I'm trying to gather in one place all the known options for cheaper alternatives to renting or buying, so that others have a decent overview of their options. These could be both pretty wild and also fairly generic.
So far I've got:
Relocation:
Move to a cheaper city/ area in your country;
Move to a cheaper country;
Move to a cheap city/ area in a cheaper country;
Friends and Family:
Move back in with your immediate family (parents, brothers and sisters etc);
Stay with friends;
Stay with grandparents (in return for partially caring for them);
Volunteering:
Sign on to a service like Workaway/ Helpx/ WOOF etc and volunteer some time each day in return (often) for most meals and accommodation. These probably also exist in your home country and perhaps even locally;
Join a commune (I don't know how this works, in practice, nor specific options);
Live-in (paid) Work:
Become a live-in chef;
Become a live-in bar/ pub staff member;
Become a live-in carer for elderly or disabled people;
Become a live-in house-keeper;
Become a live-in grounds-keeper;
Live-in national park ranger;
Other Jobs which Pay (often well) for/ provide Accommodation:
Some engineering roles e.g. Oil-rig workers, mining etc;
Some management consultancy roles (living in hotels/ airBnB's when away from home);
Some wings of the military;
Property Guardian:
The idea here is that hiring private security for buildings is more expensive for the owners than renting out to responsible individuals at a very reduced cost. These properties could be: former pubs, former banks, former care homes, former office buildings...
The properties are often brought up to living standards first (i.e. made to include basic amenities) and intermediate agencies vet candidates to find responsible people with full-time jobs etc to inhabit the property and keep an eye on it. Rent prices can be half to a quarter of local rent prices.
House-carers/ sitters are another possibility;
Non-Traditional Renting or Buying:
A house or canal boat (waterway rent may be cheap though upkeep can be high);
A motorhome/ caravan (some smaller campsites will allow you to stay for free to do basic management of the site);
Stay in a hotel room or AirBnB (not cheap!);
Live in a (modified) shipping container;
Dodgier options:
'Squatting' in unused buildings or structures (legality depends on jurisdiction and logistics can be a massive pain);
Participate in live-in scientific studies (not all of which seem horrific) e.g. sleep studies;
Welfare Options:
Sign on for a council house;
That's all I can think of for now. If this isn't in the right thread please let me know where it truly belongs. If you think it would make a good cross-post to another thread, please say which.
And lastly, what ideas do you have to add to the list?
March 04, 2018 at 07:44AM
