99 Ways To Live For Free In Australia

Introduction: Living for free can be a dream come true for anyone in the 21st century. With increasing prices, the economy crashing down, and an ever-growing inflation rate in the market, ways to live for free can be very helpful especially in a country like Australia. This article aims to put forward some ways to live for free in Australia.

1. Find a rent-free accommodation: The first and most effective way to cut down on your expenses so that you can live for free is to find a place that offers rent-free accommodation. This can be very hard to achieve but it is possible in a country like Australia. With government shelters and charity housings, it may be possible to actually live for free in Australia.
2. Downgrade your current apartment: If you want to live for free in Australia, stop upgrading your apartment or home. Most of the expenses on a yearly basis go into providing the money to upgrade the apartment.
3. Renting a house and then rent away individual rooms to make up for the original rent: This is one of the most effective methods to live for free in Australia. You rent an entire house and then, rent away individual rooms to different people so when they pay you the rents for those individual rooms, the total rent either exceeds or equals your rent for the entire house. And if the rent is more, it could not only let you live for free, but also you could make some amount of money on the side.
4. Airbnb: Another way to live for free in Australia is to rent out an apartment on Airbnb. Airbnb has higher rent rates and also, a high number of clients willing to rent out houses or apartments, as most of them are traveling.
5. The barter system for rent: This can be done by agreeing to do some house chores or help the owner with other work instead of paying rent. Therefore, it could be a really effective way to save rent and thus, live for free in Australia.
6. Buy a house then pay the loan with rent money: Another way to live for free in Australia is to actually buy an entire house or apartment and then rent out rooms or floors except for the part you are living in. That way, the rent at the end of the month will fully compensate for the monthly loan deposit and also the interest to be paid.
7. Live with your friends: This is by far the safest option possible. Living with your friends saves all your rent money and more. It can’t get wrong if you are living with your friends.
8. Live with your parents: If you do not have friends who are willing to take you in then it will be a very reasonable option to go back and live with your parents. It will be much easier and safer too.
9. Live at the workplace: Some offices offer stay-in options at the workplace itself. Most of these work options involve some kind of security and that is why the stay-in option is available.
10. Live in a student dorm: Student dorms are by far the cheapest places to live in. There are also government student dorms that are virtually free to live in and thus, lets you live for free in Australia.
11. Live in a rented hostel: If you can’t find a dorm, the next best option would be to live in a rented hostel. It is not free but almost free as it is specifically for the students.
12. Work to pay rent: Instead of paying rent, you could pay through your work and thus, save all the rent money. This can be done by prior agreement with the owner.
13. Exchanges: Another way to live for free in Australia is to exchange some services instead of paying rent. These services can range from doing online work to domestic help.
14. Do chores for rent: The best agreement with the owner to not pay the rent is to do their house chores as a form of compensation. This way you won’t have to pay for rent but still live in the house.
15. Living a nomadic life: This one is for adventure lovers. You can live a nomadic life by traveling from one location to another, without paying rent and thus, live for free in Australia.
16. Buy instead of renting: If you have any sort of money it will be best to buy instead of renting. Moreover, buying saves you all the interest money that you have to pay if you loan a house out.
17. Living in a vehicle: This is becoming the most popular alternative in countries like the USA, Canada, and Australia. People can live for free by staying in a convertible van with built-in amenities like a small kitchen, bathroom, and drainage system. People who lead such lives are often called living a “Van Life”.
18. Renting out a big place into small groups: This one is fairly simple. You rent a big place for yourself, then you divide it into small groups of people like a hostel does and take rent from them. And their rents will add up and cover your net rent. So technically, you are living for free!
19. Having roommates: Having roommates or sharing your room has to be the simplest idea of them all! This covers up most of the rent payable and even gives you company and safety.
20. Buying a tiny house or converting a van into a tiny house: This is fully living the van life that we mentioned earlier, but this requires owning a van, converting it into a mini house, or even buying a ready-made tiny house at a very cheap price. More and more and people are buying such tiny houses to make living almost free in Australia!
21. Traveling: Traveling can save you a lot of rent money, which would otherwise be wasted sitting idle. Travelling gives you several options to choose from to save rent like volunteering for free tours that many companies offer in Australia.
22. Real Estate Investment: Investing in real estate has become one of the safest ways to save rent in Australia. Investing in real estate allows you to own certain property and then either renting it out to give income or selling it for a high profit, either of which can be used to pay your rent.
23. Camping out: Camping out can be a great way to explore nature but also, a great and easy way to save rent and technically live for free in Australia.
24. Live in national parks: This comes in attachment to the camping point. National parks are a great way to live the adventure lifestyle while also virtually living for absolutely free.
25. Live in government-sponsored areas: In Australia, the government has sponsored halls and hostels which offer temporary free accommodation. So, technically it will be free-living if you can access one of these government-sponsored areas.
