Money Saving Hack #12 – Choose a Pet Sitter’s Life!

declutter travel light pet sitter mindahome

We’ve all heard the old adage ‘less is more’, but if we truly put this into action, it can actually reap some very sizable rewards.

Travel Light

The life of a house and pet sitter can be rather nomadic; always on the move from one position to the next. It’s not for everyone, but for those who embrace the adventure, house and pet sitting can save them loads of cash.

Aside from living rent free and saving all the money you earn, rather than handing it over to a landlord in rent, the trick to being a successful house and pet sitter is travelling light. Continue reading “Money Saving Hack #12 – Choose a Pet Sitter’s Life!”

Pet Care Prep for Warmer Weather

Preparing your Pet for summer

Warmer weather is on the horizon and just like us, our pet-pals need extra care to adjust to the heat and to be protected from summertime pests.

As the weather warms, there’s no better time to get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine. Whether you’re out in the garden to nurture your vegetable patch or taking a trip to one of our dog parks that let your fur-friend sprint around the grounds, there are some things to remember to ensure you have a good day out. Continue reading “Pet Care Prep for Warmer Weather”

A Home Owners 4-Step Guide to House Sitting

Get organised for your pet sitterTrust plays an important role in any house and pet sitting agreement and ensuring that both the home and pet owner and the house sitter understand the other party’s expectations, is the key to a fuss-free and enjoyable sit.

We’ve put together some points to consider making sure you have a worry-free house and pet sitting experience:

Help the Sitter Understand Your Pet

Getting all the best information about your fur pal’s personality, her routines, habits – and documenting all of these – is a great start to arming your sitter with the information they need to provide the best care possible for your pet. Continue reading “A Home Owners 4-Step Guide to House Sitting”

Know Your Pet’s Personality

Dog with ball, pet care

Just like us, our pet’s have their own unique personality, which some researchers believe, they may even share with their owners.

It’s interesting to observe pets and their pet-parents at the dog park or walking down the streets of any major city or town. It’s intriguing to see the similarities in their attitude and activity. There’s such a vibrant diversity in personalities with everything from the highly energised types through to those that are more laid back and happy to watch the world go by.

Here are some of the personalities we’ve observed in our pet travels. Do any of these personality traits sound like your treasured pet-pal? Continue reading “Know Your Pet’s Personality”

Money Saving Hack #54 – Meal Planning

Meal Planing, save moneyPlanning for your meals while on house and pet sits will help you save money. Sounds simple, right? While most of us can appreciate that meal planning is a great way to ensure we don’t waste the food we buy, few of us go that extra step to physically writing down our meal plans – and sticking to them!

Meal planning is particularly useful when you have back to back house and pet sits. It will help you manage the fresh food you need for a particular period and, as time goes by, you will get better at estimating how much you will need for any meal for any period.

Fresh fruit such as bananas, can ripen very quickly, so only buy enough to last you for your house and pet sit period.

Meal planning not only helps you plan for meals on the go, it saves you money because you only buy items that you’ll be cooking with, and it will encourage more healthy meal choices.

Here are a few ways to make meal planning work for you.

Start with a Weekly Calendar

Create a calendar for every day of the week. On this calendar, include the days that you will be transitioning from and to different house and pet sits and the times you’re expected to arrive and depart. Based on your movements, write down the meals you plan to make, take out or eating out options and the days and times you’re going to be able to shop for groceries and other items.

Make a Shopping List

Once you’ve created your meal plan, write down the ingredients you need to make your meals. By having a list, you will know exactly what you need so you only have to make one trip to the shops and can enjoy living like a local as a house and pet sitter the rest of the time.

Don’t Impulse Buy

You have a list for a reason. Don’t stray from your list and you won’t overindulge in unhealthy snacks and foods. Being in almost holiday-like mode for a house and pet sit, you may be tempted to indulge every now and again but having a list and sticking to it is a great way to stay healthy during your travels.

House and pet sitting is an adventure. Book your next position anywhere across the UK.

5 Packing Essentials for Roving House and Pet Sitters

Travel Light Pet Sitting
Photo by Russ Hendricks / ToolsAreHome.com

The house and pet sitting lifestyle is an adventure. There are new experiences to be had, different places to visit and, with back to back house and pet sits, you must be ready to pack up and go quickly and easily.

Seasoned house and pet sitters are sure to have their packing list and routine sorted, but if you’re new to this wonderfully nomadic lifestyle, here are our tips for the five essential items you need for an organised and simple move to your next position. Continue reading “5 Packing Essentials for Roving House and Pet Sitters”

The 3 P’s of Pet Sitting

Pet Sitter Around half of British households own a pet, so we understand that high quality pet care is at the top of the list for many pet owners. House and pet sitters are part of a pet loving community that treat the pets under their care as if they were their own.

