I have a BuyVM.net 3.50/no KVM slice that has been idling for maybe a year (yeah I know I need to get on it..), so I can transfer that to you if you want. BuyVM has been around forever and they are awesome, but are almost always sold out (just checked and they are).

If you want to reply with your contact details I can see if I can get that going and you can take over the vps if you want..

Other options for providers:

- netcup.eu (I use them.. they don’t have small instances but they are super great prices for the sizes they offer)

- Hetzner (never used but heard great things and their prices are very low)

- OVHCloud (I have dedi servers from Kimsufi and SoYouStart which have been great— OVH is the parent company)

- prgmr.com - these guys have been around since the very beginning of vps hosting. They wrote the book (quite literally) on Xen ( https://www.amazon.com/Book-Xen-Practical-System-Administrat... )

- low $ NAT VPS options:

https://clients.inceptionhosting.com/cart.php?gid=13

https://hosting.gullo.me/pricing

- free ipv6-only vps (or $1/mo to add an ipv4):

https://www.euserv.com/en/virtual-private-server/root-vserve...

- An informative resource: https://lowendbox.com/blog/free-vps-providers/

>So taking time off doesn't have to be a career hit

My own experience has been pretty different. I took time off of my work to run a business. we even wrote a book [1] - Now, uh, I needed to run that business, on an emotional level, I mean. but it was a hugely bad idea financially.

When you show up to an interview after spending years running your own company? I mean, I'm sure it's different if you are management, but as an IC? Even though I had written a book[1] it was like I was unemployed for that time. There's no way my wages are anywhere near they would have been had I spent more of that time working for other people.

I mean, my own case would have come out differently if I was able to sell my company to someone big, which may have come down to a few obvious unforced errors of mine?

I mean, sure, sometimes it's still worth it to take time off of work to do something else... but don't say it's not a career hit. It is a huge career hit and you need to include that in the equation.

[1]https://www.amazon.com/Book-Xen-Practical-System-Administrat...

(When doing the "is it worth it" math on writing books, consider the shelf-life; that shelf life doesn't just apply to sales, it also applies to the reputation boost. My own recommendation to my younger self would have been to get a job while the buzz for the book was at it's height.)

prgmr.com customer also. Works perfect, no problems of note for me. Luke is doing a great job.

On twitter: http://twitter.com/prgmrcom

Edit: He also has a book: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Xen-Practical-System-Administrato...