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I currently live in single university approved housing but plan on getting married in the middle of March. I hope to buy a married on-campus housing contract that starts very soon after I get married (or perhaps before) to avoid a limbo where I have a wife and nowhere to live. However, should it be the case that this limbo exists, we are both willing to travel/survive for some time until the contract starts (you might think of it as an extended honeymoon). We are and will be living in Utah but will get married in California.

This problem is unique because I don't plan on assuming this lifestyle for just a few days (in which we could get a hotel room for not too much) or several months or years (in which case we could live in an RV, trailer, yurt, etc.). Two months seems to be a somewhat awkward time in which to not have a home.

I would prefer to avoid hitchhiking, being obviously homeless, or other potentially dangerous/rather uncomfortable solutions. I don't plan on working until around the beginning of May, but have a budget to spend on this time period. Solutions need not include a form of work other than perhaps voluntary service.

How could we travel (or at least survive) for up to two months with a budget of around $1000 per month?

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    The cheapest way to survive would be to build yourself some shelter out of local resources and hunt / gather food.
    – Jason C
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 5:33
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    There are countless ways to "survive" for 2 months--the vast majority of them are completely and obviously off-topic here. There are also countless ways to travel for 2 months on a limited or no budget. Hitchhiking , camping and busking come to mind as a popular choice--but far from the only choice, especially if you have a savings account (which your comment indicates). Short version: This question is far too vague and broad to be answered meaningfully.
    – Flimzy
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 7:00
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because this question appears to be unrelated to travel
    – CMaster
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 9:44
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    @CMaster it's a question about types of accommodation - not only is that on topic, there's even a tag for it. Similar questions include Options for cheap, private month-long stay in Munich and How to find affordable extended-stay accommodation in Latin America
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 11:26
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    @CMaster In the help center is says we can ask questions about accommodation, finances, and working/volunteering while on the go. My question definitely involves the first two and I'll consider the last one. I'm willing to narrow the question down however. How can I make it more specific?
    – intcreator
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 17:07

4 Answers 4

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If you have a car and camping gear, you can travel around southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, southern Utah for quite a while exploring all the parks and sites. For very little money. And spring is not bad time to explore the desert southwest.

If you work your way further east to the southern states, spring is when the azaleas and dogwoods blossom so a real nice time of year to be there.

If camping isn't you and your wife's cup of tea, you can often get weekly rates from little mom & pop motels in these same areas, then use it as a base and explore the region through daytrips.

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  • I thought about camping as well before writing my comment, but this only works if you already have an car with enough space for 2 people and gear to travel the country. And it's in march, so unless you drive to the southern states (which costs you more in petrol!) it might get pretty cold at night in Utah, Nevada and NV.
    – iHaveacomputer
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 3:16
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    @iHaveacomputer - Temps can be cool still at night, but southern California where it seems they are starting from after their wedding, NM, AZ and southern UT will be fine for camping in late March & April.
    – user13044
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 4:36
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Depends on your situation. Do you have to work and stay near your work place during this time, or are you on vacation or between jobs and free to go where ever you want?

If you have a job, I would look into getting a hotel or motel near your work site for the time. Talk to the owner and you can probably work out a good deal if you take a room for at least 4 weeks.

If you have no work to do during this time, it might actually be cheaper for you to fly to Cuba, Dominican Republic or maybe Thailand (if you get a good deal on flights) and spend the 1-2 months there. Accommodation and costs of living are much cheaper and you get to see exotic places.

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    I added the clarification that I probably will not be working. Thanks for the idea—perhaps what I should look into are countries with low cost of travel/accommodation?
    – intcreator
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 2:19
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    $2000 for two months in Thailand, including airfare from the USA will be near impossible. You got to remember he has a wife in tow, so two airfares.
    – user13044
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 2:38
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    My girlfriend and me have been travelling through Thailand with $800 for 6 weeks. If op can get a cheap airfare it's possible. Anyway, Cuba is a better option. We expent $700 per month and airfare is lower from USA.
    – Ivan
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 10:37
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If you don't mind getting dirty at the start of your marriage (ahem), how would you feel about volunteering on an organic farm?

WWOOFing

WWOOF (WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms) is an organisation who facilitate volunteering on organic farms. Here's their US branch.

The standard basic deal is, you get free food and accommodation on an organic farm, in return for working for free.

Two months would be a pretty typical placement. Placements can be anything from days to years, and they're usually pretty flexible about how long you do it - so long as you do make a commitment and stick to it.

You can do it almost anywhere in the world (including across the USA), and it's a popular way to have a unique experience of a place, meet people, and get immersed in a rural community for a short period. Many people who do it have some personal passion or professional interest in organic agriculture, but not all - many do it simply to get off the beaten track or live cheaply for a while while enjoying a break from the urban rat race.

Do be aware that you are expected to work proper shifts. Make sure that both you and your host have the same expectations about what level of labour will be involved.

Most hosts are friendly, interesting, passionate, often slightly batty characters running ethical small farms who'll give you a warm welcome and an interesting insight into local rural life. Check reviews and remember that as a volunteer you can just leave any time.

WWOOFing is an unusual way to honeymoon, but not that rare. I very easily found blogs and forum posts from people who did it. Here's an entire blog by a couple who went WWOOFing in New Zealand as their honeymoon, and there are plenty more examples out there.

WWOOF-honeymooning in Hawaii seems popular :-D

Just don't forget to double-check that you get private accommodation, you don't want to spend your honeymoon in a dorm :-). You can probably find somewhere where you get a whole private hut or outhouse to yourselves.

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    This is a really nice and creative one! It seems they have several opportunities worldwide. I don't think they are too hard either, to ruin a just-married couples time.
    – AKS
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 11:57
  • A friend of mine went to a college with that same idea, students work on the farm in exchange for an education.
    – Jason C
    Commented Nov 30, 2015 at 14:14
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  1. I wouldn't know how to go about it (but Google is your friend). Why not try house-sitting? You get a roof over your head and probably get paid a little too.
  2. Buy a camper van or caravan. Either something dirt cheap that you can throw away afterwards, or something which will not depreciate $1k in two months (if that is possible - perhaps you can discuss with the salesperson?).
  3. Could you live in trailer park that cheaply?
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