THE TRAVEL CLUB IN NAMIBIA. fotografija: Marko Đedović
Most of us have had the opportunity to spend at least some time with their grandmother. Some grandmothers are more and some are less typical. Now imagine a completely typical grandmother in a situation where she gives advice to her grandchild about the world:
"Do not talk to strangers!"
"Never get into a car with a stranger!"
"Never take candy from a stranger on the street!"
"Be careful how you cross the road!"
Something like that. Nobody can deny that these are all very good advice. For a 7-year-old. But many of us still follow the same behavioral pattern at 37! A journey seems like quite an unthinkable thing if you are afraid of foreigners. Meanwhile the world can easily be visited — and with an extremely low budget — by doing quite the opposite of grandmother's advice! (Except for tips for crossing the street, one should always be aware and awake.) But let's not throw all grandma's advice overboard, you should be wise and know what you are doing! It is, however, only our decision whether to hide in some dusty corner, or to take off to the big white world full of danger and possibility and live our dreams!
Now let's forget grandma's advice for a moment. Do you feel like traveling? No money? Doesn't matter! You will be neither the first nor the last person that hangs out around the world without money. This style of travel requires huge amounts of sacrificing comfort, rejecting shame, having belief in the universe and other people, and being ingenious and creative. If you can do it, the results are extremely rewarding. Remember that magic happens outside of our comfort zone.This text was written by people who have traveled with little or no money - it is possible!
First let's consider the vicious circle of work, time and money. To live, we need money. In order to get the money, we get jobs. And to have a steady job, we need to be living in one place (mostly) and spend money just to live there. Rarely are we left with enough money to travel. We are also limited with time - therefore to travel, we need much preparation, strict sticking to our schedule and sufficient budget.
Now imagine what it would be like to jump out of this vicious circle! We are not working for money. We are not tied to one place. Suddenly we have enormous freedom and all the time in the world! Now if we accept the idea that it is possible to travel with no money - nothing can prevent you from living your dreams!
(If you're dreaming about traveling, of course. Some people dream about completely different things.)
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1. Food
1.1. Recycling food
1.2. Restaurants
1.3. Soup kitchens and social centers
1.4. The issue of shame and morality
1.5. Making food on the road
1.6. Hunters/gatherers
1.7. Water
2. Sleeping
2.1. Wild camping
2.2. Camping equipment
2.3. Hospitality exchange pages
2.4. Volunteering and labor exchange
2.5. Meditation centers, Rainbow Gatherings and hitchhikers' reunions
2.6. Other places
3. Transportation
3.1. Hitchhiking
3.2. Hitchhiking across water and air
3.3. Bike or on foot
3.4. Cheap flights, trains and carpooling
4. Its Majesty - the Internet
5. Penniless cosmetics (if you are really are hard-core)
6. Finding jobs on the road
7. Other tips and links
1. Food
Believe it or not, people do not eat money, people eat food. And food is everywhere! Regarding penniless traveling, countries can be roughly divided into two categories: rich countries and those that are not. In developed countries you can live from waste. In poor countries, people are generally very friendly and very happy to help if you explain your situation.
1.1. Recycling food
Developed countries are extremely wasteful, and one can easily survive off their waste. In English it's known as "dumpster-diving" (also "skipping" in England or "bin-diving" in Australia). The concept is very simple; instead of entering the store, bypass it, find its dumpster, open it and dig in! You are likely to find a lot of high quality edible food!
A few tips for recycling food:
• Dig the container after the store is closed - so you will have more privacy and it is less likely that someone will drive you away. Also, it is usually the best time because many of the shops throw away products just before closing. It is possible, of course, to dig by day, just be conscientious and without shame.
• Be polite! If everything is packed in bags, you can easily feel the weight and touch to determine if there is food in each bag or not. If you feel something promising, untie the bag, dig over, and then re-tie. Sometimes you have to forcibly open the bag, but still try to be as clean as possible and do not throw stuff on the floor. If you take stuff out to have a deeper look, do not forget to return it all inside and eventually close the container. Best let everything look as before because the neater you leave it, the better chance that nobody will be disturbed by your activity, and shopkeepers will not resort to locking the container. Try to be as quiet as possible, even if it is difficult (when you encounter a pound of chocolate biscuits, you generally begin screaming with joy).
