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My secret to traveling on a budget costs $129 a year. I've used it to stay in waterfront homes and mansions for free.

Courtenay Rudzinski   

My secret to traveling on a budget costs $129 a year. I've used it to stay in waterfront homes and mansions for free.
  • I spent 5 weeks staying in homes across the East Coast for free by taking care of strangers' pets.
  • I got my gigs with Trusted Housesitters, an international house-sitting platform that's $129 a year.

Two years ago, I became an empty nester and wanted to start traveling. My travel list was long, but my budget was tight with a kid in college.

So, I started looking for ways to explore the world without paying thousands of dollars for accommodations.

The answer came to me when several avid travelers in my online groups suggested I try Trusted Housesitters, an international house-sitting and pet-sitting platform.

Joining seemed like a great travel hack to stay almost anywhere for free.

First, I bought a one-year membership to Trusted Housesitters

At first, I was skeptical about Trusted Housesitters, but it seemed pretty simple once I looked into it.

Petsitters and pet owners pay for memberships. Sitters apply to for sits and owners approve or deny them.

I found house-sits of all levels — from penthouses to houseboats to log cabins to tiny homes — with durations ranging from one night to several weeks.

Most listings I saw involved caring for dogs or cats and sometimes farm animals, which is great if you're an animal lover like me.

After researching, I agreed to a background check and joined at the lowest-tier sitter price of $129 a year, which allowed me to book unlimited house-sits worldwide.

I started building my profile by pet-sitting local small dogs

Once I was vetted and added some character references, I created a profile page and applied to local pet-sits.

I'd read in the Trusted Housesitters community forum that it's best to start locally and get some good reviews under your belt before you try to travel far.

I was selective and applied only to homes that looked clean and had five-star reviews. I also looked for small dogs I could easily control on a leash.

If a pet owner was interested, they'd set up a FaceTime or phone call with me. Now that I've done over 20 successful sits, owners often skip this step and book me based on my application alone.

Eventually, I pet-sit from Texas to Maine while staying in gorgeous places for free

After building up my profile, I set a goal to drive up the East Coast doing back-to-back sits.

I was in Houston, but Maine was my ultimate destination, so I applied for a weeklong sit at a newly built modern home watching two cats in Freeport.

Once that was booked, I began applying for sits with adjacent dates between my starting point and the upper part of the East Coast.

Eventually, my sits were booked and my five-week trip was in place.

Getting to Maine was half the fun of my trip, which I planned around the pets' schedules.

My first stop was caring for two sweet dogs in Asheville, a picturesque mountain town in North Carolina.

I was there for a week, exploring the town with the dogs in tow. I even visited the Great Smoky Mountain National Park nearby.

As with any pets I watch, the dogs kept their normal mealtime and walk routine. I sent the owners daily updates, just a quick text with a photo of their pet.

Next, I stayed at a 25-acre Virginia farm that bordered the Appalachian Trail and cared for a senior dog.

Then, I headed to a New Jersey apartment to watch a Jack Russell Terrier. While there, I took the train to New York City to see some old college friends.

Eventually, I started caring for animals other than dogs and cats.

In Vermont, I happily learned how to watch over chickens — I let them in and out of their coop and gathered fresh eggs each morning.

I've had a great experience pet-sitting, and I plan to keep doing it

I've met incredible people and stayed in exceptional abodes, ranging from log cabins to waterfront homes to a mansion with 10 bathrooms.

I also got to care for pigs, donkeys, and goats, which I'd never have gotten to do otherwise.

Pet-sitting has saved me thousands of dollars in travel costs, and I think it's a win for all involved. The pets don't have to be boarded, and the owners can relax knowing someone's watching over their home and animals.

I'm thrilled I discovered Trusted Housesitters, and I plan to use it well into my retirement years.



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