You can do some cool things around the world without having to pay much. Where do you find these cool things? Great question! I’ve done some cool things and I’ve met a lot of people who have done some cool things, so hopefully this helps you do some cool things too.

Phew, enough with the cool things, let’s get right into it!

CREATIVE RESEARCH – get creative. Here are some ways you can start training your brain to get creatively researching for cool things to do!

Volunteer

You can find hundreds of volunteer opportunities around the world. Some of them will have fees attached to it and some will be completely free. Do some research to see what kind of volunteer experience you would like to do!

Cool Volunteer Opportunities with Fees:

Why would volunteering have a fee? Some organizations require fees to secure housing, for materials used during your stay, for food, for utilities, etc. You will often find that you pay X amount, but will receive some back each week on a per diem basis. Fees are not necessarily bad things, don’t be scared of them, just mindful!

Global Volunteers International (GVI): I did this and taught English to Buddhist Monks in Luang Prabang, Laos for 3 months. This was honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done in my life. I went to the temples and taught Monks at night, and then went to local places during the day to hangout with the Monks and learn Lao. There are dozens of awesome volunteer opportunities with GVI and it is a great organization for volunteering!

International Volunteer HQ – I have a friend who used them to go to Guatemala and loved it!

Cool Volunteer Opportunities Without Fees:

Why would volunteering not have fees? Often you can work for your stay. There are many websites out there where you can build your online resume, choose a location, and find people looking for an extra set of hands. Sometimes these are a lot of work, so make sure you find the right program that works for you!

HelpX: My fiancé did HelpX in the mountains of Portugal and loved it. He worked at a GLAMPING (Glamorous Camping) as a Chef and did all lunch and dinner shifts. He paid nothing to do this, had unlimited food and alcohol while he was there, stayed in a tent (which he loved), and explored the mountains a lot. If you are an outdoors-y person, this kind of thing would be great for you! HelpX has all sorts of opportunities, including working front desk at hostels, farm work, and more. Check it out!

WWOOF: Wwoofing is a great way to work in cool agricultural ways around the world. You can work in vineyards in France, lemon farms in Italy, milking cows in Ireland. It is an awesome way to learn the countryside life of your destination!

Volunteer with Non-Profits: I spent 2 months in a couple of years ago and volunteered for a Non-Profit for their fundraising events. It was a low commitment and I met some incredible people. In fact, I met these awesome Slovenian girls and visited them in Slovenia shortly after. I got the locals experience in Slovenia, met some incredible people, and didn’t spend much! Meeting people will also cut down your travel costs!

Work

You can pick up odd jobs anywhere you go! Some will be very minimal pay and some may actually be pretty decent. You probably know people who Teach English or are an Au Pair for families internationally. Of course this is the easiest way to live abroad for a good chunk of time and the pay is decent – definitely worth looking into. However, there are some other cool things you can do abroad that may make your experience a little different.

Travel Au Pair – Look for opportunities to be an Au Pair for families who travel consistently for business. This could be a couple that work for Nat Geo, or travel bloggers, Travel Channel stars, academics, etc. These folks are always looking for au pairs to go with them and look after their kid(s) while they film, shoot, write.

Work on Yachts – Yachting is becoming really popular for young folks! You can earn a decent income, work on someone’s yacht, travel the world with them, meet some really awesome people. I have a friend doing this and she is always doing incredible things!

Work on a Cruise – Another easy way to travel, meet cool people, and see the world. This is a little more limiting since you work crazy hours on a cruise, but I definitely know people who have had a blast aboard a ship for 6 months at a time!

SAT/ACT/GRE/LSAT/MCAT abroad – I had some friends who worked in Shanghai at a company that provided test courses for Chinese interested in studying in the US.

Stoke Travel – this company hires travelers to work events and festivals around the world. I went to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany with Stoke Travel and they are bad ass. They do festivals around the world and you would work to make sure the camp site is all good, cook, hangout, check people in, and more. I have had a couple of friends work with them for 3 month periods and have had the absolute best time. It isn’t the highest paying job, but it is awesome!

These are just a few ways to think outside of the box to do cool things without breaking the bank. Do you have anything to add, or anything you would like more information about? Let’s keep talking, the list could go on and I’m happy to share my experiences, and the experiences of people I know!