How to live off your friends (without being hated)  There's a
smart and a not-so-smart way to conduct yourself when living the
couch surfer lifestyle. Here's how to be sure you won't overstay
your welcome.  The romantic view of big cities like New York is
that you can show up with a few pennies in your pocket and make
yourself into something fierce and successful and, eventually,
rich as hell.  Here's what's usually left out: it takes awhile
to earn enough to match sky-high living costs.  That's when
people – including myself just a few years ago – turn to friends
who'll let them crash for free while their career heats up.
Give as much notice as possible. I get it. Sometimes job
opportunities crop out up out of nowhere and you can't let them
slip away, no matter how costly the move or anemic your bank
account might be. But when you start sending out feelers for a
place to stay, you want to give your hosts as much notice as
possible. Explain why everything happened so suddenly and
they're likely to be more u