Homestay Booking Sites

One of the most interesting and least expensive lodging options is a homestay. Staying with a local person or family can give you more insight into a culture that years of staying in hotels might do. This is especially true in cultures where people tend to be very private or suspicious of strangers, such as still the case sometimes in former Communist countries.
A Website, www.homestaybooking.com, provides a matching service between hosts and guests in a number of countries. I wasn't able to find out too much about it without creating a profile and registering as a guest for a specific city and period of time, but they claim to have thousands of both hosts and guests in countries around the world, and the service is free. However, I did find one listing for a homestay in Minsk, Belarus for only $10 per night, an amazing price
Another site, www.greenbelarus.com, offers farm stays in that little-known, still Communist country at reasonable prices. Belarus is one of the most rural countries in Europe, with large swaths of primeval forest and herds of European bison as well as ancient castles and fortresses.
In Japan, www.homestaysinjapan.com gives you a selection of places to stay with the locals, often in rural areas where homes are likely to be more spacious. Prices are higher, starting at around $45 per person per night, but still quite moderate considering that Japan is a highly developed country.