26. Live in parking lots: Another way of living for free in Australia is to live in your car or truck in parking lots.
27. Work on a ship: This is a great opportunity to explore the sea while also getting to live for free! Working on a ship comes with its fair share of perks, the first of which is of course free accommodation and food. Enjoy your life for free if you can get a job on a ship!
28. Buy a boat: If you can’t get a job on a ship, it will be the next best option. Buy a boat and then stay on it and occasionally halt at ports to get the essentials. That way, you get to experience the oceans and also live for free.
29. Do trucker jobs: Trucker jobs are for tough guys but if you want, you can easily get one. Truckers are often allowed to sleep in their trucks even though the truck is owned by the company. So technically, you will live for free if you can do the job properly.
30. Take jobs that pay you house rent allowances: Another way to live for free is to make your job pay your rent. There are a handful of such jobs in Australia which pay house rent allowances if you can show the employer your house rent proof and renting agreement papers.
31. Take up household work: Another way to save rent is opting for jobs that involve staying in the house like household work.
32. Employee benefits: Many companies offer employee benefits with free accommodation and food. Try to find out such jobs to live for free in Australia.
33. Take up government jobs: Almost all government jobs in Australia come with either free quarters or house rent allowances. Therefore, any government-employed professional will technically live for free in Australia!
34. Live in government quarters: Evenif you can’t get a government job, you can always stay in government quarters with a fellow government employee or friend. They have almost no rent so technically you will be living for free.
35. Survive on a friend’s resources: A rather unusual way to live for free will be to crash in at your friend’s place and opting to share some work while staying with him to save rent.
36. Make trips sponsored by a tourist company: Many tourist companies in Australia hire people to take their tours for reviewing purposes. You can volunteer for such jobs to travel and also stay free of rent.
37. Form an alliance: An alliance may be with the house owner so that you help him in some way in order to save rent.
38. Become a residential teacher: There are many jobs in Australia that offer free accommodation. For example, residential teachers receive free accommodation from the schools. That way, they can live rent-free.
39. Pay later: You can also sign some sort of contract with the owner that lets you pay rent at a later date when you will have a lot of money.
40. Live in: You can also live in with your friends or relatives to help save rent.
41. Offer to work for rent: Working instead of paying rent is another way to live for free in Australia.
42. Work at a restaurant: Most restaurants in Australia require cooks and other workers to stay in long after dining hours. Therefore, they also offer the workers to stay in the restaurant if they want to. By getting such a job, you can stay rent-free in Australia.
43. Driving and living: This lifestyle is famous in Western countries. Living on the road or driving and living is an easy way to save rent and live for free in Australia.
44. Build a van house: Designing a van house is another popular lifestyle in Australia. In this lifestyle, you design a van to be your home and then drive all around while paying zero rent.
45. Live in public places: Living in public places like parks and public hostels also save you from paying rent.
46. Rent hostel rooms: Hostel rooms are the cheapest form of accommodation. So if you rent one, you can technically live at a very cheap price in a country like Australia.
47. Live with students: Living with students is another great idea as you need to pay very little rent as the student dorms are very cheap in Australia.
48. Offer your work instead of rent: You can also offer to do the chores instead of paying rent. Many real estate owners are willing to accept doing chores as a form of compensation.
49. Exchange rent for other services: If not chores you can also make a pact with the house owner and exchange other services for staying in.
50. Rent out your own room while you stay at your friends’: Anothermethod to stay for free is to temporarily rent out your room and stay at a friend’s place then when you are back, save the money and pay the rent from that money.
51. Live in a lodge: Lodging is often very cheap in some places in Australia and offers almost very little to pay when compared to renting out an apartment.
52. Live seasonally: This means that, you live for some months on your vehicle while you collect money from renting out your property, and then you are back staying in your rented property and pay the rent from the collected money.
53. Pay partial rents: This can be done by making an agreement with the owner that you will pay a little rent and the rest you will pay through your work.
54. Loan out: You can also loan out money and later collect interests which will make you extra money to pay the rent.
55. Rent out for shops: Shops in Australia pay higher rents in comparison to normal rates. So if you rent one or more of your rooms to shops you will get more money than you need for paying rent.
56. Transform the house then rent small rooms individually: Another way to live for free in Australia is to transform the house then rent individual rooms at higher rents to cover the initial costs. Thus, you not only save rent, but also make extra income on the side!
57. Make roommates pay mortgage: If you had bought the house make the roommates pay parts of the mortgage instead of rent. That way they will pay off your house mortgage and therefore, you will virtually live for free.
58. Rent out the place as a private dorm: If you rent out the place as a private dorm many students will be attracted to it. Thus, you will save rent as the money they pay you for the dorm will cover up your accommodating expenses.
59. Rent out to students: Renting your place out to students specifically is a great idea because, they are easy to find and they stay in huge numbers and thus, guaranteeing higher payments.
