Long before I knew about FT, I was in a similar situation with about a dozen co-workers for 11 months. (I had no idea how to take advantage of this situation without that FT knowledge. I wasn't even the member of a single loyalty program) I was on a food allowance where I had to produce receipts for everything and was only reimbursed for that. I gained 20 pounds in a month!

I was the only truly single guy and the only guy who liked it. It was a hardship for the guys with kids especially. At least two guys had their wives start affairs while they were away part time. Both ended in divorce. At the first chance to end this ordeal, all these guys got out.

I, like you, ditched the apartment. I was the only one. I saved a tonne of money. At the end of that year, I was never richer. I had no travel, accomodation or food expenses. I was getting overtime also. None of those other guys could sell their homes due to the temporary nature of the assignment, so they were losing out.

We could all have stayed in 5 star hotels as long as we checked out on weekends or when not at the job site. Or, you could have 7 days a week at a Rodeway Inn or its equivalent. By month 3, all of us were out of the weekly check out routine. Guys were sick of restaurant food and just wanted a fridge and a small kitchen so they could cook for themselves. They were tired of moving their stuff around twice a week. Being shift workers, getting cleaning staff waking you up after a night shift constantly was too annoying. I think after a while, you just crave stability and for other reasons, we were not in a stable situation. One enterprising guy, got our employer to agree to cut him a check for a trailer and pay for his campground fees. When he was done with that job, he walked away with a brand new, paid for trailer. (Since he was one of the guys who got divorced, it was the only thing he had left after the divorce. He lost his kid, his wife, his bank account and his house.)

I have to admit though, what made this a great situation for me, is that I crashed at my parent's place every week. I socialized with all my old friends and family. They provided the stability and cohesion to make this a great year. Going from 265 nights a year to 365 nights a year in a hotel room is an amazing test of endurance.

To the OP, once you find your preferred habitation, please make sure you are a member of that chain's loyalty rewards program. Whenever this situation ends, make sure you walk away their highest set of privileges and a massive number of free nights to be used elsewhere.