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If an internship, temporary work situation or
the time gap between selling your old house and closing on
a new one means you need to find a place to live for a little
while, don't think the only option is an overpriced hotel.
There are lots of smart ways to keep costs down.
From university resources to international organizations to
monasteries, it's possible and often fun to save on housing,
transportation and food in an unfamiliar place.
For students -- and nonstudents
Start your search for short-term savings
by thinking like a student.
"One tip is to follow
leads at universities and private research institutions, which
tend to attract a transient population of students and visiting
faculty," says Alvin Snider, a professor at the University
of Iowa who has done short-term stints in Washington, D.C.,
and Chicago.
Check out online housing boards and housing
phone lines operated by universities near your target destination,
and read budget-travel guides that students read.
"I've done short-term
stays in San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle," says
Judy Copeland, a writer in Iowa City. "The 'Let's Go'
and 'Lonely Planet' guidebooks list hotels and guest houses
where you can negotiate weekly or monthly rates.
"Another place to look is the Web sites
of commercial schools that offer week-long courses,"
Copeland adds. "They often recommend reasonable weekly
rental places.
Sometimes you can snag something downright cheap
that way, she says.
"In San Diego, I found a clean, centrally
located residential hotel, with a microwave and refrigerator
in my room, for less than $100 a week," Copeland says.
"In Seattle, I found a place with similarly
low rates, but my room had roaches in it. Sometimes the price
is too good to be true."
Copeland says planning ahead is the best way
to avoid disaster.
"The key to a good room at a cheap weekly
or monthly rate is to reserve in advance," she says.
Head to the International House
If you'd like to make new friends from
around the world while living in a residence with a stellar
-- and roach-free -- reputation, check out International House.
Located in 15 cities worldwide, I-House is open
to interns, professional trainees and graduate students. In
some cities, travelers, professors and scholars of all ages
are welcome too.
I-House can make staying in pricey cities such
as New York, San Francisco and Tokyo a real
possibility.
"I had a short-term job at the University
of California at Berkeley and Mills College, but one in which
I was offered absolutely no assistance in securing housing,"
says Marge Murray, a mathematician.
"I'd been to Berkeley before and so I knew
to contact International House, where I paid something like
$1,800 for room and board during my stay.
"Sounds like a lot," Murray says,
"but I didn't have to pay utilities, bother about furniture
or cooking or subletting or anything like that."
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