How to travel for cheap

How to travel for cheap – even as a family! Here’s how we’ve been able to see different parts of the US without paying money for accommodations.

The way we do life (hybrid homeschool + working remotely), we have a lot of flexibility with our schedule. I love to take advantage of this, but since I homeschool the kids, and my husband works for a non-profit, travel seems like a luxury we probably couldn’t comfortably afford to do often. After COVID, I was looking into ways we could travel as a family and save money. 

I came across a video about Trusted Housesitters. I thought the idea was so unique – kind of like “The Holiday” but with pets. And you don’t have to go to each other’s homes. So I guess not exactly like it haha.

 

How does Trusted Housesitters work?

I paid to be a part of the Trusted Housesitters website, and was shocked at the places that were set up to travel! I loved reading all the reviews and seeing the possibilities of places we could go as a family.

To be a part of the Trusted Housesitters community, you have to submit background checks. You also have to submit references. Once you do your first sit, you will get ratings through the THS site, and you will be able to rate where you’ve visited. 

When we first started, I was worried that we wouldn’t be accepted to do the house sit because we came with a crew of 5 people. It’s a lot take into your home, and we fully understand that! Especially with no experience that could be vouched for on the site. We submitted external references, and then crossed our fingers that we could be accepted into a home.

 

Where we stayed so far:

Our first house sit was in a house in Annapolis, Maryland. The home that we stayed in had 2 kids, and they had enough rooms for all of us to stay comfortably in. We were in charge of their 2 dogs, 2 cats, snake, and a lizard! The kids had a BLAST taking care of the animals, and we all got to explore the beautiful city of Annapolis.

Then we got a puppy last May, and we didn’t feel comfortable leaving him for almost an entire year. Now that he’s 11 months old, we felt like we were able to leave him again. 

We just came back from our second house sitting in Orange, VA. This is a small town outside of Shenandoah National Park. The house we took care of had 3 dogs, 5 horses, and 2 outdoor cats. This was such a change of pace and a really unique place to stay.

We have come to love this way of traveling, and are already looking for our next stay. 

 

The pros and cons of house sitting while traveling:

Pros of house sitting:

• There is no money exchanged. It is free for you to stay in this home as you explore a new area.
• You get to meet some really amazing people and pets
• Staying in a lived in home is very comfortable

 

Cons of house sitting:

• Homes aren’t the same as hotels or AirBNBs. If you’re looking for a perfectly staged place to stay, this isn’t the way for you to travel.
• You will likely be in charge of animals, which means you will have time restrictions while exploring.
• Animals are a responsibility to take seriously, so you will need to give them the proper care and attention.

 

The biggest advice I have: read the reviews! Read the owner’s words as well very carefully. Make sure the responsibilities are something you can handle, the home accommodations work for your preferences, and the home is in a place you feel comfortable staying in. If any of those things is iffy – DO NOT accept the job. This should work well for everyone, which is the only way this arrangement works.

If you use my link, you can get a 25% discount on your Trusted Housesitters membership (I get a discount on my membership as well).

I’d love to know your thoughts and questions about this unique way to travel for cheap (or even free) – please leave a comment below with any questions!

 

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