• The golden rule of recycling food is to go straight to the bottom! Do not be shy, it is possible that at the top of the container there is nothing, but at the bottom yummy surprises abound. A simple trick is to tilt the container.
• Concerning the equipment, for night-digging you will need a flashlight. The forehead lights are the best for the task, but anything can be used (even your third eye). Note also that some containers are dirty, and that good food can have some yogurt or rotten fruit spilled over it. Do not let that stop you! If you are disgusted by touching something sticky, you can bring along rubber gloves, a bottle of water or wet wipes. Be sure to take along a bag, backpack or large saddlebags for the bike. You'll have to take all the food home somehow! Also, you can often find discarded boxes next to the container; they can come in handy to carry the spoils!
• If you want to know what to take and what not, it depends on you. Forget the religious belief in the expiration date. In the European Union, these dates were moved forward, and very often you can find quite edible dairy products that have expired a few days ago. Often there is also food that has not expired or a packaging of, for example, ten oranges, where one is rotten, the other nine are perfect, but everything has to be discarded. Food edibility also depends on the outside temperature; winter food stays cold and can be frozen. Over the summer, it spoils faster - but it depends, sometimes in mid-summer you run into a yogurt that is still cold, which means it has just been wasted. Experiment, see what you come across, what you like and what you don't. Trust your senses of smell and taste more than the date. While this is common sense, it should be noted that it is best to avoid taking the product packaging which is open and glass bottles and cans that are no longer vacuum packed.
• It is possible to find things that are not food. Take a peek behind the sports shop, it's amazing the kind of things you can find - last season's clothes, shoes and even backpacks, panniers, and lights for bicycles! Such catches are rare, but very valuable!
• Recycling & law - the legal status of these activities depends on the country. In some countries, such as France, the garbage does not belong to anyone, and digging through a dumpster is legal. In many countries it is not, but no one will sue; the only potential inconvenience is that someone will ask you to stop and leave the container. Sometimes the containers are locked or hidden behind fences. Although "trespassing" is illegal, if you do this at night, it is quite possible that you can often find very good things. Of course, if you ever attempt such activities, do it on your own responsibility and with an extra dose of caution.
• The most useful site for recycling food is TRASHWIKI - where everyone is writing collectively for everyone! Wiki is full of articles about the types of containers and explanations of different terms, such as dumpster-diving, freeganism and the like. You can type in a location, state or city that you are interested in, check the legal status and see if anyone wrote the location of any good places. If you find yourself in a good location, please add it to this collective wiki!
1.2. Restaurants
How to eat in countries where there is no garbage? Take candy from strangers on the street. Moreover, if you are not too shy, you can go to any restaurant or turn to street vendors; introduce yourself to them, explain who you are and what you are, where you come from and how you are traveling and ask whether perhaps they have some leftovers or any food that they can give away for free. Preferably, ask in the local language. You would not believe how positively people respond to such a question. It may seem incredible, but in reality people are quite benevolent beings, and if they are directly asked for help, they will gladly be at your disposal. You can also offer your help, a little sweep or wash of the dishes, but most people will respond with a smile and tell you to sit down, ask you random questions and give you some food. If you think about it, a plate of rice and two tortillas are not a big financial loss for a restaurant, and the whole situation is a surprise that often delights. Best is to ask the owner directly, since employees sometimes do not know what to do. It is possible that someone says no, but if this doesn't discourage you, you can easily survive without money. You might find this hard to believe, but you are more likely to eat healthy restaurant food on the road when you are broke; when traveling low budget you usually end up eating the cheapest pasta with tomato sauce every day.
