How to Travel for Cheap: Free accommodation in exchange for work

If you’re reading this, it’s because you probably love to travel as much as I do. And if you’re anything like me, you also do not have infinite money, but don’t want that to hold you back from seeing the world. You’re here if you’ve ever said to yourself, “I want to travel the world. Where do I start?” Excellent question! You may have even asked yourself, “Is it possible to travel for free?” Yes, yes it is.

I’ve been lucky enough that my job allows me to travel around the world on assignments, which often cover my expenses. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve wanted to see the world beyond what my job would cover. But because I’m a writer I don’t have infinite reserves to draw from in order to fund my travels at the rate I want to take them. That is, until I discovered the world of Trusted Housesitters. It is my number one tip for how to travel for cheap.

If you’ve followed me on social media, you know all about Trusted Housesitters. It’s the community we used to travel across the country in five months. A five-month road trip sounds idyllic, and it was, but it also sounds really, really expensive. But what if I told you that in five months, David and I spent only $3,500 in accommodations as we crossed the United States. That’s only $700 a month in hotels and campgrounds as we drove from New York to the west coast. That’s because for two weeks a month we were able to get free accommodation in exchange for work with Trusted HouseSitters.

So let’s get right into it.

How to Travel for Cheap: What is Trusted Housesitters?

Trusted Housesitters is an online community of homeowners and pet sitters who rely on each other with a very enticing trade. Homeowners need humans to watch their houses and pets while they travel, and pet sitters need free places to stay when they travel. It’s a win-win for everyone. The homeowners save large dollars on boarding/hiring professional pet sitters, and travelers get to stay in a comfortable home FOR FREE while caring for adorable pets.

Free Accommodation in Exchange for Work: How do I become a Trusted Housesitter?

The first step is to visit the website and to fill out a profile. The profile will ask you to create a bio with all of your basic info, as well as your interests, why you want to be a Housesitter, what you bring to the table, and your experience with animals. It will also ask for a government ID so that it can run a background check. This adds an additional level of verification, which makes homeowners feel that much more comfortable letting you into their homes.

The membership costs $119 for the year. Once you are approved and pay the membership fee, you’re free to start searching the site for house sitting opportunities. You can search by dates, depending on when you want to travel, and also by location. What’s cool is that the community is world-wide. We’ve seen listings all over the globe, from Upstate New York to Australia, Japan, Italy, and everywhere in between.

We had house sits in Buffalo, NY; Raleigh, NC; Arlington, VA; Minneapolis, MN; Colorado Springs and Denver, CO; Petaluma, and Berkeley, CA; Seattle and Kent, WA.

You also can specify what kinds of animals you want to sit. For example, if you’re not a cat person you can easily exclude houses that have cats. We’ve house sat for mostly dogs and cats, but there has been the occasional rabbit, hamster, and even a potbelly pig thrown in there. All have been incredibly easy to care for, and we’ve bonded with every animal we spent time with.

After you complete a house sit, both the pet sitter and the homeowners review each other, and the reviews are made public. This helps homeowners select you in the future, and it also gives you, as the sitter, insight into what you can expect from each family.

This Sounds Weird…

You’re not wrong. It does sound weird. And everyone we’ve told about it has said the same thing. It is a little weird. You’re staying in someone else’s home, which is so very different from an Airbnb. It’s got their food, their photos, their belongings — and sometimes you’re sleeping in the master bedroom. You’re right. It’s a little weird.

But it’s amazing how quickly that “strange” feeling melts away once you get started. The Trusted Housesitter community is full of world travelers. Most of us have backpacked, stayed in hostels, and easily made friends with strangers all over the world. We’re social, we’re friendly, we’re outgoing. I promise you, if you’ve spent any time as a world traveler, this will not feel weird once you get started and begin meeting this fantastic community.

It’s also really easy to forget how “weird” it is when you’re staying for free.

Is It Possible to Travel for Free: Are the Homes Nice?

Yes! The houses are very nice. Not only have the people we’ve sat for been welcoming, but their homes have been comfortable, clean, and well taken care of. When you search the site, you’ll have plenty of photos of the animals, as well as the homes you’ll be watching. Simply do not apply to the ones that don’t look good to you.

As with any online service, you’ll know which ones to weed out. The ones without photos are probably not ones you want to bother with. The homeowners have profiles, as well, and will detail what their animals need. You’ll be able to see how hands-on an owner expects you to be.