I have my own checklist developed with questions for the homeowners I am going to sit for. One of those questions is “will there be some room in your freezer” for my own food items I plan on bringing.
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Would you mind to share your checklist? I want to develop a checklist, too and that would be really helpful for me as a start 
Lol. Very entitled. To expect to actually use the freezer, if its listed in the listing. 
You know what, I am even a lot more entitled: I expect to use the shower and furniture as well. 
I know, I could simply bring my own tent and make myself comfortable in the garden of the HO. But I am just too entitled to do so 
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Guess what: I have enough common sense as well to check the freezer before I go shopping. That beeing said, if I see that there is no space at all and everything is covered in ice, I will find a solution. And that being said: I cannot believe that the HO might miss something so much, if it was deeply covered in ice, in the furthest corner of their freezer. 
But of course, I use my common sense here as well. Keep the stuff that seems still good and/or expensive or as it might have emotional value, like homemade stuff and get rid of almost empty packages of cheap stuff from the supermarket.
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Exactly. Of course I don´t throw away everything or completly randomly. I check, how much of it is left, try to estimate if it was expensive or hard to get and only get rid of stuff, that don´t seem to have some emotional value or were expensive.
And also: If the stuff looks incredibly old and just like it was forgotten for several years, I rather don´t put my health and risk by eating it. 
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For many years, I kept in my freezer some kind of chocolate balls that my daughter had “cooked”, together with her school friends when they were eight or so, putting every sweet ingredient together, adding lots of food coloring 
Thank you for reminding me of that!
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It sounds like you said that you threw out the homeowner’s frozen food. Is that what you meant?
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Yes. Because even after defrost the freezer, there would have been not any space for my own food. But I explained it better in some other comments. Feel free to read them before coming to a conclusion about my acting.
Your belligerent attitude is uncalled for; I did not accuse you of anything. I asked a question.
Now that I have read the whole thread, I’m not surprised that you’re acting defensive. I would be livid if you threw away my groceries without asking me first.
Sleeping in a tent in their yard, really? Hyperbole is not your friend when you are trying to make a point.
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Why do you find my answer belligerent? 
Just because of the lack of emojis? TrustedHousesitters is having problems right now. I had to post my answer several times and the emoji got lost during the process.
But beside that: How could you read my answer as belligerent or defensive? I just wanted to avoid explaining the same thing over and over again and because of that, I pointed out, that there are other comments, where I go more into detail.
No I never would touch there frozen meals I just use anything I think would go to waste before they get back and replace some things that they seem to like. I usually get asked what I need left for me basics for me would be milk cheese eggs bread and some fruit until I can get to the supermarket.
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Yes I take my tea bags and coffee sometimes breakfast bars but if travelling a distance by bus plane and another taxi.I can’t always take much food with me.most house owners take me for a meal or leave me something to eat.but I have had others who forget I have travelled a good distance and I have gone to bed hungry because I don’t like to make a fuss.
By the way: I prefer a good communication with the HOs, too.
But you have to make the best of a situation, when they are hard to reach. Either because they travel far away and don´t have a lot of access to the phone or just because they lack of a good communication.
Hi Nana - sure - I’ve shared with others. I’d need your email address though as I’ve tried to share in the forum before and wasn’t able to.
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Hello 
just a quick reminder across this conversation to take a breath and please be respectful, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.
Healthy debate is what makes this place great, but let’s keep it kind as per our forum values.
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HO usually indicate what’s available and what isn’t.
Generally: perishables are understood to be used (fruits, veg, dairy that will go off during the sit, fresh bread). And condiments.
Canned goods & frozen foods are not.
UNLESS the HO specifically say otherwise.
As a HO I very specifically said that other than our wine, everything was available (long 25 day sits generally).
BUT that said, I’m not someone who stocks a full freezer & pantry so …
As a sitter I only use spices, opened sauces, fresh veg & fruit, perishable dairy (milk & yogurt that will expire for example.)
The rest we ignore unless we have an emergency need and then we replace it.
Also, as a courtesy I note what kinds of fruit, veg, milk, bread, eggs the HO uses and make sure they have enough for their return home!
I think it’s common sense & courtesy.
ONE thought: could be the things had been used before the sitters came?
We were once chastized about giving too many “special” treats to the dog. Well, the wife gave us one set of instructions about those treats, the husband a different set of instructions.
SO - memories aren’t perfect for most of us!
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I don’t think that it matters what was thrown out. It is not for sitters to substitute their judgment for that of the HO. If the HO wants to keep an almost-empty ice cream container, that is their decision. Admittedly, it may not be a conscious decision, but more likely that the item was forgotten about, but that still doesn’t justify sitters rearranging the HOs space. Anything that invasive should be cleared with the HO first.
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I’ve experienced the opposite. I’ve told sitters to feel free to have a meal or two from soups, and frozen entrees, and to PLEASE finish off leftover vegetables. Nothing is ever touched! But I think the food rules need to be clearly stated in the Welcome Guide as different petparents have different rules, and different sitters have different expectations.
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That HO had poor judgment in that they had not left space in the freezer.
I don’t really like the extreme levels of one-sided “respect” and deference that sometimes are expressed on this forum. Cannot throw out old packaging in which just a little bit of frosted food was left??
I have never experienced that with home owners, not even when they owned castles of houses. I have never been made to feel as a servant that is supposed to be somehow invisible, leaving pillows exactly as they were. I have always been asked to make myself comfortable.
should be cleared with the HO first
The HO might then deduct a star for “self-sufficient”.
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Exactly! It is so hard to guess, how much communication is appreciated. If I would be on vacation, I would not like to be bothered with questions all the time, that could be solved with common sense.
@Lassie And what would you do, if the HO answers with “No, I don’t want you to throw away any of my food”. Ok. I guess, I just can’t buy any icecream for me, even if it’s fricking hot? Or I had to start an argument during their vacation? Both options seems not ideal for me. 