TrustedHousesitters Site Offers Free Stays to Pet-Lovers
The cost of overnight accommodations accounts for a large portion of the expense of a vacation. In the United States, the average nightly cost of a hotel is over $180. In larger cities, like New York, travelers can expect to spend over $300 for a place to crash for the night.
Expenses like these are driving travelers to look for creative options for funding their vacations, like getting a side gig or hosting a garage sale. One way to take on the cost of a getaway is to get free accommodations, here’s how being a pet-lover can help make that happen.
Trade Pet Sitting for a Free stay
The travel bloggers behind Alternative Travelers report saving an estimated $15,000 by house sitting through websites like TrustedHousesitters. Homeowners and pet owners sign up on this site to find trustworthy individuals to care for their pets and home while they’re away. In exchange, pet sitters who are willing to take on a few extra tasks associated with the care of their host’s furry friends are able to stay in the home for free for the duration of the trip.
Getting Started With TrustedHousesitters
In order to become a trusted housesitter, travelers must sign up as a member of the paid service which costs $119 per year. During the sign-up process, new members will be prompted to complete a detailed profile. This will include pictures of themselves, information about their experience with pets and any other details that might convince pet owners they’re worthy of a sitting job.
Sitters also have the option to pursue additional verification. This includes providing personal documents that verify their identity. Many pet owners feel more secure hiring a sitter that has taken extra steps to prove their trustworthiness.
Your First Pet Sitting Gig
Once a traveler has finished the membership process, they can begin applying for pet sitting gigs. They can search for opportunities by date and location. Once they find an interesting job, the sitter submits their application. Certain locations can be highly competitive, so it’s helpful to think of this as a job application and add as much relevant information to the application as possible.
Upon arrival, instructions will be given for caring for the pet and the home. This is a chance for travelers to not only please the pet’s owner but build a reputation that will help them get more jobs in the future since sitter reviews is a big part of how the website helps pet owners find the right candidate.
If money is standing in the way of your travel, there are creative ways to start checking items off of your bucket list. It’s time to turn your travel dreams into reality!
~ Here’s to Your Financial Health!
