I’ve completed over 100 sits over the last few years, and I think there have been two occasions when an owner has given me money.
One pushed an envelope into my hand as he dropped me at the station at the end of the sit, insisted I kept it - in it was £50.
Another occasion was a HO, who, at the end of the sit, upon return, gave my children £10 each! (plus loads of chocolates etc for all of us).
Have any of you ever been given money?
(not gifts, I’m sure we’ve all received plenty of these)
I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t accept any money, it would make me feel like a …
No, really. it’s perfectly fine if others accept that, I definetly wouldn’t. I don’t need it. I do this for fun.
I agree, but the fellow was most insistent, basically shoved the envelope into my hands and jumped into his car!
I once left a sit a day early to start a new sit and my husband stayed to complete the original sit.
When, the following day, the original home hosts came home they tried to give my husband a £200 cash tip but he wouldn’t take it from them,.
I didn’t speak to him for a week!
Haha, yes, I guess there’s nothing you can do about that.
I would honestly feel terrible, either because I gave the impression that I needed the money, or because I’d feel like the person didn’t really care about me and it was purely a business transaction for them. That’s not my goal with THS.
Whether I took it or not, it would still disappoint me. It wouldn’t change the feeling anyway.
Yes, I did feel kind of weird about it. Did I look down and out? Don’t they know worn-out jeans are a fashion statement? 
They were first time users of THS, and very wealthy, so that made me feel a little better!
I was left 100 USD and a flower in a pot. Forgot the flower when I left. It was for a week sit. I was surprised. Only time that has happened. Usually some cookies/chocolates in a basket.
Yes, once in 30+ plus sits. Sounds a bit similar - HO held out £20 and said ‘for petrol’ just as I was getting in my car to leave. We’d had tea and a long chat just prior.
I found it all rather awkward and said, ‘Oh thanks but please just donate it to an animal charity on my behalf’.
I’m sure she had the best intentions but I felt a bit like an 18 baby sitter all over again!
I’ve never been given any money, but one HO left us a gift voucher for a meal at a very nice pub, which was very much appreciated.
Yes, twice, £100 was left in an envelope, and £20 on a separate occasion, but we didn’t take either, but we acknowledged both in a letter we left for them at the end saying it was a lovely thought, because it’s incredibly kind and sweet. In both scenarios we had a brilliant time, in both scenarios they weren’t rich people, they were just happy and content with their lives.
I think it’s up to everyone individually to decide whether to take any money offered or not. It’s just not “our” thing that’s all. We love sitting… and we love any normal treats and gifts that get left, just money isn’t our incentive for joining THS, we simply love doing what we do, money doesn’t come into it. But I also don’t see it as being wrong at all for any sitter who does take any money on THS when offered it.
In the case where they left me the 100 USD, one dog was a challenge. And they knew it. I managed, but it was a challenge. It was a shepherd that desperately wanted to play fetch, but wasn’t allowed as it had torn an ACL. It kept going in and out, like every 5 minutes the first day. Chewed the toys, pooped bits out. Which makes your nervous, but I was picking up its poop with bits of plastic and stuff. We went on walks but it really needed to get its energy out by running. And couldn’t.
Or that’s what he told you. 
@Rhe, seems a popular question as there was a similar thread yesterday!
We’ve never asked for payment. Against THS policy and we do not housesit with THS to generate income 
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Prior to sit confirmation then two Pet Parent have kindly offered to pay the cost of a car rental during the housesit. We perceived this as thoughtful incentive to accept sit and/or to enhance pet care (use car to take dog on walks or to respond to any vet matter).
On arrival at housesit, a few Pet Parents have kindly left us a gift card for a local restaurant. Much appreciated.
Several other Pet Parents have, at end of housesit, voluntarily provided us with a financial or non-financial gift as an expression of gratitude. One Pet Parent, on two housesits (not THS), has given us an envelope of cash - equivalent to cost of dog boarding - as an unsolicited gesture. Very thoughtful indeed! They expressed delight with care of their pet and (premium) property so enjoyed stress-free vacation. For them, that was more important than costs.
