Lillian Smith has spent about eight of the last 12 months traveling around the world, hitting France, Morocco, Japan and South Korea. Her cost for lodgings in that time? About one night in a hotel, along with the time she spent walking dogs, watering plants and changing litter boxes.
"I have always dreamed of traveling to Japan but didn't have the budget for hotels and Airbnbs," said the 30-year-old freelance designer from Mississippi. Her solution was to agree to house-sit, walk dogs, and care for plants for people around the globe.
U.S. short-term rental and hotel average daily rates are about 37% and 19% higher than in April 2019, according to short-term rental and hospitality analytics firms AirDNA and STR. As of March, U.S. consumer spending on hotels and motels was up about 7.2% from a year ago, but has dropped by about 4.6% from December 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.Smith said she has house-sat in France, Morocco, Japan and South Korea after spending $169 on the cost of an annual membership to TrustedHousesitters, a platform that connects pet owners with in-home sitters.
Paris-based Nomador, a house-sitting platform, saw a 60% increase in new sitters from the last quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023, CEO Mathilde Ferrari said. "As long as the homeowner is not requiring work and compensating specifically for that work, it cannot be construed as unauthorized employment under the Immigration Nationality Act," said New York-based immigration Attorney, Afia Yunus.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
President Biden, House Speaker McCarthy to meet at White House over debt ceilingThe meeting Monday between the president and the new Republican speaker will be a race to prevent the looming debt crisis. There are 10 days until a potential default.
Read more »
Travelers relieved American Airlines, pilots union reached tentative deal before summer travel seasonSummer travel is soon to be in full swing, and pilots and American Airlines have reached a new deal just in time for peak travel season.
Read more »
Stay away from Florida, NAACP warns Black, LGBTQ+ travelersLawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals,' the advisory states.
Read more »
KINSELLA: Alberta Premier Danielle Smith successfully using Donald Trump's playbookDanielle Smith is competitive in every poll, and even ahead by a bit in a few. And, when you consider what she’s said and done, that’s kind of remarkable.
Read more »
After sprinting to glory, four-star cornerback Smith Snowden is ready to join Utah football teammatesSkyridge High School's Smith Snowden, a four-star cornerback committed to the University of Utah, won the 100-meter dash in Class 6A at the state high school track and field championships on Saturday.
Read more »
Anna Nicole Smith: Playboy, drugs and plastic surgery highlighted in new documentaryA new documentary is shedding light into Anna Nicole Smith's turbulent life. The former model and socialite died in 2007 at age 39 from a drug overdose.
Read more »