1.3. Soup kitchens and social centers
In some countries you can easily find centers that serve hungry people free food. Contrary to popular belief, these places do not exist solely for the "crazy" homeless people, but for all those who are hungry and have no money to feed themselves on a regular basis. If you show up in such a place as a stray penniless traveler, people will be happy to help you, feed you and listen to your story. You can offer your help with a cleaning and the like, even though most of these places will not accept it. You can find a place where you can get food products, and even garments, shoes and cosmetics. Ask local people or Google. In Europe, for example, the Red Cross and Emmaus can help you.
1.4. The issue of shame and morality
If you need something, it can be found, even if by asking warmhearted people or social centers. There is nothing wrong and nothing to be ashamed of. If you do not have money, you do not have money. It does not matter whether you lost your job or you are poor by choice. But always be positive, offer help, offer thanks, and, of course, help others whom you encounter! For instance, if you go hunting in the garbage and you find a lot of things, and on the way back home you encounter someone begging - offer them something of what you have found. Tell them where it came from and how they too could find food. Some are only interested in money, but you'd be surprised how many beggars had no idea that a lot of fine food lies in containers! And everyone always accepts the occasional yogurt, biscuits or chocolate, something that is easy to eat and does not require cooking. It is vital to drag your mind out of the usual harmony of reciprocity. Just because someone has helped you does not mean you owe them anything more than sincere gratitude. Also, whenever you can, help others without expecting anything from them in return!
1.5. Making food on the road
If you prefer to make food yourself, a very inexpensive alternative to the sometimes expensive portable stoves (expensive because you often have to buy special gas in special containers) is to make your own stove. You can make it from empty cans of beer or coke, which then burn with medical alcohol (the higher the percentage, the better). It can be easily found in most countries and is cheaper than gas in small containers).
You can also use cans to make a small wood stove - something bigger and heavier, but good if you are traveling with more people and cooking for all. Also, there is always a possibility to make a small fire - just be very careful.
While camping, you can easily make breakfast or coffee without cooking. Before bed, you can soak the oatmeal with plain water (and optionally add cinnamon, sugar, chocolate) and in the morning eat a fine oatmeal. You can easily make a cold frappe or a bit of instant coffee (optional sugar) in a bottle, add water and shake vigorously! You won't get some fine coffee, but for very little money it works to meet caffeine addiction. Think about it. Going to the cafe for a cup of coffee every day comes down to a lot of money in the long run. Buying one pack of instant coffee pays for itself after three days of cold Frappes.
You may also carry one of those thermos bottles in which you can make hot coffee, tea, oatmeal or simple soup. In most restaurants or cafes, people will be happy to donate a cup of hot water, and you can also request it at gas stations or even homes of random people.
1.6. Hunters/gatherers
Do not forget, of course, to pick fruits and collect nuts. You can also fish. In some countries it is legal if you do not have any complicated equipment. Even in those countries where it is not legal, rarely will anyone mind if you just fish with a fishing string, hook and sinker (or a stone). A very simple fishing device can be made from empty cans or small bottles - just tie the string and wrap it around the bottle/can, throw the sinker as far as you can, and let the string from the bottle/can in your hand unwrap. Something like this. The same can be done without the bottle, just keep the cord on a plastic spool or the first stick that you find in the forest.
1.7. Water
Do not believe the lies of bottled water manufacturers. In many countries it is completely ok to drink tap water. You don't have to buy plastic bottles all the time, just buy one and keep it with you - you can always refill it at the next pub or a restaurant. And even if the locals do not drink tap water, they will be happy to refill it for you from their water cooler. For free. Just ask, smile and thank them. Another option is to use filters - mechanic, chemical or whichever. You can even boil water or leave it in the sun for a day, in a transparent glass bottle, for example. The most convenient thing for travels might be to take something like Lifestraw because it's small and light. There are all sorts of equally good options, but they all require initial financial investment. You could also try contacting one of the companies and offering your advertising services in exchange for free products (it works - we tested it).
