House Sitting Can Save On Accommodation Costs But What About Your Transportation Budget?

Posted on August 10, 2012 by MindaHome

The time of the year marking peak driving season and the worldwide oil situation are putting more pressure on your transportation budget. It’s bad enough that you have to shell out more to move around every day. When you want to go on a driving holiday overland, this makes the situation even worse. But, there are ways to stretch your transportation budget and one is to be a smart gas shopper, another is to take public transport.

If You’re Driving

Gas prices vary from place to place, sometimes as much as 25%. GasBuddy.com crowdsources gas prices letting users report on prices in their area. This enables you to find the pumps with the lowest prices. This works even if you have to drive a little bit farther: outside of the downtown area or even across the border (if you’re near Mexico, for instance). Continue reading →

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How to Make It in New York City

Posted on August 7, 2012 by MindaHome

With a house sitting job in New York City, you can have your big apple and eat it, too.

New York City has always been on a list of the most expensive cities in the world. So if you’re like the average US citizen who budgets $1,180 for a summer holiday, you won’t get very far in New York City. According to an ABC News report, New York City ranks as the 6th most expensive city in the world for a holiday in 2012. London tops the list, followed by Oslo, with Singapore rounding up the Top 10 list.

In the USA, three of the top five areas in the country with the highest cost of living are found in New York City. Manhattan tops the list followed by Brooklyn, with Queens coming in at number five. The Living Wage Project estimates that it costs $11.86 an hour to live in New York City – far above the minimum wage of $7.25. Continue reading →

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How is Travel shaping up for 2012

Posted on August 3, 2012 by MindaHome

It won’t be surprising if house sitting emerges as one of the top travel trends in the years to come.

Despite the shape of the economy many people are still travelling. How many trips are they taking? What places are their favorite destinations? Are most travelers flying, going on cruises or hitting the road? Where are they staying? How much will they be spending? The answers to these questions and many others indicate the travel trends in 2012 based on a survey by the travel site, Trip Advisor.

The financial and job crises notwithstanding, the survey shows that 90% of US travelers will take more than one holiday trip this year, with 24% saying they will go on at least 5 holiday trips. The most popular choices are a trip to a beach (44%), or a cultural holiday to visit museums and historical sites (42%). More cultural trips, cruises and island getaways are planned this year, while fewer trips to theme parks, lakes and hiking trails are forecast. Continue reading →

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House sitting in Montana offers more than people realize.

Posted on July 30, 2012 by MindaHome

The world is changing before our eyes. Unfortunately, among these changes is the gradual disappearance of wildlife, rivers and oceans, deserts, forests and even entire cities. Sad to say, many of these vistas will not be there for future generations, and perhaps even in our lifetime. This means that now is the time to see them before they’re gone forever.

An environmental website – Mother Nature Foundation – has listed 10 favorite holiday destinations that are in danger of vanishing because of climate change. Glacier National Park in Montana, USA is at the top of the list. Montana, nicknamed “Big Sky Country” and “Land of the Shining Mountains” is visited by millions of tourists every year who come to see Yellowstone National Park, the Little Big Horn National Battlefield Monument and Glacier National Park. Continue reading →

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Tech-Savvy Seniors Are Traveling Easy

Posted on July 27, 2012 by MindaHome

All the hassle that accompanied travel used to be an obstacle for senior citizens. Choosing a place to visit, going through travel requirements, filling out forms, talking to a travel agent and booking a flight would take a great deal of time and effort. But, today’s senior citizens are tech-savvy and the internet has practically done away with all these procedures making it a whole lot easier for seniors to visit new places.

For a while, senior citizens preferred to make travel arrangements the old-fashioned way – by phone or in person. But, as they warmed to the new technology, seniors have made computers, the internet, smart phones and even social networking part and parcel of their everyday lives and their travel plans. Continue reading →

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Senior Globetrotting is On the Rise

Posted on July 24, 2012 by MindaHome

Smart seniors have discovered house sitting as a way to see the world on the cheap, or even make some money in the process.

It used to be that travel was an activity associated with young people, while seniors were relegated to walks in the park. Well, those times are over. The financial crisis and the job crunch have put so much pressure on persons of working age that travel has taken a back seat in their priorities. On the other hand, retirees and those over 55 who are out of the rat race are taking this opportunity to visit places they’ve only dreamt about while they were part of the work force. Continue reading →

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Keep Your House Safe With A House Sitter While you Travel Abroad

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Nicky

When you are going away on holiday, you want to be able to relax and not have to worry about the safety of your home. Nowadays, lots of people choose to hire a house-sitter to live in and look after their home and/or pets while they are travelling. Here, we look at ways to choose the perfect house-sitter.

Choose Someone You Know.

Perhaps you have a sibling, a friend or an older niece or nephew who will be happy to live at your house while you are on holiday. This is really the ideal situation, as the person will be someone you know and trust. You probably won’t need to pay them – and you certainly won’t need a reference or to make criminal record checks etc. You will definitely be able to rest assured and enjoy your walking holidays or cycling holidays without having to be concerned about your home. Continue reading →

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Going to Tuscany: Are your pets coming?

Posted on July 5, 2012 by MindaHome

Probably, they are not. The fact is, most Tuscany villas or apartments do not accept pets. Let alone hotels. If you are one of the many millions that want to travel to Tuscany to enjoy its sheer beauty and relaxed lifestyle, but own a pet, you might encounter some issues when trying to live the best time of your life with your furred children.

Yes, lets face it. To many (hopefully all) of us our pets are like children that will never fully grow up, and to leave them at home while we are having fun inTuscany, perhaps the best in our life, simply does not feel right, and almost completely takes away the enjoyment. On the other hand, we sometimes have to leave our beloved domestic animal friends at home. Especially when traveling overseas, or whenever catching a flight, it is even advisable you do not take your pets with you. Continue reading →

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How Does House Sitting Work?

Posted on June 13, 2012 by MindaHome

Many homeowners worry about leaving their house unattended for extended periods of time while they set off on a holiday. There are concerns about leaving their pets alone, watering plants and just protecting the home in general against theft or intrusion. One easy way to alleviate these fears is to hire someone to house sit while you are away.

House sitting is a process where an individual comes to your home and cares for your property while you are away. The person often does the house sitting for free in exchange for accommodation in your home. Some people are professional house sitters, travelling the country or even the world while they care for various homes along the way.

Others see it as a one time opportunity for an inexpensive holiday. If you are interested in either becoming a house sitter or protecting your home while on holiday, read on for a better understanding of what house sitting truly is. Continue reading →

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Checklist for a House Sitter While You Are Traveling

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Deborah

I’ve found organising a house-sitter to come and look after both my home and my pets while I’m away on my travels to be cost effective both on the pocket and for peace of mind.

My family and I love to take extended adventure holidays and sometimes we’re away for weeks at a time. Knowing everything is in safe and capable hands whilst we’re gone allows us to get on with the enjoyable task of having fun.

Safari Holidays
Coming to look after my menagerie is a bit of a safari by itself. I don’t have the big cats of Kenya, but I do have three fussy Siamese residents that all have different dietary needs. Just as we plan our itinerary when going on safari, we make sure to also plan a daily itinerary for the house-sitter. Who gets fed what and when is an important part of the checklist, particularly when one of the animals needs daily medication, as ours do. Continue reading →

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