Michelle Joy, 35, is a travel writer based in Houston, Texas. She recently explained to Business Insider how she is beating the system by staying in vacation rentals and Airbnbs long-term and making it cost less than the $1,800 a month she was spending on a mortgage payment, taxes and utilities.
“When I started researching places to stay, I quickly decided it would be much cheaper to slow travel and take advantage of long-stay discounts at vacation rentals—so much cheaper, actually, that it made me question whether I ever wanted to pay rent or a mortgage again,” Joy wrote in Business Insider.
“When I’m searching for a long-term stay at a bargain, I look for popular and seasonal vacation destinations with a large concentration of short-term rentals, like Daytona Beach, Florida, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina,” she wrote for Business Insider. “Towns with a lot of individually owned condos typically have plenty of rentals on sites like Airbnb, the platform I typically book on.”
“To get a good deal, I make my reservations for the offseason and book for at least a month at a time,” Joy continued. “Many rentals give weekly discounts, but the nightly rate bottoms out once you hit the monthly rental rate, typically at the 28- or 30-day mark.”
Joy recently stayed at a vacation rental in Snowshoe, West Virginia, between the summer and ski seasons. Her 31-day stay cost her around $1200—that’s $600 cheaper than her mortgage, taxes and utilities.
She also recently stayed in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for 35 nights and paid just $1,360.
Living in a vacation rental or Airbnb can be a great way to save money on housing. By following these tips, you can find affordable and convenient places to stay.
I work remotely from vacation rentals. It's cheaper than rent or a mortgage — here's how I find good deals and choose where to go next.
Michelle Joy in Vienna.Courtesy of Michelle Joy
Michelle Joy, 35, is… https://t.co/jBfGZrJhyV pic.twitter.com/OAjn9CpUJR— Eco Pest Control Brisbane (@ecopestcntrlbri) April 30, 2023
