A Crash Course in Traveling on No Budget

Here are the resources I have used thus far in my planning stages...

AIR TRAVEL

Links:

• Student Universe (for students; not always the best bet, but definitely worth checking at least. If you find a good one, it's REALLY good)
• Kayak (find your cheapest possibility. Also has very helpful forums)
• Farecast (still in beta and only good for American in-house flights, but very helpful in its own way)
• RyanAir (Europe. Discount air, flying out of London to most of the big cities in Europe)
  
• SpiceJet (India. Round trip flights as cheap as 30 USD)
• AirAsia (SWAsia. Offering FREE seats! Flying out of Bangkok, Thailand or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
  

Tips for booking the cheapest flight:

• Look at maps first -- figure out which big cities/airports your destination is relatively close to. Same for your starting airport. Often cheaper to fly from New York/Boston/Chicago/LA than, say, Cleveland (though not always). Try multiple flight arrangements to and from any of these cities.
• Always fly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Strange early morning/late night hours.
• Don't fly during the holiday seasons! Know when the holiday season occurs for your destination.
• Sign up for DealAlerts and mailing lists with airlines. Really. It helps.
• Research 'Standby' policies. They differ from airline to airline, or sometimes don't exist at all. They can be a hastle, but if you've got the stamina and the flexibility, they are a thousand times more cost effective.
• If you have an obscure flight pattern which involves one or more layovers at a commonly used airport [ie, Paris, New York, Atlanta, LAX, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, etc.), try one-ended flights to and from. For example, you want to fly from Saigon, VN to Chennai, India but the flights are $1200 and up, roundtrip. You notice your flights all layover in KL, Malaysia. Check roundtrip flights from Saigon to KL and from KL to Chennai. Simple math. You've just saved $400.
• Don't stop checking. Over and over and over. Don't buy until you're sure, but buy as early as you possibly can. If you miss the cheapest window (I've been told it closes about a month before your intended departure), fly standby. Fo' sho'.

LODGINGS:

Links:

• HostelWorld (For everywhere)
• CouchSurfing (Reccomended with caution: as an 18-year-old American girl travelling alone, I will not be using this service... The nature of the beast is questionable. However, with the right connections, it's the perfect way to go.)
• StudentUniverseHostels

PROGRAMS:

Links:

• TEWOAF (The East-West Overseas Aid Foundation. Austrailian organization that sets up children's homes/relief centers in SW India where a person can board for free in exchange for tutoring/administrative assistance)
• IICD Michigan or IICD Mass (The Institute for International Cooperation and Development. 12-month or 18-month programs, starting in the US, ending in Africa. Train teachers, fight AIDS, build schools, clean water -- whatever you want to do. They'll train you to do it, teach you the language, and send you where you're needed. Very low overhead)
  
• Idealist.org (ENORMOUS volunteering database. You have to create an account, but there are thousands upon thousands of international opportunities available)
  

This is a work in progress.