I don't pay for accommodation when I travel because I keep my pets + tips

• I spent 5 weeks staying in homes on the East Coast for free taking care of strangers' pets.
• I got my contracts with Trusted Housesitters, an international house sitting platform that costs $129 per year.
• Taking care of people's pets was fun and I received free accommodation during my trip.

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Two years ago, I became an empty nest and I wanted to start traveling. My travel list was long, but my budget was tight with a child in college.

So I started looking for ways to explore the world without paying thousands of dollars for accommodation.

The answer came to me when several avid travelers in my online groups suggested I try Trusted house sittersan international pet sitting and pet sitting platform.

Joining seemed like a good thing Travel Tip to Stay Almost Anywhere for Free.

First, I purchased a one-year subscription to Trusted Housesitters

At first I was skeptical about Trusted Housesitters, but it seemed pretty simple once I thought about it.

Pet sitters and pet owners pay for memberships. Keepers apply for seats and owners approve or decline them.

I've found home sitting services of all levels – from penthouses to houseboats to log cabins and small houses — with durations ranging from one night to several weeks.

Most of the ads I saw involved caring for dogs or cats and sometimes farm animals, which is great if you're an animal lover like me.

After research, I agreed to a background check and signed up for the lowest babysitting price of $129 per year, which allowed me to book unlimited in-home babysitting worldwide entire.

I started to build my profile by looking after small local dogs.

Once I was verified and added a few character references, I created a profile page and applied to local pet daycares.

I had read on the Trusted Housesitters community forum that it was best to start locally and get some good reviews under your belt before trying to travel far.

I was selective and only applied to houses that looked clean and had five-star reviews. I also looked for small dogs that I could easily control on a leash.

If a pet owner was interested, they would set up a FaceTime or phone call with me. Now that I have had over 20 successful showings, landlords often skip this step and book me based solely on my application.

Finally, I'm pet-sitting from Texas to Maine while staying in beautiful places for free

After creating my profile, I set myself the goal of up the east coast make back-to-back seats.

I was in Houston, but Maine was my ultimate destination, so I applied for a week-long stay in a newly built modern house to watch two cats in Freeport.

Once that was booked, I started applying for seats with adjacent dates between my starting point and the upper East Coast.

Finally, my seats were reserved and my five-week trip was in place.

Getting to Maine was half the fun of my trip, which I planned around the pets' schedules.

My first stop was to take care of two adorable dogs Ashevillea quaint mountain town in North Carolina.

I stayed there for a week, exploring the city with the dogs in tow. I even visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park close.

As with all animals I look after, the dogs kept their normal routine of eating and walking. I sent owners daily updates, just a little text with a photo of their pet.

Then I stayed on a 25-acre farm in Virginia that bordered the Appalachian Trail and took care of an elderly dog.

Next, I headed to an apartment in New Jersey to look at a Jack Russell Terrier. There, I took the train to New York to see old college friends.

Eventually, I started caring for animals other than dogs and cats.

In Vermont, I happily learned to watch the chickens: I let them in and out of their coop and I collected fresh eggs every morning.

I had a great pet sitting experience and plan to continue doing so

I met incredible people and stayed in exceptional homes, from log cabins to waterfront houses in a mansion with 10 bathrooms.

I was also able to take care of pigs, donkeys and goats, which I would never have been able to do otherwise.

Pet sitting has saved me thousands of dollars in travel costs and I think that's a win for everyone involved. Pets do not need to be rehomed and owners can relax knowing someone is looking out for their home and pets.

I am delighted to have discovered Trusted Housesitters and plan to use it until I retire.