Identifying oneself as a Gypsy is no longer something which comes by default as a result of being born into a Gypsy family. Like a lot of other things these days, being a Gypsy has become more of a lifestyle choice than anything else. Sure, there are people who prefer to use the term “nomad,” but in true modern-day traveller style, identifying as a modern-day Gypsy perhaps explains the ever-growing wanderlust a little better. Fundamentally, the typical Gypsy lifestyle, as it existed a few decades ago, had these types of nomads never having to pay for accommodation. That now iconic Gypsy caravan was all they needed by way of a roof over their heads, wherever it is they made their way to. The modern day Gypsy-type nomad could never really practically bring a caravan along wherever they went, especially since travelling globally is a lot more accessible and a lot more desirable.

So if you are indeed a modern day Gypsy of sorts, the caravan you may or may not have owned in your life is replaced by whatever form of accommodation you can score for free on your travels. Yes it is indeed possible to travel all over the show and never spend a single penny on the actual accommodation and bed (or couch) you spend the night at, even if you plan to travel to faraway places that require you to cross oceans. Money will inevitably have to be spent on other aspects of living out your desire to travel however, like on food and some of the activities you’ll naturally want to take part in, as well as the actual costs of travelling. But that’s how it was anyway, for those Gypsies from the misty days of yore – they had to find ways of earning money wherever it was they found themselves, so as to feed themselves and cover other basic living expenses.

It’s no different for the modern day Gypsy, otherwise known as a digital nomad in that you probably have a laptop in-tow which has you chasing Wi-Fi hotspots all over the globe so that you can plug into a world which allows you to make some money on-the-go. Back to scoring free accommodation however, there are a couple of options which are naturally very erratic and will present you with absolutely no guarantees. They’re good options nonetheless.

Couch-Surfing

This is an actual “thing” as we’re not merely referring to making friends from all over the world and asking to sleep on their couch whenever you’re in their part of the world. There’s and actual website which has formalised this idea and if you join the community you many never pay for accommodation again.

Getaway Competitions

Competitions such as the Maxinutrition Ibiza challenge make for a great way to win prizes which are inclusive of free accommodation. If you dedicate just a single hour of each day searching for these types of competitions, you’ll eventually find some that you’re almost guaranteed to win. I mean in the specific case of the Maxinutrition Ibiza challenge, winning a trip to Ibiza for you and two of your mates is only a few dedicated gym sessions away, but this sort of thing instils some good habits in you because at the end of the day, in order to win you must better yourself in some way. Trips as prizes are aplenty and if you dedicate enough of your time looking, between that and couch-surfing, your modern day Gypsy lifestyle will be in full swing, in no time.