I´ve been traveling for more than two months now through europe staying with people in their homes through a few free websites. Here´s the ones i´ve been using:
www.couchsurfing.com
www.hospitalityclub.org
www.globalfreeloaders.com
www.place2stay.net
Check them out. They´ve been a lot of fun. So far I´ve stayed with 24 different people in 6 or 7 countries and have had amazing experiences. I came here a few years ago and did the hostel thing. That was fun but this is even better. And it´s free! Let me know if you have any questions about it.