Couchsurfing!

Want to see the world? Low on cash? Maybe you just want a more personal touch but need something more sincere than a bed and breakfast. Give Couchsurfing a try.

The Couchsurfing project is a non-profit organization of and for like-minded travel junkies. Users network and search for others in countries around the world who have an available couch to crash on. All you have to do is, hopefully sincerely, intend to let other users crash on your couch sometime in the future. Users maintain profiles like other online communities and can "vouch" for each other to help determine if someone is trustworthy before they invite them to crash. There is also an optional "verification" that costs $25. This confirms through the postal and banking systems that a person is who they say they are thus adding another level of safety to letting a relative stranger crash on your couch.

Been watching this online community for a while now. The site jumped out of beta mode in January 2004 and has been growing ever since. Members come from all over the world. The majority seem to be twenty somethings but seeing folks a bit older in the profiles isn’t uncommon.