2. Sleeping
With the Internet it is quite possible to sleep around without any equipment. But if you look up to the snail and bring your house with you, the chances of finding a place to sleep increase and you have more freedom to roam the sparsely populated regions. Often there is a possibility to spend the night (if you have no choice) at bus stations, on park benches, on beaches, in railway stations and even abandoned houses and all sorts of houses. Use your imagination!
2.1. Wild Camping
In many places it is possible to camp in the wild, and in some countries (such as Canada, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and Scotland) even legal. Do not be loud, do not make a fire, that is. Be hidden and be smart, do not stay for many days but only overnight, and everything should be okay. Even if someone catches you, generally you will not have big problems if you explain that you are a poor traveler who just got tired and decided to sleep.
You can also ask people for hospitality. Just knock/ring the doorbell at the door, explain who you are and so on and ask if you could camp in their yard. Sometimes people will reject, and sometimes accept. Often they will initially be suspicious (after all, most of the world watches stupid movies on TV), but when they get to know you, they will relax, and might even offer some food or a chance to take a shower.
2.2. Camping equipment
While some people prefer tents, others prefer just karimats or tent curtains. Another alternative is the hammock, which can be very compact, spacious and high quality — such as those that come with a mosquito net (and thus close fully). The advantage of tents is that you do not need trees, it's easier to move around in them, dress, etc. and you can put in all your stuff or invite someone to join you there. The advantage of the hammock is that it is easier to hide among the trees, it is always as comfortable because you are not pierced by random stones, cones and trees, and you are not on the potentially wet floor. The hammock is more enjoyable over the summer, but over the winter it's difficult (but not impossible) as far as insulation from the cold goes. Whether you are camping with a tent or hammock, a simple layer does miracles! This can be a costly camping karimat, a simple spongy thing for yoga or the beach, and even those films that are placed on automobile windshields to reflect the sun. The latter one can even reflect your heat back to your body and you can sometimes find them discarded or lost along the road. To sum up, isolation from soil and air is very important!
As for the sleeping bag, if you plan to go strictly through houses of foreigners over the Internet, a light summer bag for the whole year is enough. However, if you plan to camp outside in the countryside in the summer holiday season, consider the option to get something heavier and more expensive- a warmer bag. An alternative to buying a warmer bag is to create an extra layer of synthetic blankets (literally, take one or two synthetic blankets, stitch them and put inside the sleeping bag). If you want a more advanced do-it-yourself version, find a few old feather pillows and make an inner bag from blankets and feathers. Imagination helps!
2.3. Hospitality exchange pages:
The Internet is a magical thing for penniless traveling! There are many pages on which you can find people like you that can host you for a few days, or longer. Currently, the most famous website by far with the most users is Couchsurfing.
In addition to sending messages and requests, you can make so-called open requests - where you just type in where you are going and when, explain a little about your journey and wait to see if anyone invites you. The advantage of this is that you really can be brutally honest and write something like: "I may pass through here, maybe not, I'm hitchhiking, so I have no idea. If someone would be so nice as to invite me, please send me the address and phone number so I can call you if I show up there." Of course, you ought to write something about yourself and your life and be humorous and positive. You'd be surprised how well people respond to such open requests!
But if you are looking for people like you, CS is good because you can join a group of your interest, such as groups for hitchhikers if you travel by hitchhing, or groups for cyclists if you go by bike. Then you can limit the profiles found in a particular city only to people who were in the groups that interest you. For example, you go to Belgrade, you find all the people who offer accommodation in Belgrade, but limit it only to people who are in a group called "Hitchhikers". Hitchhiking colleagues understand that you cannot give them the exact hour of arrival. Also, you can limit the search with one word; for example, Couchsurfing can give you the listing of people in Paris who mention the word "squat" in their profile, or search the whole world for people who mention "garlic". You can find people who can accommodate more than three surfers, or people who accept children or pets. Play around a bit and find out what you can do.
WarmShowers - Hospitality exchange page, but mainly for people traveling on two wheels (cycling).
