If you want to live the moneyless lifestyle in a colder climate, one of the biggest challenges may be to find free housing. But here is something you can try, which has worked for me.
Since it was not free to advertise for a place to live, I decided to send an email to everyone who had a room or apartment for rent. I got notifications for all rooms and apartments that came up for rent and just sent my story to everyone. I figured that someone might give me a positive response at some point, which is exactly what happened.
This is the email I sent out:
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Hello,
I am interested in the room / apartment you have for rent.
I am doing a one year challenge to see if I can live entirely without spending any money (i.e. only trading things and finding free stuff). After getting quite creative, I have been able to live comfortably without spending anything since December 2014. Now, I want to take it one step further and see if I can do the same thing with the last expense I have left, which is housing!
In exchange for housing, I can offer:
* All the food the other roommates / you and your family and/or pets will ever need. I get a lot of left-over food from supermarkets: a big part of it I also donate to charities. You will never need to go shopping again! I get lots of fruits, vegetables and some meat, fish and dairy products. And practically everything else you may need.
* I can teach about saving much money and living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle
* Shared cooking
* I can teach meditation and Reiki, or give Reiki
* I can look after your house / pets / farm animals when you are on holiday or away on trips
* I can look after horses or teach horse riding/horse care
* I am a certified English teacher (TEFL) and translator
* I can do occasional chores around the house / property such as gardening
* ...
I am a tidy and quiet person (I don’t party or socialize much, and enjoy silence), very reliable and I don't smoke / drink. I also use water and electricity very sparingly, because I am very environmentally conscious. I am currently doing a PhD at Dragvoll in Environmental Psychology. I am from the Netherlands originally.
Of course we should meet beforehand and talk over the details, or even schedule a trial period. I live in Steinan at the moment.
If you are intrigued by or interested in what I do and have to offer, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to send me a message if you want to meet with me, or if you have any questions or suggestions :)
Kind regards,
Liselotte (or Lisa)
PS: I have good references too! My landlord says I am her favorite renter, because I am very quiet and easygoing.
Pps: I am learning Norwegian at the moment, so hopefully i will be able to talk with you in Norwegian soon :)
Ppps: for more information, see robgreenfield.tv/liselotte and liselotteroosen.blogspot.com
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Feel free to use this email as a concept if you also want to find a free place to live! Of course make sure to sign off with your own name, list your personal skills and link to your blog. Another option is contacting the local newspaper and getting an article published on your lifestyle, including a request for free housing.
The family who has lovingly offered me a room in their house, said they didn't even want anything in return for my stay with them. They were just really inspired by the way I live and wanted to somehow be a part of it. It shows there are still people who are willing to help others for other reasons than money or other material forms of personal gain. I am extremely grateful that I get to experience this directly, often on a daily basis.
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