If you've read the article on ways to save when traveling solo, you may want to think about ways to save money at home to pay for a dream holiday overseas. One way to achieve this is to opt-in to the home-sharing economy by becoming a host on Airbnb.
I've written an eBook on this very topic, specifically developed for those in the 50+ age bracket with limited knowledge and know how about the sharing economy, notably Airbnb.
You may be semi-retired, fully retired an empty-nester or snowbird seeking out ways to supplement a pension or income using this method, but simply don't know where to start.
The content of the book provides an overview of the sharing economy, combining statistical information together with real-life examples from those who have benefited from the Airbnb experience. Also included is a step by step guide to listing with Airbnb, together with a range tips and tricks to help those with little or no experience break into the home-sharing market.
For those of us aged fifty plus phrases such as ‘peer to peer travel’ and ‘the sharing economy’ represent just a sample of the modern expressions constructed by the millennial generation. For many of us it’s a whole new language we choose to ignore or pass by, as it seems we have little if anything much in common with those who seem to spend most of their time and energy living in a virtual world – the Internet.
In fact, we have much in common with the millennial generation as we too were the creators of our own language during the hippy movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s. The philosophy too is very much aligned to ours by challenging the boundaries and rejecting conformity. Our tendency to move away from what society deemed to be ‘the norm’ and creating new pathways in lifestyle and acceptance. For the most part, we look back with fond remembrance at the freedom simplicity and happiness we took for granted back then.
Today the world is a different place indeed from the one in which we grew up. In many ways, we’ve lost a lot however in contrast we’ve gained so much more. For the most part, many of us became caught up raising a family, working nine to five and planning for our retirement years. Consequently, the world of technology has passed us by with little or no impact to our day to day living.
The fallout from the Global Financial Crisis in many ways is still being felt today, by the many millions of Baby Boomers and Generation X’ers around the world having had their nest eggs decimated, or eroded to such an extent that their retirement plans have fallen by the wayside. For others, their quality of living has been impacted to such an extent there seems little possibility of ever 'clawing back' the lost or eroded nest egg.
Today, there are a number of ways personal and financial freedom can be acquired to ‘top up’ or create a gateway to new opportunities which are available from the comfort of your home. By tapping into the multibillion dollar global business of peer to peer travel by way of the shared economy, an opportunity exists to provide both a positive impact for yourself and those with whom you interact. All things are now possible for ‘the oldies’.
Many people of our 'vintage' can feel lonely and isolated from society as children grow and move away or as a result of the breakdown of a marriage, even a redundancy in the workplace. The sharing economy offers a wonderful opportunity to interact with people from all corners of the world, creating a rich and diverse perspective in your own life. You may even be inspired to travel yourself, making new friends along the way as one of the many advantages of becoming a part of the sharing economy includes an injection of funds, directly into your bank account.
The purpose of the book is to avail you of the range of opportunities being a part of the shared economy can offer. One of the key barriers to entry tends to be the lack of knowledge most of us in the 50+ age bracket has in learning to fully understand and take advantage of this low-cost entry business, with a potential for high yield and minor risk. This book fully details every aspect and steps required to set up, maintain and safely navigate your way through the learning curve, to become a part of the new phenomenon of the sharing economy.
The growth of companies including predominantly Airbnb over the past several years is truly impressive whichever way you measure it. We will delve into the statistics which support the growth of Airbnb from a small start-up in San Francisco, which re-launched in 2008 hoping to leverage off the numbers of travelers to the Democratic National Convention in Denver Colorado, to a company facilitating bookings for more than one million guests per night at Airbnb listings throughout the world.
Today Airbnb has more listings than the top three hotel chains combined, with over one million listings alone available via their Instant Book facility. In Australia and Japan, the Airbnb community has grown by more than 200% year on year with Sydney and Tokyo representing two of the top five international markets. Australia has over 87,000 listings, with almost 20% of the adult population having an Airbnb account.
Aside from Airbnb there are a number of similar sites mirroring the flavor of Airbnb, including The Freebird Club which is specifically targeted at seniors, hosts and guests alike. While in principal, I see no real objection to the format the reality is we live in a world where we are fortunate enough to mix with persons of all different ages and backgrounds. It’s important to remain current and not isolate ourselves according to the age bracket in which we fall, and the best way to do this is to mix and mingle with people of all ages from all over the world.
So, why not become a host (or hostess) with the most, repurpose your life, supplement your income and meet interesting people from all parts. How much money you make is really up to you. Take back control of your destiny today, it's never too late, and you're never too old to learn new things.
If you'd like to purchase the book, head on over to Amazon by clicking this link.