BeWelcome - a similar system to Couchsurfing, the site is younger and has a much smaller number of users, but it is a non-profit organization (CS has become a profit-making organization, and many passionate travelers avoid it). BeWelcome is also simpler to use - you just send and receive messages, you do not get frightened by a huge variety of windows and all sorts of options.
HospitalityClub - another alternative to CS, less known, and lately seems to be somewhat extinct.
Airbnb - the same as Couchsurfing, only there is an exchange of money. Some people are comfortable living like this. Different cups of tea.
2.4. Volunteering and labor exchange
In addition to these sites, there are also a number of sites about volunteering or exchange of labor for food and lodging. The concept is not to work too much, but up to 5 hours 5 days a week, and in exchange receive accommodation and meals. This is a great opportunity to rest from a long trip, a chance to read a book, to get to know an area, or learn new skills. However, it should be noted that often you will not learn anything extra magical or cool, but do all kinds of normal everyday tasks like pulling weeds (of course there are exceptions!), and you will often work more than five hours. You can choose to work on farms, in hostels or to take care of kids, horses or something else.
VolunteersBase - quite a new site, but completely free.
ThePoosh - another free alternative voluntary base, in this case exclusively for environmental building projects.
FreeWwoof - a list of some of WWOOF that have agreed to be available on the list free of charge.
WorkAway - page that charges 23€ (or 30€ for two people) to access a large base of contacts for volunteering on various projects (farms, families, hostels, social centers) around the world. Membership is valid for two years.
HelpX - 20€ for one person or a couple (the same price), volunteering on any projects around the world for two years. In principle the same as WorkAway, only a little cheaper, less fancy site, less contacts in Europe, but more in North America.
WWOOF - probably the most famous site in volunteering, but only on organic farms. Membership depends on the country (somewhere it is free, but most need you to pay for one year, only for that country).
EVS - European Voluntary Service - anyone younger than 30 may spend up to a year in a European country, living and volunteering in exchange for food, housing and spending money.
Aupair - babysitting abroad in exchange for room, board and symbolic allowance.
Erasmus Placement - we believe that you have all heard of Erasmus. However, there is also Eramus professional practice, which under the new rules you can do after graduation, but you must complete it no later than 12 months after graduation. The duration is from 3 to 12 months, and the first 6 months have a monthly scholarship, amount of which depends on the country you are going to. From "our" countries, Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia are included. For more information please contact the ECTS coordinator at your college or the international office of your university.
Eurodyssee - professional practice that covers most European countries, but not in general, only by region. If your region is not included in the project, you can go to the city, county or regional authorities and inform them about the program and encourage them to join. Everyone between 18 and 30 years can attend the practice from three to seven months. They pay you a flat and living expenses, and sometimes travel expenses.
2.5. Meditation centers, Rainbow Gatherings and hitchhikers' reunions
Another way to have a little rest from the constant traveling is Vipassana meditation centers. Everyone is welcome there, you can find them in many countries, and they operate via donations. If you have something to contribute, contribute, if you cannot, you do not have to. You must, however, be able to stand stay put for a longer time and (obviously) be interested in meditation.
There are also meeting places of the Rainbow Family, who are basically modern hippies and alternative travelers that meet in one place, live together, cook together and eat and maintain all sorts of activities such as large fires, improvised concerts and the like. Basically the information is not entirely public, and you have to be invited, but when you start to travel, you easily meet people who can give you the link to this site or something like that. As far as Rainbow goes, you can meet many nice people, but beware of the rainbow-rrhee. (It's a euphemism for a possible consequence of collective Rainbow cuisine. The name is given by the very Rainbow people, so it's no big deal.)
In Europe, and often elsewhere, you may find hitchhikers' rendezvous. In Europe, the strongest group is the Facebook group HitchGathering that connects a diverse network of hitchers who meet once a year, but communicate all throughout the year about this and that.
