What food do you leave for your house sitters?

Now that was just rude of them! You shouldn’t need to be so specific, however there are a lot of people who will take others for granted and sponge as much as they can for free.

I had an odd situation last year, unusual sit but a lovely one. The HO husband was on the property (multiple houses) he helped himself to my 2ltr grey goose & a bottle of tequila I’d brought back from mexico! Thankfully he replaced them, well the tequila wasn’t the same as you can’t get it here.

Yes, extremely rude. Fortunately the majority of sitters, me included, are respectful of the home we’ve been entrusted with looking after and everything in it, including food and drink.

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There are also cultural differences and the phrase “help yourself to anything” can be understood quite literally. Some especially welcoming HOs have even welcomed us to literally empty their whole wine cellar, but we were happy with one bottle ;).

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I was super lucky that the first housesit I did the owner said they were happy to get me a shop for my stay as it was miles from the nearest large store especially without a car. The home owner asked what I liked so I sent a screenshot of my last online shop. They advised me to help myself with anything else. The only other food I did eat was some fruit that was on the turn.

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We dont use what the host has unless they tell us we can and to what extent. We allow our guests to use what we have (we often have stuff go to waste) and we have farm animals so they are welcome to the fresh eggs as well.

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This is interesting as I’ve only been pondering on this this morning. I’ve been sitting back to back about since April, and I’m on a pension. I’ve come to the conclusion I probably can’t do this again, even though my house sitters are now asking me back already, for next year.

My biggest expense is food and then I saw this post. I’ve turned up to the empty fridge at night to a place I don’t know, and gone without dinner, or been left some veggies. But I’ve decided one, not to take shorter sits of a week or less for this reason. I don’t live in the State I’m in, so as I’ve gone from house to house, I’m buying food over and over, as I don’t have a car and moving on public transport. Foods my last concern for carrying. Also getting take away because I just don’t have all the ingredients. My pension is basically going on food, so I’ve now not had the money to get out and about, so wondered if others had thts. I’m in an expensive area atm and been shocked at the prices in the local small supermarket. I’m often not near big supermarkets. I’m starting to miss eating my normal healthy diet and wondering how to get round this. Hoping ppl more experienced have some thts. Thanks

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Sorry to hear your food budget has been the downside to your sitting experience. I’m not sure where you’ve been sitting, but we have found inexpensive grocery stores in almost every city/town where we stay. Perhaps, before you apply for a sit in the future, ask the homeowner the address and google the local options for shopping. I buy fruits and veggies in all locations, so healthy eating is still an option. We never have waste, as we figure exactly how much to purchase, and plan accordingly. We don’t have options to travel with food, as we use public transportation.

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Thanks Joanne. You’re obviously more experienced than me and have worked this out. I guess I’ll fumble along and over time, will work out the best scenario of this.

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You will. Don’t give up. We learn and tweak as we go. Joanne’s advice is very good. Look at what you are currently doing and ask yourself what you can do differently.
Are you putting too much pressure on yourself by buying everything as if you were at home for each sit? Usually homeowners are ok using spices and condiments and such.
Can you make adjustments in your dietary preferences while in a sit? Perhaps longer sits will work better? Good choices for healthy diet are fruit, veg, easy grab and go fresh foods. Look for recipes online that are quick and simple, microwave does not just mean prepackaged. Grill veg, stir fry are just some ideas.
Experiment and soon you will find a flow that works and will ease your experiences so that your adventures are much more fun.
All the best
Amparo

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It’s truly about lessons learned for us. I honestly don’t really cook anymore, so salads and protein work for me. Neither of us are fussy at all about grab and go. We think it’s fun shopping in different countries for food stuff, it’s part of the adventure. I’m sure you will get the hang of it!

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@bubble Please don’t be too hard on yourself, as travelling solo and trying to not overspend on food can be a challenge, especially for those on a tight budget. Those who travel as a couple may find it easier as they are buying for two servings (or more), but catering for one creates added challenges, in my opinion. For example, that block of cheese I buy at home will not work on a sit, so smaller sizes of anything usually increases the overall cost. However, I’m also someone who is fine with eating the same food for multiple days, so that works to my advantage at times.

