One of the biggest hidden costs of traveling as a family isn’t flights or accommodations. It’s pet care.
Before we found TrustedHousesitters, figuring out what to do with our dog, Archie, was always one of the hardest parts of planning a trip. Boarding adds up quickly, especially for longer trips, but I also never loved the idea of it for him. He’s such a homebody dog and really loves his routine, and having him away somewhere unfamiliar would honestly just make me more worried while we were away.
Asking friends or family to watch him never felt great either. I don’t like putting that kind of responsibility on people, especially for longer stretches of time, and it always felt like a big ask.
Pet care was one of those things that quietly made family travel feel more stressful and more expensive than it needed to be. This is one of the changes that’s made traveling as a family feel much more doable for us.
The Pet Care Problem No One Talks About
Pet care is one of those costs people often forget to factor into travel, until they start planning a trip and realize how quickly it adds up!
Where we live, boarding Archie would typically cost around $60–$80 per night. That might not sound terrible for a night or two, but once you’re planning a longer trip, it becomes a big number very quickly. A two-week trip could easily mean $850–$1,100 just for dog boarding.
And that’s before you factor in things like:
- holiday rate increases
- longer trips costing more overall
- or needing in-home sitters instead of standard boarding
For us, pet care became one of the most expensive parts of a trip. It was frustrating to spend that much money just to be able to leave the house, especially when that same amount could cover flights, accommodations, or a big portion of our food budget while traveling.
Once we started looking at pet care as part of our overall travel budget, it became clear we needed a better solution.
What We Do Instead
We discovered TrustedHousesitters the best way, word of mouth!
I was sitting at the rink watching my daughter’s ringette practice, chatting with another mom about travel. She knew we had a dog and asked if I’d ever heard of TrustedHousesitters. I said no, and she immediately started explaining how it worked.
I was instantly intrigued. I also had so many questions.
The idea of having someone stay in our home to take care of Archie, instead of boarding him somewhere else or asking friends or family, sounded almost too good to be true. But the more she explained it, the more it made sense.
TrustedHousesitters is a membership-based platform that connects homeowners with vetted sitters who stay in your home and care for your pet while you’re away. There’s no per-night cost. Instead, you pay an annual membership fee, and in exchange, you’re able to have someone stay in your home and look after your pet while you travel.
For us, that meant:
- Archie stays in his own home
- He keeps his routine
- There’s no daily boarding cost adding up in the background
When I first heard about it, I had a lot of the same questions I know many of you probably have. So in the sections below, I’ll answer the most common ones and share what it’s actually been like using TrustedHousesitters for our family!
Why This Works So Well for Families
Using TrustedHousesitters has been especially helpful for us as a family.
Our dog gets to stay in his own home, sleep in his own bed, and stick to his normal routine, which gives us so much peace of mind while we’re away. He’s a homebody, and knowing he’s comfortable makes it much easier for us to actually relax on a trip.
From a logistics standpoint, it also simplifies travel. There’s no coordinating drop-offs, no pick-up times to rush back for, and no extra daily cost quietly adding up in the background. For longer trips especially, that makes a huge difference.
Accommodation, flights, food, and activities already take a lot of planning and budgeting. Removing pet care from that list has made family travel feel lighter and far more doable for us.
Common Questions About TrustedHousesitters
When I first heard about TrustedHousesitters, I had a lot of questions. These are the ones I get asked most often, and what it’s actually been like for us.
Where do the sitters sleep?
This is probably the first thing people ask. In our case, the sitters slept in our bed. I bought a new set of sheets before we left, and honestly, this didn’t weird me out at all. We’ve stayed in so many Airbnbs over the years that it felt pretty normal.
That said, this is completely up to you. I have a friend who also uses TrustedHousesitters and they set up an unused basement bedroom for their sitters instead. There’s no one right way. You just decide what works best for your home.
What about valuables or important documents?
We don’t really have valuables lying around (our money tends to go toward travel!), but my husband did gather a box of important documents and we dropped them off at my mom’s while we were away.
If there’s anything you’d rather not have in the house, it’s easy to take it with you or store it elsewhere. We kept it simple and didn’t overthink this part.
Do sitters have access to your whole house?
Yes, generally they do. You can absolutely block off rooms if you want, but I do think it’s important that sitters feel comfortable and welcome in your home. They’re not meant to feel like a stranger staying in one corner of the house.
For us, treating them like a guest rather than someone tiptoeing around made the whole experience feel better on both sides.
Can you meet the sitters beforehand?
Yes, and we did both times.