2.6. Other places
If you're sleepy, you're sleepy. The less comfort you need, the more choices you have. Everything ranging from abandoned houses, construction sites and park benches to slides, beaches and even bathrooms can serve as a temporary shelter. If you need some place safe, you can always look for a fire station, Red Cross, church or even a police station. If you ask the church be sure to talk directly with the priest, firefighters will let you use their shower sometimes, the Red Cross will usually receive you, and the police respond surprisingly well; they may suggest where to go wild camping, or even offer you a bed in an empty cell. You can ask at gas stations and hospitals, or at bus and train stations.
3. Transportation
Considering the act of moving from point A to point B, there are many many (many!) alternatives to conventional means of transport, which basically just drive you around like a suitcase anyway. If you do not have money, it usually means that you have the freedom (remember the vicious circle?) and can therefore resort to methods of travel that require more time, effort and creativity.
3.1. Hitchhiking
This is of course entering the cars of strangers. Judging from the collective experience of the Travel Club members who have thousands and thousands of kilometers of experience, this form of traveling is completely safe despite much prejudice against it. Many articles can be found in our section Hitchhiker's Guide (coming up soon).
3.2. Hitchhiking across water or air
In addition to stopping vehicles that move on the ground (these may not always be cars), it is possible to hitchhike boats and even catch free transoceanic sail rides as a crew member. Of course. experience with boats is an advantage!
Find a Crew - create a profile and find people who are looking for a crew
FloatPlan - the same thing, just free
CrewSeekers - another one of those sites
There are even people who have hitched planes, mostly private, but sometimes even commercial ones! There are no great tips about it, you just have to be lucky enough (and decisive enough) to run into the right person at the right time and explain your situation. Some people simply hang around airports and ask people to buy them a ticket. They mainly target the people in suits, some of whom are able to tell their company that they missed a flight and buy a new ticket to give to you. Sounds impossible, but it is generally so ridiculous that it is possible.
3.3. Bike or on foot
If you get bored with depending on other means of transport, you can always try to do longer tours by bike, and if that's too fast for you, you can walk! If you have a bike, people will be more willing to help. I guess because it is a bit more demanding to travel by bike, and because of the tarnished image of a hitchhiker produced by stupid movies. On the other hand, everyone believes a tired cyclist.
3.4. Cheap flights, carpooling and trains
In today's world of business, there are many, many cheap flights. Skyscanner is quite good because you can type in a search to wherever, throughout the whole year. You may find, for example, flights from Spain to Mexico for 100€ or from Germany to Brazil for 280€. You can get to Australia for $400 if you first fly from Norway to Thailand ($250) and then from Thailand to Australia ($150). Play around and see what is offered! Google Flight Explorer is also a good search engine. Although it still does not support all countries or flights, for those that are supported it's absolutely ingenious because it allows a lot of freedom with the setting options. It will even throw in a map with destinations and prices. For flights around Europe, AzAir is a good search engine because it provides the possibility to search neighbouring airports, as well. For instance, you can search for flights to London not only from Belgrade, but at the same time from Timisoara, Budapest and other nearby towns. For those who do not have a clearly defined destination, but only want to budge, I suggest the site Drungli - type the city of departure and the date of your journey, and the engine will show you where to fly the cheapest at that time.
BlaBlaCar is one of the so-called carpooling sites, a place where people offer to drive you to a specific destination, often for much less money than you need for a bus or a train ticket. It is only necessary to create a profile, find and arrange a ride.
4. Its Majesty - the Internet
Many people travel with all kinds of smart phones, computers and tablets. All of this is nice, and can be useful, but you can be without it - you can! To get free internet and computer access, you can often go to public libraries, bookstores, tourist offices and photocopying shops. If you have no other options and you really do not have any money, you can ask for free 15 minutes of internet in an internet cafe - and generally, people will allow with a smile!
But if you have your device, free internet can sometimes be found on the streets, and very often in the mentioned libraries and tourist offices. McDonald's restaurants generally have insecure networks, as do similar chain restaurants. These places are usually crowded and no one will notice if you show up with a computer and do not order anything. Also, if you are persistent enough, you can always break an occasional wifi password (surprisingly enough, the bar name and the password are often the same).
