How I Saved Money While Traveling in Europe — Tips

I like to describe the Trusted Housesitters matching process as a mix between Tinder and Airbnb.

I first made a profile with a clear link to my personal website and made sure to state that I’m a dog lover. I then searched the database of people looking for house sitters, filtering by location and dates and looking at reviews.

The site has the capability to put you in touch with pet owners as they tend to want to talk further on the phone. I was happy to do this because it’s hard to gather all of the information and assess the situation over text or email. 

Before I left the US, I had three jobs set up in Scotland, England, and the Netherlands. That being said, many house-sitting jobs don’t have to be booked that far in advance. When I was in Europe, I saw a number of people looking for sitters with less notice. 

One of the best parts of house-sitting was the ability to stay in big cities for very cheap. I spent $103 dollars to use the site and house-sat for a total of 45 days out of my three months of traveling, which means I was paying a baseline of about $2 a day.

Although I was saving on accommodation in all three locations, the place I saved the most was in the Netherlands’ capital, Amsterdam. I spent 25 days there with an adorable Maltipoo named Pretzel.

There’s no way I would’ve been able to afford to stay there for as long as I did if I wasn’t house-sitting. Hotels and even hostels can be pricey, and in those cases, you’re paying for one room — I had whole houses and apartments to myself. 

Each house I stayed in had a sizable kitchen, well stocked with spices, oils, and all the essentials to cook. When I was house-sitting, I primarily cooked for myself to reduce food costs.

The people I house-sat for were also very generous, encouraging me to help myself to what was in the cabinets and even stocking the fridge before I arrived. 

Although I ventured out to the occasional coffee shop to do my remote work, having a comfortable place with reliable Wi-Fi (and sometimes a coffee maker) did wonders for my wallet.

I didn’t have to pay extra for internet hot spots or find cafés to sit in to get my work done. 

All of the places I stayed at had in-unit laundry, and I was encouraged to use it as much as I pleased. 

Only one location had a real dryer — I discovered that air-drying is much more common in Europe. But I definitely saved some cash by not having to pay for laundry machines or detergent.

I stayed in non-touristy neighborhoods and suburbs of major cities, including Glasgow in Scotland, Cardiff in Wales, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

Although I could easily access the city center thanks to public transportation, I liked staying away from tourist areas and found that sometimes things were a bit cheaper because of it.

Although I struggled a bit with my first house-sit, I’d overall recommend the experience to anyone looking for an inexpensive and unique way to travel.

It’s definitely a big responsibility, and it may seem scary to stay in someone else’s house. But it’s all about knowing your comfort levels and trusting your gut.

Once I’ve recovered from this bout of travel, I’m planning on browsing the site again.