Whether you’re looking for a pet sitter or you are a pet sitter yourself, here are three P’s, that we think, every great pet sitter should possess.

Personalised Approach Continue reading “The 3 P’s of Pet Sitting”

A New Lease on Life: You’ll Love Our Rising Rent Quick Fix

Save Money housesittingJust when you thought it couldn’t get any more expensive, your rent goes up … again!

While the major cities are generally at the top of the leader board, demand for rental properties has pushed prices up right around the country.

One bedroom flats in London can command rent anywhere from £850 pcm and well above. Add your annual utilities bills – gas, electricity and sometimes water to those super-sized rent payments, and the chances of saving your hard earned dollars for any big ticket items, let alone a deposit on that dream home of your own, quickly shrink from slim to very, very skinny. Continue reading “A New Lease on Life: You’ll Love Our Rising Rent Quick Fix”

3 Life Lessons Your Pet Will Teach You

mindahome.co.uk Feb 19

Sometimes, it almost feels as if the months and years go by in the blink of an eye. We all know the old adage ‘stop and smell the roses’, but with work, family and life in general getting busier and busier, the idea of ‘stopping’ doesn’t seem to resonate in modern times.

Our pet pals, though, have this magic ability. They offer us unconditional love, affection and attention and whenever we spend time with them, we do take time to appreciate the best things in life.

Often, life lessons come packaged up in a ball of fluff and fur and give us perspective about what’s important and how best to make the most of every day.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Whether your pet has fur, feathers, scales or skin, the depth of their companionship is second to none. Pets can sense our mood and are great at transforming a tired and grumpy human into an excited and laugh-out-loud friend.

Our pets make a house a home and they are comfortable with their familiar surrounds, smells and sounds. For the times when pet-parents have to travel without their treasured pet, live-in pet sitters are the key to bringing in the warmth and love of the pet-parent so that their new pet-pal continues to have personalised attention in their home.

Keep Your Mind and Body Happy

Research suggests that people who engage with pets are more active, social and healthy. Your pet is your daily exercise reminder when they come to tell you it’s time for a walk. They can be your rough and tumble partner in the backyard. They can be your down-time and stress reliever. Most Mindahome house and pet sitter members aren’t able to own a pet of their own, so pet sitting gives them the chance to enjoy animal companionship and an active lifestyle.

Our pets have an amazing ability to know what we need, when we need it and keep us happy throughout life’s challenges and triumphs.

Life is Better With Friends

Meeting new animal pals is one of the top reasons why sitters choose the house and pet sitting lifestyle. There are always new people to meet, new fur-friends to play with and new communities to explore. Living life in someone else’s shoes often gives us perspective about what we want out of life and gives us renewed energy to pursue our dreams. Human or animal friends bring joy and fullness to our lives and life’s always better with friends.

For more information about exploring new life opportunities as a house and pet sitter, visit mindahome.co.uk.

5 Cool Ways to Spoil Your Pet

We all love to be spoiled now and again and our pets are no different. They give us so much love and affection that sometimes we may not always truly show how much we care.

But, there are really cool things you can do to spoil your pet that will truly make their day. So whether you’re celebrating your fur-friend’s birthday, their adoption day, or just because… we’ve got some simple ideas for your pet – and they don’t have to cost a fortune.

Gifts and Treats

A new collar, bed or bowl would be a lovely surprise for your pet – especially if the ones they have are getting a little worn! There are loads of businesses out there that now offer personalisation for pet products – with everything to suit the smallest of creatures to the largest of hounds. So scout out the one that suits your needs and budget and create a special surprise. But… gifts and treats don’t need to be expensive.

 A Day at the Dog Park

Who doesn’t love a run and rumble at the dog park? Make it a play date with some of your furry friend’s buddies and instant fun can be had! Not only is it a great chance for your pet to expend some energy, but a great way to exercise and show your dogs that you enjoy the same energetic fun that they do.

Personalised Care

Giving your pet the best care when you have to travel is always a pet-parent’s top priority. Engage a house and pet sitter for free and your pet will be treated to personalised attention and care and an almost pet-parent love that can’t be beaten by any other pet care facility. It helps sitters out there looking for a place to stay and saves pet and home owners loads of money on pet care.

Pamper

If money isn’t an option, then a pampering session at your local pet spa is a must. Treat your pet to a luxurious bath and grooming session, and, go on, get their nails painted while they’re there. If you’re looking for something a little more budget-friendly, call in your local pet wash service and give them a good grooming by those with loads of experience managing animals.

Special Time Together

Of course, you can’t go past treating your pet to some regular old ‘me and you’ time. We’re all very busy these days, but schedule some time in your diary to just sit and cuddle with your pet watching TV, reading a book together or just enjoying the day in the backyard. Sometimes the simple pleasures are the ones that count the most.