Our sitters came over the day before we left, met Archie, and we showed them around the house. It made everything feel much more relaxed. If meeting in person isn’t possible, you can also FaceTime or video chat ahead of time, which is a great option.
How should you set up your house before a sit?
I treated it the same way I’d want a place to feel if I were arriving somewhere new.
In our case, I had a cleaner come in before we left, but only because I didn’t have time to do it myself. You don’t need to overdo it. Just think about what would make you feel comfortable walking into an Airbnb or vacation rental and aim for that.
So… you don’t pay the sitters anything?
Correct. No money is exchanged between you and the sitter.
You pay an annual membership fee to TrustedHousesitters, and that’s it. The sitters stay in your home and care for your pet in exchange for accommodation, not payment. For us, this has been one of the biggest reasons it makes sense, especially for longer trips.
Our Actual Experience Using TrustedHousesitters
We’ve used TrustedHousesitters a couple of times now, and both experiences have been really good!
The first time we used it was when we went away for a ski vacation over New Year’s last year. We were gone for five days, and a really lovely Ukrainian couple came to stay at our house and look after Archie. When we got home after a long drive, not only was the house exactly how we’d left it, but they had even made us a big pot of borscht! It was such a kind, unexpected welcome home and immediately made the whole experience feel very positive.
Our second experience was a longer one. This past summer, we were away for three and a half weeks, and a retired German couple came to stay with Archie. They had tons of great reviews, and if I remember correctly, we were their 33rd house sit! That experience really highlighted another thing I love about TrustedHousesitters: it’s not just about pet care, it’s also about having someone in your home while you’re away.
I don’t love the idea of leaving our house empty for weeks at a time. Having someone there meant the mail was brought in, the lawn was mowed, and everything felt looked after. They kept us updated with photos of Archie, how he was doing, and how he was eating, and I always felt like he was in very good hands.
They did such a great job that we’ve actually asked them to come back this summer to watch Archie again while we’re on our next trip!
For us, TrustedHousesitters hasn’t just saved money. It’s given us peace of mind, both for Archie and for our home, especially on longer trips.
Is TrustedHousesitters Worth It?
This is usually the biggest question, and it really comes down to the math.
For us, boarding Archie where we live would cost around $60–$80 per night. Even a short trip adds up quickly. A five-day trip could easily cost $300–$400, and a longer trip can push well over $1,000 just in pet care.
A yearly membership with TrustedHousesitters costs less than that.
For us, the membership paid for itself after our very first trip. Everything after that has essentially been savings. And that doesn’t even factor in the peace of mind of having Archie at home, sticking to his routine, or knowing someone is actually living in our house while we’re away.
When we look at our travel budget, pet care used to be a line item that made us hesitate or shorten trips. Now, it’s not something we really have to think about at all. That alone has made longer trips feel much more realistic for our family.
TrustedHousesitters won’t be the right fit for everyone. But if you:
- travel more than once a year
- take longer trips
- have a pet that’s happiest at home
- don’t love the idea of boarding or asking friends and family
then it’s absolutely worth looking into.
The Other Side of TrustedHousesitters
One thing I should mention is that TrustedHousesitters works both ways.
In addition to having someone stay in your home to care for your pet, you can also use the platform to travel and stay in other people’s homes in exchange for caring for their pets.
We personally haven’t done this side of it. With kids and our own travel style, it hasn’t been the right fit for us. But I know it’s something that works really well for other families, couples, and retirees, especially those who have more flexibility with timing and location.
For some people, this can be a great way to reduce accommodation costs while traveling, particularly for longer stays. I wanted to mention it because it’s part of the platform and might be an intriguing option depending on how your family travels.
Is TrustedHousesitters Right for Your Family?
Travel already comes with enough planning, costs, and logistics, especially when you’re doing it as a family. For us, pet care was one of those things that made travel feel heavier and more complicated than it needed to be.
Using TrustedHousesitters has removed that layer almost entirely. Archie gets to stay in his own home, we don’t have to rely on favours or pay expensive boarding fees, and we have peace of mind knowing both our dog and our house are being well cared for while we’re away.
It’s not the right solution for every family, but if pet care costs or logistics have ever made you hesitate to book a trip, this is one option that’s been genuinely helpful for us. It’s one of those behind-the-scenes decisions that has made traveling more often and for longer periods of time feel much more realistic.
If you want to learn more or see if it could be a fit for your family, you can use my referral link below for a discount on your membership. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and it’s a service we truly use and trust.
👉 Get a TrustedHousesitters membership HERE
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