3 Ways to Save Thousands When Traveling

Traveling is never cheap. From plane tickets and hotels, to food and booze, there are nearly endless ways to part with your money. And summer is probably the most expensive time to go on vacation.

Let’s face it, that’s why so many people try to take advantage of travel credit cards. Whether it’s an airline branded one, or a hotel branded one, they can save you quite a bit. But there are other ways you can save even more. In fact, there are several ways you can save thousands per vacation. That’s right. Thousands in cold hard cash.

TrustedHousesitters.com

This is probably my favorite way someone can save butt loads of cash. TrustedHousesitters.com is a way to pet-sit (and house-sit) while the pet owner is on vacation. Not only does the vacationer save money by pet-sitting while on vacation, but the pet owner saves money too! As the website says, it’s a “win/win for pet lovers that travel.” Like many of you, I know the pain of leaving your furry family member while you go on vacation. Not to mention the money it costs. And dangers. Someone I know recently lost their beloved pet after it was attacked by other dogs while being boarded. I can’t even imagine. Well, with TrustedHousesitters.com - you don’t have to worry about that kind of thing. And that, I can imagine, is a nice relief.

Where can you go? A cat needs to be watched for a month in Australia. Two dogs need to be taken care of for a few days in Seattle, WA, during July. Another dog needs to be fed in a town 40 miles away from London for a week. The list goes on.

Now, in order to be a pet-sitter, or have your pet sat on (haha!) you do need to make an account. Plans start at $8.00 (really $7.99, but I mean, c’mon) a month.

NightSwapping

This is kinda like Airbnb, except in lieu of cash, you use “nights.” In other words, you sign up, host people at your place, and earn nights. Then, you can use those nights you earn to stay at a fellow member's home for free. That's right. Free. 100% free. There is no monthly or annual fee. 

HomeExchange.com

It’s pretty much exactly how it sounds. You sign up, and find someone to exchange your house/apartment with. The only way this kind of thing can be successful (like the others above) is if enough people become members. HomeExchange.com says you can choose from over 65,000 different homes in over 150 countries. That means you can probably see the world and stay pretty much anywhere for nothing compared to what it would cost if you booked a room at a hotel. A 12-month plan costs you $150.

Bottom line

Full disclosure, I haven’t personally tried any of these (yet). But you can obviously save a lot of money by signing up for any one of these services ($150 a year versus $150 a night?). The one that’s most appealing to me is TrustedHousesitters.com. I love animals, and saving money. That combines both. Would you try any of these? Have you? I’d love to hear from you.

You may also be interested in:
-My Travel Credit Cards pay for Themselves
-Best Ways to Spice up Travel
-Want to Travel for Free? Try MissTravel.com