Active Lifestyle

There is an assumption that in order to be green, you need to spend money. This week on YDT we’ve decided to disprove that statement by focusing on different ways to go green without spending green.

For active lifestyle, we’re focusing on the traveler. After recently returning from a family vacation with ridiculous hotel bills for a room I was barely in, I decided that my next trip would be hotel free. While there are many hotels that have made strides in improving their carbon footprints, many still excessively wash towels and sheets daily, offer mini toiletries bottles, use chemical cleaners and are generally not energy efficient—and unfortunately many of the greener varieties are still on the pricey side. But if you’re not going to stay at a hotel and you don’t have friends or family to crash with, what options are there?

It turns out a whole lot, if you think outside the box. Here is a roundup of creative house swaps and stays you can opt for when steering clear of the traditional accommodations:

Creative Caravan: Creative Caravan is a sublet or house swap service for individuals working in the creative industries (e.g. fashion, marketing, media, design, etc.) Some of the listings are for sublets, but others are up for a direct swap—my Sydney Beach Pad for Your NYC apt anyone? You can list your home, make a request and search for free at http://www.creativecaravan.net/ .

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Couch Surfing: Couch surfing is “creating a better world, one couch at a time.” Not only do you get a free place to stay (though taking your host out to dinner is a very nice gesture), it’s a wonderful way to culturally connect to the area you are visiting. Whether you’re a long-term traveler who is tired of staying at hostels/hotels or a short-termer who wants a more local experience, you can find something that appeals to you. Couch surfing has been around since 2004, and since then there have been 1.25 million couches surfed around the world (and I can say that I proudly surfed a couch during a stay in London). As always it’s best to use good judgement when staying with strangers. Fortunately Coach Surfing has rating systems where previous surfers comment on their personal experience with individual hosts that help you get a better idea of who your staying with. You can learn more about Couch Surfing’s Safety Verifications here and Learn more about all of Couch Surfing at http://www.couchsurfing.org/. 

Craigslist: Like always, Craigslist can be a useful community tool, but you should always be mindful when using it especially for a house swap. Craigslist currently does not offer any additional safety verifications for house swamps, so use caution, meet the person in advance, etc. You can find House Swaps throughout Los Angeles Area and beyond at http://losangeles.craigslist.org/swp/

Hospitality Club: The Hospitality Club is an international group whose mission is to bring people from different cultures together. Not only can you get free accommodations, you can get personalized tours through town from your host, and maybe even make a lasting friendship while you’re at it. The Hospitality Club also offers safety features, culture connections and has a huge international following. Learn more at http://www.hospitalityclub.org/

While we know that these travel options might not be for everyone, they certainly do broaden your horizion and social network all the while limiting your environmental impact and out of pocket costs.

Images from creativecaravan, couch surfing, hospitality club, and vagabondish.com

Tags: Alternative Travel, Backpacking, Carbon Foot Print, Craigslist, Free accommodations, Green LA, Green Travel, Hospitality Club, House Swap, low cost accommodations