Maybe talk to locals? Look at local ads. Maybe it is a good thing in a way. Would make travelling more esoteric and less like ordering a latte

That's what I do. I start the relation with AirBnB then hit a deal with them later. You can do the "talk" but you are shopping around and AirBnB allows you to be very efficient at that.

Probably depends where but everywhere I have been, just walking into a small hotel and doing a deal with the owner was almost always cheaper than any airbnb around given similar quality/size (and includes breakfast usually and of course cleaning daily; in Thailand they even threw in laundry once a week).

And yes, indeed talk with locals if no hotels: I stayed for cheap/free for months with locals who were just lonely.

FYI long term hotels are a thing. I've encountered them in most areas I've visited. There is one near me that charges $190/week. Some don't offer housekeeping, etc, however they are quite common. The one near me includes all utilities except any type of TV, and does not include housekeeping.

My first home away from home was a long term hotel FYI. They are definitely common, they just tend to fly under the radar, especially since many allow pets and possibly smoking depending on the area.