For context, we’ve also left foods (home-cooked meal, staple foods, etc) and/or gifts for Pet Parents as a welcome-home gesture or to show appreciation for an enjoyable sit experience.
Provided everything is unsolicited, voluntary and modest then we don’t see any issue.
I don’t see why it would matter if a gift is a bottle of wine, a gift card, or cash. All can be intended as a gift (not a tip or payment for services). I give my nephews cash for their birthdays because I don’t know what to get teenage boys and they are extremely happy to get cash.
I’ve only received cash once. A couple left me 50 pounds in a card saying something along the lines of ‘go out for a nice dinner on us’. The were a wonderful couple who really appreciated that I was there so they didn’t have to worry about their cats. I just accepted and thanked them. I would feel extremely rude refusing a gift. Sometimes people appreciate their sitter and just want to do something nice. They may not know what’s best to gift the sitter and just decide cash is easiest (or maybe they just didn’t have time to go buy a gift card).
It’s different because gifts usually involve a process of thoughtfulness – considering what the other person might like or appreciate. As a sitter, I often leave gifts myself, simply because I notice things around me and think, “Ah, this would be perfect here.” I often leave gifts for the boys of our regular homeowners too.
I’ve left things like flowers, books, wine, cakes (vegan if I spot vegan cookbooks in the house), or even some basic groceries. I’ve also bought things for the dogs during sits. All of that involves sensitivity and thought – it’s about noticing what fits and making a gesture that reflects that.
But if I were paid, that would turn it into a transaction. It would feel more like business, without the emotional connection behind it. Sure, there are exceptions, but generally, payment shifts the dynamic from personal to professional.
And with your nephew (or mine), it’s different because kids often have their own dreams and savings goals, cash makes sense and is usually appreciated. But I’m guessing you wouldn’t give your sister, brother, or parents money for a gift if you had a better idea of what they’d love, right? That’s the difference, a thoughtful gift reflects emotional connection, while cash can sometimes feel more like a shortcut.
One gave me a $100 Amazon gift card, and another a $50 pre-paid Mastercard.
@Fatamorgana I think it’s the intent that matters. The one time I received cash it was clearly intended as a gift, not a payment.
A host probably doesn’t have an emotional connection with the sitter and doesn’t know what they would like. And the standard things we get frequently (wine, chocolates) are things that some people don’t consume. Some hosts are aware of that and worry about leaving something the sitter won’t like/use. If a host is trying to show their appreciation by leaving a gift, I don’t think it matters what it is - I just politely thank them. If cash is in a nice card with a note, that seems clear that it’s intended as a gift. As I mentioned, I’ve only received cash once, but I’ve received many gift cards. In this instance, I opened the card and it was cash instead of a gift card - the intent was the same. I’ve also received wine, prosecco, chocolates, flowers. Many hosts just want to show their appreciation in some way.
I don’t begrudge anyone taking cash, but I’d prefer not to. It feels more transactional, even though logically a gift card is similar and I don’t have issues with accepting those. I guess the difference is one feels more gift like and the other feels more tip like, and I don’t sit professionally.
My most recent hosts covered my airfare with mileage points, so we never handled cash or other payment. They made the offer when asking me to repeat sit a month later, which would’ve been too soon for me to visit their city again if I had to pay my own airfare.
I’m guessing they’ll want to continue such sits with airfare, because they mentioned that they’d like for me to return even before my recent sit ended and they’ve texted since that their cats miss me and will be happy to see me again soon. The hosts travel a lot and have a second home across the country, so they probably have plenty of mileage points.
In case useful for anyone else to know: You can buy some gift cards online instantly and have them emailed to the recipient either immediately or at a later time. Like on Amazon.
Plus, FYI, there are scams involving stealing balances off physical gift cards, so the recipient ends up getting nothing and the gifter doesn’t realize it. (The scams are findable via Google.)
A family emailed me an Amazon gift card for my kids. I think it was $70usd. I had each kid order something small and then used the rest to buy dog food and sent to an animal rescue group. Win win