagram.com and create your profile. So start posting interesting, funny or informative photos and videos and stay in touch with people who comment or like your posts.
Helen Ruth Elam van Winkle aka Queen of the Insta-grans has 3.3 million followers @baddiewinkle
Caroline Labouchere (@CarolineLabouchere), 57, married to a former British Army officer, mother of two, started modeling four years ago – now has around 500,000 followers. There is a strong demand for brands from brands that want to advertise their products.
If you make products for sale, you can browse through the Instagram Shop feature while using the platform on your smartphone. All you need is good photos and a way for people to connect with you through the platform.
This is how UK firm Positive Bakes (@Positivebakes) sells their cakes.
There’s also a growing group of “Insta-grans” courtesy of big brands.
The queen of Insta-grans is American Helen Ruth Elam van Winkle, also known as @baddiewinkle. Born in 1928, he has 3.3 million followers.
While you’re there, follow me on @JasmineBirtles and @MoneyMagpie!
Kids can eat for £1 on family outings this summer
Want a family dinner that doesn’t break the bank? From Monday to Wednesday next week, kids can dine at Toby Carvery, Harvester and Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery for £1 when purchased with an adult main course. Download the restaurant app and save your coupon.
from Jo! Sushi, children under 10 eat free from 3pm to 5:30pm Monday to Thursday if an adult spends a minimum of £10.
From Monday to Wednesday next week kids can eat for £1 at Toby Carvery, Harvester and Stonehouse Pizza & Carvery
Children under 16 get a free breakfast if you buy breakfast at Beefeater, TableTable, or Brewers Fayre during school holidays.
Until 3 September, kids can get a hot meal from the kids’ menu, plus jellies, sodas and fruit from IKEA for between 95 cents and £1.50.
Bella Italia offers three courses for children under 11 for £1 from 4pm to 6pm, Monday through Thursday, where diners purchase at least one adult meal.
Coffee Break at Dunelm shops in the UK offers free meals for kids all summer long, with one kids meal for every £4 spent here.
Klass is a UK-based women’s fashion retailer that has been designing and manufacturing its products for over 35 years, offering affordable style. Now you can take advantage of 20 percent discount and free shipping on the brand with the code SUMMER20. Go to: klass.co.uk
Summer vacations can be tough for working parents. But the government gives people with tax-exempt accounts an additional 20 percent to pay for vacation clubs, babysitters or day care centers. For every £8 paid, families will receive an additional £2. Earn £2,000 per year by registering for children up to 11 (or 17 if disabled) at gov.uk/tax-free-childcare.
Source: Daily Mail
