I haven’t heard this expression before. I think I’m understanding how you are using it, but can you explain what you mean?
1 Like
I’m from the North East of England, it’s used quite often here.
A penny is 1p or £0.01, but it could be 1 cent, 1 dime, 1 euro just the same. If you were a penny (or a dime) behind a £multi-millionaire… you’d still be a millionaire.
People usually say it about themselves “I wish I was a penny behind them!” when talking about someone wealthy. Another words I wish I had the money they’ve got… or somewhere close to it, hence the penny!
But “I bet you wish you were a penny behind them!”, is the neighbour (who will live in a much less valuable home) saying I bet you wish you were as rich as them.
We’ve stayed in some really stunning homes, that’s when it happens occasionally… we’ve also done a sit in a tiny flat, and we’re about to stay in a mobile home later this year… it’s not about the home for us, it’s about the experience.
11 Likes
Thank you for taking the time to explain. I appreciate it!
3 Likes
I would not be at all offended. They want to know that you are trustworthy and can afford the stay.
Also, as others have said, they are just curious about this lifestyle we choose.
my non sitter friends often exclaim …“You do it for free???”
usually followed by… “but they fill the fridge with food for you, yeah?”
to which I reply " No, How would they know what I like to eat? "
and " I am just happy being in a new place with some nice pets for company"
I am genuinely doing this for the experience. I live in a 2nd floor city flat, and when I worked I couldn’t have a dog. I like my holidays too much to have been a pet owner, though I did have a cat.
so for me, being in a house, with a garden to sit out in, and a bird table, is a plus.
6 Likes
“INAPPROPRIATE QUESTIONS BY ALDI STAFF”
We were shopping in ALDI a few weeks ago when one of the staff members asked my husband ( much to his amusement) if I was his father!
In my defence I’d had a cold and was looking as rough as a bears behind, but even so, cheeky sod!
17 Likes
Ouch! That’s gotta hurt. To be fair you do scrub up well 
I hope it wasn’t a consequence of me telling you to ditch the lotions and potions.
7 Likes
@Twitcher I took my bucket of No7 youth serum back to Boots and demanded a refund!
16 Likes
I’d like to lodge a complaint. I’m on full bed rest with an injured back and the slightest move hurts, but now I can’t stop laughing. As long as there’s no mention of toliet paper, it may be time to take your show on the road.
8 Likes
I wouldn’t be particularly offended by the question, but might be tempted to reply with, ‘…and how do you finance your holidays?’ 
16 Likes
Before becoming part of this forum, I never realized that HO’s might worry that sitters may not be able to finance traveling to the sit, and might leave them stranded. Then I read the various stories of raided pantries, demands on cars, or sitters canceling once they realized how expensive the flights were.
A couple of HO’s commented to my husband and me that we look very young to be retired, implying that they’d like to know how we did it (which I found quite intrusive), but a few of you brought up the very valid point that HO’s need to know whether we can afford the plane tickets and the living expenses, so possibly that was a roundabout way of asking.
I consider myself a fairly reserved person and mention of financial struggle from people I barely know makes me uncomfortable. Too much information!
2 Likes
Honestly, I don’t think that question would bother us at all. It’s a question like, what do you do for work? And if you are having someone stay in your home and take care of your most beloved member of the family, I don’t think that is unreasonable to ask but that’s me and I know that others might take offense. I think knowing whether one works outside of the home, if you will be staying home and doing work there etc. etc. really does pertain to what we do.
Perhaps it was the way it was worded? Did you end up sitting for them?
2 Likes
I agree, it is an uncomfortable topic to bring up. What are you supposed to say, other than express sympathy? I have been in situations in which HOs have disclosed too much, specifically about past traumas. In hindsight, while we were forming a friendship of sorts, given repeated sits, I realise how important it is to have boundaries in house sitting and this was not appropriate forum in which to share such sensitive and difficult topics.
On a more general note, I kind of see why the HO would be interested to know how a sitter finances their sits, purely because of stories I’ve heard from HOs about other sitters taking advantage of them and their homes. One sitter refused to leave, another sitter invited friends round and trashed the house, breaking the hob and the bath (neither were sitters found through THS!) I think leaving your home and pets in the care of a stranger is a bit of a leap of faith and the HO simply wants peace of mind knowing you are self-sufficient. I don’t mind answering any such questions that are vaguely relevant to the sit (and have been asked these before) but I understand why it might make someone uncomfortable.
1 Like
That’s what I think. I would have found totally normal a question like “ what do you do for a living?” That shows interest in your life and activities and you can ask the same question in return.
Shows some kind of mistrust. The logical answer, in equal terms of conversational exchange, would be as @Becca suggests, ‘…and how do you finance your holidays?’
Although I agree with others that the interest is legitimate, I don’t think it’s the best way to phrase it.
4 Likes
I agree it’s an inappropriate direct question, but I understand that not all homeowners automatically trust all sitters just because they are on the platform. (Strangely enough not all sitters trust all homeowners either!)
I’ve probably ruled out some sitters without it ever getting to the videochat because there was not enough info on the sitter’s profile for me to get a sense of who the person is and yes how they support a sitting lifestyle. I think it’s helpful if there’s already a brief narrative on your listing. Something like the following:
- We sell our handmade items at craftsfairs and go where the work and craftsfairs are.
- We are completely nomadic and work online.
- Just two busy acadmedics taking a few months off to travel while we finish our disertations.
- Retired.
I think offering some explanation on the profile builds trust and probably prevents awkward questions.
3 Likes
Get well soon 
1 Like
Or reply “oh I get by, but lock up your valuables” 
7 Likes
I think it’s reasonable to want to know but probably not the best phrasing. Personally I mention in my applications that I work evenings from home for a couple hours each day. I phrase it as leaving me available for on-demand belly rubs and treats. 
5 Likes
That’s what I would think. I can also understand that owners whose listings don’t get enough applicants to rule them out at a glance would want to find out more about the applicant/s they get but the video chat is usually arranged in advance and the questions can be phrased in a way that creates a good vibe.
As a sitter, I may apply for a sit I don’t feel too enthusiastic about and ask relevant questions whose content is not disclosed in the listing but I try to focus the questions on my responsibilities as a sitter rather than their life style.
Tell them your a comedian 
2 Likes
Not by a home owner, but we did get a very, uhm, derogatory comment: We just finished a very involved sit (good sit, but needed lots of energy), and booked ourselves into a fancy hotel in Bath, for 1 night, as a reward for a job well done.
When we checked in, the receptionist asks what brought us there, and we told her. As her colleague came up alongside her, the receptionist said to her colleague: 'These are “housesitters” '- yes, with her fingers making air quotes as she said it!
My husband and I mouthed to each other: “What’s with the air quotes???” Finishing the tiring sit and driving a few hours to get to Bath, the last thing we felt like, was to be looked down upon by anyone. Or if it wasn’t being look down on, then whatever she felt she was insinuating with her air quotes. Maybe it’s not a real job. Well, we have those too 
7 Likes