If you are thinking of buying a device, keep in mind what you need the device to do. If you need it just to check mail and FB, it is enough to have a smartphone that catches wifi. E-book readers are a good alternative because the battery lasts a long time, newer models can use internet, and apparently you can also read books. But if you love to have more freedom for writing and photo processing, bring your own laptop, and keep in mind that this is potentially a lot of unnecessary weight.
5. Penniless cosmetics (if you are really hard core)
Dental hygiene - this may sound impossible, but teeth do not have to be washed with toothpastes from shops (and stay away from fluoride btw!). Some travelers use salt (yes, salt that comes from the sea). You can always easily find a little salt, and wear it in a box, such as the one from Kinder eggs. Or just jump into the sea with a toothbrush. Others do not use anything but a toothbrush or water. It is also possible to create your own toothpaste, either in the form of paste or powder with dried herbs. You can also use baking soda (with coconut flour or corn flour).
Personal hygiene - some people wash without soap. As an alternative, to remove the dirt, you can use the ashes (great for smelly hands or washing dishes) or sand (great if you're near the sea where there is sand). Some travelers wash their hair with baking soda, or they wash everything - body, hair and clothes – with simple soap, the one our grandmothers from the beginning of the story used. You can also Google how to make a deodorant, soap, and toothpaste. It's easy.
Clothing - You do not have to pay for washing-machines. If you travel independently, you should be able to wash an occasional T-shirt and underwear by hand. One piece of advice is that whenever you can, wash one shirt and shorts and dry them by attaching to your backpack.
As for ladies and "that time of the month", a very good alternative to the constant buying of pads and tampons (this advice does not apply only for travels) are silicone cups. The concept may sound strange, and you will definitely need a period of adjustment. But once you get used to it, you will think it's wonderful that you do not have to worry about the supplies, costs, availability and ecology of pads. Maintaining your hygiene while camping will be easy, you just need to have access to water (tap or bottled).
6. Finding jobs on the road
If you become penniless and you don't like it, you can always try to find a job. If you move around enough and ask the right people, you can find all sorts of unlisted jobs. The job that most travelers turn to when expanding their budget is picking fruit – PickingJobs. However, chances of finding such a job over the Internet are slim; it is advised to go to your desired country before the fruit picking season starts and ask around and find something.
Also, you can always try to earn some money as a street musician. If you can play something, that is.
There are so-called Working Holiday visas for Canada and Work & Travel programs for the US. These options allow you to travel and work legally in these countries. In case you want to stay there, this too is possible if you manage to find an employer willing to take you on for a longer time. This gives you the possibility to apply for a work visa (however, in that case you literally become a visa slave of the employer!). In these countries it is easy to find simpler jobs such as cleaning, carrying furniture, doing seasonal jobs etc., or even some better paid jobs if you know a craft or two.
7. Other tips and links
This dude wrote an entire book about living without money, you can read it on the net for free, in English only however: The Moneyless Manifesto.
Life is possible without a mobile phone. If you are changing your country all the time, owning such a device becomes very expensive and pointless, unless it is used purely for accessing free internet. It is useful, however, to have a number of people with whom you plan to spend the night because you can easily ask someone on the street to borrow you their cell phone to send an SMS or make a short call if it appears to be a necessity.
You are not required to buy maps if they are not in your budget. A very simple trick is to consult Google maps, or somebody else's maps (also, maps in gas stations or bookstores will do fine), use a camera (if you have one), and take a picture of the part you need. You can also draw a sketch or write the names of roads and places through which you plan to go. As for city maps, you can get them for free not only in a tourist office, but also in any hotel, without being a guest.
And you can always come to our forum to read some more tips.
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Photos are taken from different trips of members of The Travel Club, from Africa (Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Sudan, Kenya, Namibia), through Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Turkey), till Jordan.
Authors of photos: Inesa Adamonyte, Lazar Pašćanović, Uroš Krčadinac, Tibor Miglinci, Marko Đedović and Sanja Prodan.