You’ve had some excellent suggestions already, and adapting is certainly key. I have noticed that my eating style changes with each sit. When I don’t have my car with me, I bring a cloth backpack with a drawstring, not much bigger than a shoebox, so that I can carry some shopping that way at times. I also have a small backpack I sometimes take. At times I ask beforehand about the location and surrounding stores, or I check that online, and then pack accordingly.

In my hometown there are also gathering places for a free meal, or donate what you can afford, with no questions asked. For many it’s more about socialization rather than financial. Check out the area for similar options, often in churches and community centres. It’s also an opportunity to have a chat with someone other than the pets at home. :smirk:

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@bubble In my earlier reply I didn’t address your point about arriving to an empty fridge. Keep in mind that owners also don’t know what to do for the best. That’s clearly seen by the title of this post. I suggest that when you are speaking with the owners beforehand, mention to them that you hate to see food wasted. Let them know that if they have any opened containers, or perishable food, that you would be happy if they left it for you, provided it was still safe, of course. Let them know that you’ll either use it, with thanks, or discard it. The owner then clearly knows what will be appropriate for you. You also didn’t have to mention your financial reasons. :slightly_smiling_face:

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@Margaret We have had a similar unexpected issue before as well. Like you said - most sitters are respectful and appreciative within appropriate limits. We have gotten in the habit of moving what is available for consumption into the main refrigerator/freezer, and clarifying that sitters are able to help themselves to whatever is intentionally left in there (we also add a few of their requested grocery staples). While we put anything excess or off-limits in a separate fridge/freezer. Same concept for the pantry - we have come back to our unopened seasonal honeys we collected while traveling, practically empty (other honey was available, but these were pulled from the back shelf and used). Our kids were the most disappointed about these, as they had picked them out. Lesson learned - anything extra special gets stored elsewhere.

No one likes to return home after long flights and possible travel delays without some type of sustenance. So this could be about leaving food for the owners returning home, or for sitters who arrive after you’ve departed.

Of course dietary choices are quite personal but what I’ve found to be most appreciated is some type of veggie frittata. If the homeowner has left any perishable produce, I will use it in the recipe, or I will make one with shelf stable items like canned artichoke hearts and/or roasted red peppers.

Here’s my basic recipe:
6-8 eggs
2 TB milk or water
1 cup +/- Chopped veggies: kale, spinach, mushrooms, onions, peppers…(you can also add chopped bacon, sausage, etc. if they like meats.)
Chopped herbs like basil or cilantro (or dried if none fresh)
1/2 cup grated cheese
Salt and pepper (I under salt as Its hard to gauge since you won’t be tasting it in advance.)

Beat the eggs with liquid until blended. Sauté veggies for a few minutes in a smidge of oil or butter.
Grease a medium casserole dish and put veggie mix on bottom. Pour egg mixture over and add herbs and cheese.
Bake 350 for approximately 25 minutes, depending on oven.

You can enjoy this for breakfast, lunch, dinner or anytime in between. And if you leave early but they don’t return until several hours later, do refrigerate.

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Oh, my. That sounds yummy! It’s now on my list of easy things to fix! Thanks Karen.

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@Smiley,

When I first joined THS there was a standard message, template by the company, saying something like ‘Welcome, please help yourself to anything……’

I miss that message. :worried: I now try and ask about it in video calls, I usually say it’s common practice that sitters have access to basics like salt, pepper, cooking oil, perishable in fridge etc (in my experience it is).

In 90% of my sits I have had much more than just the basics provided, and now, as an owner too, I will err in the favour of generosity.

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On the flip side, when we fly to a sit, we buy our groceries when we get there and always leave our left over pantry & fridge staples for the HO. We leave way more than we use.

We often make and leave ANZAC slice for our owners. It’s a very easy, very morish, sweet treat made from pantry staples.

ANZAC biscuits have an interesting history from WW1. Anzac biscuit - Wikipedia

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All these ingredients sounds yummy. I’m a fan of digestive biscuits, and I’m wondering if it’s the same flavor?

No @Joanne ANZACs are quite unique

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