So you want to travel but have very few funds to make it happen. Don't fret on the details. Your biggest expensive will be your plane ticket and everthing after that is negotiable. There are tons of options of staying for FREE (Couch Surfing) ,really, really cheap (Hostels) or afordable (AirBnB) .
The website Couch Surfing has been around for a couple of years. The basic concept is that you link up with people who would like to host a traveler (s) and let them stay at their house for free. Usually you are sleeping on a couch but sometime you get lucky and score an actual bed. Since it's free you really can't complain about the accomedation BUT you can be smart on who you stay with. There is a review section for both travelers and host. Of course with any website there are a few creepers but there are also some really cool people who like meeting people from around the world and showing them their city. The best way to avoid the creepers is to read the reviewers of previous travelers and also be cautious of guys who only host to female travelers. If you are traveling solo female traveler I suggest only staying with people who have a ton of reviews and tell your friends and family where you will be staying. Just in case something happens, they will know where you were last. This is not to scare you but just a reality check. Be open to new adventures but don't lose common sense in the process take the same precautions you would do in your hometown.
If shackingup with a complete stranger isn't your cup of tea but you still want to stay somewhere cheap, I suggest staying in a hostel. This how I travel most of the time. Its a great way to meet new people and also sleep somewhere for as low as $10 USD/Night. Of course prices vary from city to city. For example when I was in Dubai I had to pay $50 USD/night for a private room opposed to paying $20USD/ Night for a private room in Peru. It all depends on what you want when you stay.
If you are unform
staying a in a nice private hostel room with your own personal bathroom for only pennies on the dollar compared to fancy hotels. Before I started traveling the world the hostel concept was completely foriegn to me. They are very popular in Europe and Latin America. Its a great way for you to be able to stay overnight in for $10USD/night in an expenisive
Here are my go to websites that I use to sleep for cheap. I had to learn the hard way that reading the reviews will determine your overall experience. Some have been amazing and others a little on the dirty side. Let's just say that after staying in some places I felt dirtier in the shower than outside the shower if you get what I mean. So long story short, CHECK THE REVIEWS prior to bucking the hostel. My rule of thumb is never stay at a hostel that has a review less than 80%.