What a great thread this has turned into! I am really enjoying reading everyone’s take on Premium, the lounges, and the lifestyle… There are some interesting insights here.
I loved what @ChiefPetOfficer said earlier… posts do have a shelf life, and it’s exactly why questions like this are worth asking again and again. New members join every day who haven’t seen the older threads, and the search function isn’t always the easiest to navigate (fair point, @Newpetlover!).
@dksnook, we’re so glad you’ve found your way here. Keep the questions coming! I hope you managed to drop @cuttlefish a DM but if you still need help just let us know.
The first time I used a premium lounge it was a benefit from my account at citybank, there was no limit and I could even have guests. I got spoilt. Then citybank left Spain and I have since tried other options. THS passes came handy when I did a few sits in other continents. As you said, if lounges are used, they alone pay for the upgrade. If they aren’t, you can always give them away. Last year, I just used one and I gave the other to someone in the forum who needed it.
We have a trip.com account and we use it a lot for flights, trains, occasionally hotels and sometimes car rentals. Somehow we’re now up at platinum membership or diamond it might be called, and every now and again a message pops up when we book flights offering free or heavily discounted lounge passes. Also free e-sims which are handy. #tripdotyes
@dksnook, conscious of not pivoting this thread even further from lounge passes!
But brief responses
we are early retirees with sufficient capital to fund expenses. we housesit for pleasure rather than need. though housesitting with negligible shelter costs (home+travel) has allowed us to retire earlier, spend less/differently and travel extensively.
great question - multiple Forum threads on this topic. we are a couple. various tactics for this - we periodically take a break from housesitting to see family/friends
great psychology self-reflection. many of our family/friends think our lifestyle is nuts! but they are envious of our travels! life choices. full-time housesitting is unquestionably an alternative lifestyle (more Forum threads on this). we are happy not to defy convention and try hard not to “grow up”
there are multiple countries that offer digital nomad visas or equivalent. that’s taking this thread even further off topic … but once someone lets-go of conventional lifestyle then creative options emerge and evolve.
Jalaluddin Rumi “When you start to walk on the way, the way appears”.
Sounds very cool. We completed two housesits in Switzerland last year. Beautiful country and enjoyable experiences. But some costs (trains, restaurants) seemed staggeringly high relative to neighbouring countries. One evening we walked to Italy for dinner (we were close to border ). Hope that you enjoy a great visit.
@dksnook, we’ve bounced between North America (Canada) and Europe over last few years. As this is your first THS Forum post, suggest use magnifying glass in header to search prior Forum threads. Lots lots insight available.
Suspect that you’d find huge difference in housesitting opportunities between US, Schengen area and South America.
US has over 50% of listings and likely currently only attracts US housesitters. Seemingly many non-US housesitters, like ourselves, will not consider US listings. Probably oodles of choice, if you seek such listings
Schengen area has few listings and faces very high demand. Listings often posted last minute, shorter duration, smaller property size, likely higher travel costs relative to Canadian listings (in our experience)
South American THS listings are rare
Given your entrepreneurial status, worth noting that property rental costs in Southern Europe during winter months are a small fraction of peak summer months.
). Hope that you enjoy a great visit.