couchsurfing.org

so if you haven't already check this site out.

It's basically a place where people who are travelling can meet and offer up place sto stay to people in their neighbourhood or find a place to crash when they are on the road. With the biggest cost of travelling being hotels, this sight could end up saving you thousands, provided you are happy to crash with a relative stranger. Still, my friend Kurt did Guam and Saipan with this and swears by it. My friend Geoff is using it in Osaka/Kyoto right now (I'll be very interested to hear his opinions on it as well). I mean Japan without having to pay hotel/hostel prices? Sweet.

On the reverse you can end up hosting someone or even just meeting up for coffee or a daytrip. I've been asked by a German girl travelling to meet up/hang out. She had talked about crashing here but I think found a girl to crash with and was more comfortable with that (very understandable) but we may still end up doing Haeinsa on the Sunday. Meeting a random backpacker from Germany? Also Sweet.

Anyway, for more than a few of my readers this could be useful, if you sign up I can give you a good recommendation (It's good to have a few so people are more comfortable when messaging you, especially if you are a guy) if you let me know.