Recent price hikes have had a significant impact on family budgets, prompting people to be more cautious about spending. Many people have decided to cut back on their travel budget, which means fewer and shorter vacations.
Some have found solutions. A young woman who likes to travel reported in an article published by Business Insider how she saw 15 countries with her husband without spending a lot of money on it.
“It’s a great way to travel cheaply”
“I’ve always loved to travel and so has my husband. We met in 2013 while we were living abroad. Homecare was on my radar then and I was eager to try it. So we started right away.
“House-sitting” means taking care of someone’s home and (usually) pets while they are away on vacation. We usually stay in someone’s home for free and in return we take care of animals, plants, security and cleanliness. We have been living this lifestyle for several years. It’s a great way to travel cheaply and see new places. We have traveled to about 15 countries through “house-sitting” and made countless friends – both human and animal.
Seeing the world this way means we can travel slowly and stay in small villages or obscure towns that we wouldn’t go to as regular tourists.
We can also travel while working remotely, which allows us to find a home on the road and save money on housing. We don’t have a permanent home, but it suits us. I’m from the UK but my partner is from the US which means we can’t live anywhere due to visa issues.
We met while living in South Korea and then moved to Poland together for a few years. While living there, I heard about “house-sitting” and was intrigued by the idea. We decided to give it a try. First, we did some research and decided to accumulate references for our experience with animals. Using an expat Facebook group, we found friends of friends who needed pet care while they were away, so we volunteered.
This meant that when we signed up to house-sitting platforms, we immediately had references and photos to add to our profile. With research, preparation, a well-built profile and thoughtful requests to homeowners, it wasn’t too difficult for us to secure our first stay. Our first stays were in England and ranged from a week in Sheffield looking after a cat to six weeks in a big house looking after a parrot.
We then ventured to a castle in France with two cats and a dog and moved to a chalet in the Swiss Alps with two cats. This became our new normal in no time. We are both used to traveling and love to discover new places. I quickly discovered how generous and welcoming people can be and how much they truly love their pets. We kept in touch with many homeowners – two of them ended up witnessing our little wedding in isolation.”
“There are ups and downs, but we like to save money on accommodation”
“We know what works for us now that we’ve collected over 50 such experiences. We love ticking places and experiences off our bucket lists, living minimalistic, caring for wonderful animals and creating unique memories.
It also allows us to save money on accommodation and everyday costs while working online – me as a freelance writer and my husband as a teacher. Since we stay in these houses for free, our accommodation costs are close to zero and we save a large part of our income. But it wasn’t always easy.
When we were beginners, we made many mistakes and learned lessons. Now we always have a video call with the home owner before accepting a meeting. This is the time to ask all our questions, let them ask us questions, and see if we have good chemistry. We’ve learned to recognize the red flags, trust our instincts and say no if something isn’t right. Traveling from one house to another can add up to time and money, so we try to plan a route that makes sense. Sometimes we have to fill in the gaps with paid accommodation – about one or two hotel nights every six weeks.
“It’s not forever, but it is, for now”
“Covid put an end to our house-sitting trips, so we tried to settle more traditionally in England. I got an office job, rented a house and started looking at visa options for my husband .
Ultimately, settling down somewhere wasn’t for us – at least not for now. So we packed up, sold our furniture and returned to familiar waters. Many people don’t understand how we live and were perplexed when we gave up a more stable choice for a life on the road. But we really like this; we wouldn’t have done it any other way. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that life is too short and you should live the way you want to live.”
Source: ziare.com
