Travel Better for Less Tip #4: Will Garden for Food and Board

Dear Reader,

Today’s Travel Better for Less Tip is a little unconventional. While it offers free room and board here in the U.S. and around the world from France to Argentina to New Zealand to Cameroon, it’s most ideal for travelers with a green thumb.

Find out more below…

And if you missed yesterday’s tip, on cruising for free with your friends, you’ll find it here.

— Lori

TRAVEL BETTER FOR LESS TIP #4 – GET DIRTY FOR FREE FOOD AND BOARD

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) publishes lists of gardeners, smallholdings, and organic farms that need help at various times during the year. The farms listed provide free room and board in exchange for about five hours of work a day.

The WWOOF coordinating organization typically charges a small matchmaking fee to offset costs and maintain its network/website at www.wwoof.org, but volunteers pay nothing for their stay and meals, and hosts pay nothing for the help they receive. This is a great way to travel, meet new people, and help make a difference in a city or regional food supply.

Bonus tip: Savvy travel writers and photographers will see another opportunity here. Organic food is a huge trend right now. Even major grocery chains are rushing to stock their shelves with local and organic goods. So spending a few hours a day on an organic farm is the perfect opportunity to put together some very saleable article/photo packages.

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]