60. Become a pet sitter: A pet sitter does not need to pay rent for staying in the house as it is a part of their job. So, find yourself a pet sitting job to live for absolutely free!
61. Take au pair jobs: Another job to stay rent-free is an au pair job. Such a job requires you to stay in the house and hence, there is no question of paying rent.
62. Opt for free housing: There are other jobs that let you choose free housing if you do not wish to take the house rent allowance given with the job. In that case, you will have to sacrifice that money in order to stay for free.
63. Take up home tutor jobs: Another great way to stay rent-free is to take up home tutor jobs. Because you are a home tutor, you do not need to pay rent for staying in the house.
64. Become a residential help: You can also become a residential help and do household work while staying in the house but not pay rent.
65. Teach English: Since Australia’s official language is English, many foreigners offer free accommodation to help them learn English. This is fairly a new thing in Australia but it is growing and has great potential.
66. Teach in boarding schools: All boarding schools in Australia allow the teachers to stay for free in their own accommodation.
67. Become a nurse: Nurses, especially residential nurses can stay for free in Australia.
68. Take up caregiver jobs: Caregivers are not required to pay rent since they are required to stay in the house for doing their job.
69. Take up a residential doctor job: Like nurses, residential doctors, or even some family doctors do not need to pay rent for staying in the house or property.
70. Live in a hospital: Even if you are not in a residential job, you can still stay in the hospital if your job demands it.
71. Live in temporary camps: Temporary camping is another great option for adventure lovers to stay for free in Australia.
72. Live in public camping grounds: There are also public parks and camping spots which do not charge anything for camping overnight.
73. Hike: Hiking can also be another way for saving rent and living for free.
74. Save food money: Apart from rent, food money is the major cost in a person’s life. Saving that money can mean saving most of your living expenses.
75. Become a property manager: You can also save rent by managing people’s properties while they are away.
76. Become a student: Australian government offers many benefits to its students and by becoming a student you can get away from paying rent.
77. Become a public service assistant: Public service assistants again are another group of people who do not need to pay rent as their job requires them to stay on the property.
78. Take admission to a residential college: Residential colleges offer free accommodation for their students. So, by becoming a student of such a college you can save up all your rent money.
79. Work for free housing: Working for free housing instead of money is another way to live for free in Australia.
80. Work at a mall: Mall workers are often offered accommodation facilities by the mall owners.
81. Work at the supermarket: Like malls supermarkets also have an accommodation facility available for their workers.
82. Become an old age home worker: If you stay in an old age home as a worker you do not need to pay rent as you will be staying in the home as part of the job.
83. Become an animal caregiver: Animal caregivers are also offered free accommodation because, in cases of emergencies, they need to be readily available to work.
84. Work at the zoo: Zookeepers are also not required to pay rent and hence, live for free.
85. Become a national forest ranger: Forest rangers get many benefits, one of which is free accommodation.
86. Work as a private tour guide: Byworking as a private tour guide, you don’t need to pay rent as people will hire you for tours and take care of accommodating you themselves.
87. Become a residential maintenance worker: Residential maintenance jobs offer in site accommodation, thus saving rent.
88. Cook instead of paying rent: Another option is to cook instead of paying your owner rent. Many owners in Australia are willing to accommodate a cook.
89. Living in groups: Living in groups will not guarantee zero rent, but it’s still the next best thing to save as much rent as possible and live almost for free.
90. Volunteering for giving tour reviews: Some tour companies in Australia want self volunteers to help them review their tour programs. By becoming such a tour reviewer you can virtually live for free in Australia.
91. Become self-sufficient: Self-sufficiency is when you build your own house, grow your own food, and are not dependent on anyone but yourself for your living expenses.
92. Become a cruise ship housekeeper: Cruise ship housekeeping jobs are very easy to find and since you stay on the ship, you don’t have to pay any rent.
93. Do house sitting: House sitting jobs are best if you want to avoid rent because, they let you stay in the house to take care of it, yet you don’t need to pay for staying in it.
94. Live in a cabin and do cabin work: There are many cabins in isolated places which require workers. Such cabin workers don’t need to pay any rent and therefore, live for absolutely free.
95. Host tours for families: By hosting tours for tourist families you live in their private property with our paying rent.
96. Live in a community house: Community houses require zero or very little money to be paid as rent.
97. Couch surfing: Couch surfing is another option if you want to stay for free in Australia. Couch surfing allows you to connect to travelers so that, you can have several options to stay rent-free in a place.
98. Living in yurts: Yurts are temporary shelters used by nomads in Turkey and Siberia. Living in yurts saves you any rent for accommodation and thus, you can live for free.
99. Live in a self-made shack home: Self-made shacks are very cheap and easy to make and once completed it acts as your temporary shelter, thus saving any rent.