I was paying $3,000 to live in a cramped Seattle apartment. When I got laid off, I moved out and now live in other people’s homes for free as a traveling pet sitter.

It was 2023, and I’d been feeling stuck for a while. I was working a soul-sucking job at a financial services company, living in a cramped, overpriced Seattle apartment, and feeling bereft as my kids grew up and left home.

Staring at those same four walls every day while working remotely as a marketing writer, I found myself wondering, “Is this all there is to life — working, paying bills, and wondering how I would ever retire?”

Then I got laid off and started to panic. As a single woman in my 50s with no savings, $3,000 a month in bills, and rising inflation plaguing my city, I began to imagine what it would be like to be homeless.

Terrified at my uncertain future, I started brainstorming solutions.

I tried house sitting and loved it

Just a few months prior to getting laid off, I’d started my own small venture — I began pet sitting through a global platform that connects homeowners with travelers who trade pet care for free accommodations.

I’ve always loved traveling, and when I first heard about the possibility of getting free lodging in beautiful homes in exchange for walking the dog, feeding the cat, and bringing in the mail, I figured it was too good to be true. Then I tried it, and couldn’t believe my luck.

For a $165 annual subscription, I suddenly had access to nearly 10,000 house and pet-sitting opportunities worldwide. Within days of purchasing the subscription, I’d booked my first weekend stay with two cats in a lovely seaside town just a few hours from Seattle.

That was followed by a handful of short, successful sits throughout the Seattle area, which earned me several five-star reviews and enabled me to book a few longer sits in the months ahead.

After I got laid off, I considered the possibility of going on the road full-time as a traveling house and pet sitter.

On one hand, giving up my apartment and getting rid of nearly everything I owned sounded incredibly risky, but so did going into debt $3,000 each month just to hold on to a crappy apartment and boring existence. So I decided to give it a try, knowing that I could change my mind at any time.

That was 22 months ago.

Going full-time as a pet sitter was a great financial decision

Since then, I’ve traveled more than 6,000 miles up and down the West Coast, living in more than 40 different homes, while working remotely as a writer and journaling coach, and avoiding more than $60,000 in rent, utilities, and incidentals.

It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made — mentally, emotionally, financially, and creatively.

Instead of hustling to earn a living and always worrying about money, I can slow down and focus on things that really matter to me — like reading, writing, staying in shape, spending time in nature, and maintaining important relationships.

I’m also having a blast traveling, discovering new places, and learning more about my home state of California and my adopted state of Washington. I’ve stayed in gorgeous homes that I otherwise couldn’t afford, met many wonderful people and pets, visited loved ones in other states that I haven’t seen in years, and made many new friends along the way.

But one benefit I wasn’t expecting was the boost to my creativity, which has had a big impact on my work as a writer. Turns out, I’m not the only one. Studies show that frequent travel, exposing ourselves to new environments, and shaking up daily routines help the brain adapt, engage, and stay alert, which can improve creativity, mental flexibility, and cognitive resilience.

It’s also worked miracles on my mental health

Finally, my experience over the last two years has been great for my mental health, relieving the anxiety and hopelessness I felt trying to survive on a single income in one of America’s most expensive cities.

At first, my friends thought I was crazy. Now, they envy my fun, adventurous life.

This lifestyle definitely isn’t for everyone, and it’s not without its challenges, like a couple of last-minute cancellations that had me scrambling for a hotel, replacement sit, or a friend’s spare room.

Still, for me, it’s been a dream come true, and I have no plans to settle anytime soon.

The post I was paying $3,000 to live in a cramped Seattle apartment. When I got laid off, I moved out and now live in other people’s homes for free as a traveling pet sitter. appeared first on Business Insider.