I hear ya! Believe me I am not rich (financially wise) at all. I actually couldn’t afford my rent any longer and all the high utilities especially heat and ac. I decided not to renew my lease and take this year to do HS. Right now I have confirmed sits to get me through to next spring with just a few gap days. It will be interesting to see if this plan worked out. I really hope to spend some time trying to learn something online to even bring in a few dollars while I am HS. I am gifting this year to myself. After being an elder care for decades and doing hospice. Thank you for your thoughts.
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my opinion.
Excellent. You will do well as long as you keep booking sits, Learn or relearn how to manage and create a budget for this new life and keep on loving, people, animals and yourself. Lots of us here are doing it. You can too.
All the very best.
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Hi @aliza
I understand what you are saying, why and how you and others might assume that sitters who choose a TrustedHousesitters lifestyle might be “rich” but it really couldn’t be further from the truth and it’s a mistake to generalize or make assumptions about anyone’s personal situation, we each have our own reasons for living the lifestyle that we do and not all trips away from home are “Very expensive vacations” …
There are retirees who have worked hard their entire lives and planned for their retirement, who live to a budget and have discovered that this lifestyle allows them to travel far more than traditional travel ever would allow. There are no accommodations costs and they can reduce the outgoings on their own homes while they are away, we did.
For the pet loving retiree who loves pets, can’t or choose not to have one of their own, it is a lifestyle with purpose and a very cost effective way of traveling. For example to go an hour from home and enjoy a different location and experience, with pet companionship may cost. bus/train ticket or a gallon of gas and yet their week or how ever long they are there is totally different from their home life … a vacation of mind and spirit and you don’t have to be rich to do that. Good planners will take advantage of travel deals reducing their travel costs … I know sitters who keep spread sheets and know every penny they spend and save.
Many other sitters work remotely, run businesses, are travel writers and bloggers and can continue to earn their living with a laptop and a wifi connection. I am one of those, I still work, often very long days (and nights) and am I rich? Yes @aliza, rich in pet companionship, human friendships, life experiences and purpose.
I could not imagine doing anything else at this point in my life.
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I just respond that it allows us to travel to new places and have a free place to stay. It is truly a barter system! Most people understand.
And to the other question about being rich because we can HS-We HS because we aren’t rich! Just thrifty with our priorities. We saved for early retirement, but know that with stock markets, inflation etc everything can change.
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I love your statement! This is such a good life motto, and I wish I had learned this 30 years ago!!!
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I hope you have the most wonderful year ever! After working in hospice, you deserve that the universe rewards you and treats you well. 
I wish there were blogs on here, for those sitters that do this fulltime. It would be fascinating to follow everyone’s trips.
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@Harris2 There is a post on the forum where a lot of housesitters shared their blogs or websites. I’ve enjoyed reading many of them
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Thank you! Now I know how I’ll be spending my rainy afternoon 
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As do I 
But hey, we are here now and now we know.
All the best,
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Hi @aliza By now you will have seen a wide range of comments from our members as to their understanding of the meaning of ‘rich’. I am not particularly materialistic, so appreciate those comments.
Your post prompted me to look for a dictionary definition, and this is what I found:
Many nomadic members would say this is far from the truth, and I would agree. Sadly, however, many materialistic societies do measure it this way. Thankfully, appreciating the many riches that life affords us can be so rewarding. 
I hope you find a way to enjoy this lifestyle, whether it be in small measures now, or more fully at some later time. It may bring you new richness you never imagined.
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I love this Francine. It really does touch on something many people miss or rather only discover much later in life depending on one’s personal development speed really since age is not a prerequisite.
As far as material wealth, I have had everything I have ever wanted but none of it gave me what I really desired until I gave it all up. Didn’t lose it mind you. I gave it up. Sold it and mostly gave it away. I own not a darn thing except a few of the things I have found essential for my chosen lifestyle but even those things I understand now Are not essential.
As others have said, the wealth I have now is priceless and those are:
Friendships
Experiences
Wisdom
Peace
Love
Confidence
Just a few that popped in, in no particular order.
I suppose certainty that I am okay just as I am.
These are things you can’t teach anyone.
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Awe thank you so much for your kind words and well wishes. I loved doing hospice care. Makes me cherish life even more. Love the blog idea, I will follow the link where some are posted. 
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I haven’t been faced with that but I think that our situation involving retiring and sitting makes it easier for friends and family to understand. Almost everyone I talk to seen to just be in awe of what we’re doing as they didn’t even know that such a thing existed. Several, including a complete stranger on a plan either wrote the name of THS down or immediately looked it up on their phone. Only one person was aghast that people would invite complete strangers into their home to watch their pets.
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Thank you for your reply to my post…I really was not trying to be rude…I want to apologize to everyone if I came across this way…I definitely used wrong words for my questions…
I truly see now why people use HO without being paid…the love of people, travel, and of course the pets, adventure…
Please accept my apology for not understanding the concept…
Yours truly
Elizabeth
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From where I sit, and it is lovely here, you did not come across as rude. It was a great thought provoking question that generated some wonderful insightful responses.
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HI @aliza - Elizabeth, there is absolutely no need to apologise you opened up another angle to the original question, one which is often asked by those who don’t know the how and why of TrustedHousesitters …
Thank you …
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We are not rich, but comfortable in our present lifestyle…working…closing in on retirement…but we feel we will be “rich” when we reach that point in our lives where we can travel the World to get the chance to love on as many furbabies as possible…thus we become rich in adventures! All just perspective!
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Thank you both…I’m new, older woman that is very independent, will do as asked, I’m a Empath, so I’m fun loving, do anything once kinda girl…
BUT…I live on 1164.00 a month, so was kinda looking for that kinda house sitting person…
I’m do apologize for not seeing it before asking me to be included…
If there are any people out there that know of that kinda thing, pass it on please🤗
Elizabeth
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@aliza You might find this post interesting. Many sitters have shared their expenses and budgets, or their overall approach to managing the cost of their chosen lifestyle.
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You are here. Read on some great tips are being shared all the time.
You are most certainly not alone.
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